D&D 5E Would you play in or run a 2 hour pick up game of D&D ?

[The Human Target]

Even in that scenario, "because it's fun".

By your logic, nobody would ever bother just sitting down and playing RPGs at conventions.

Yeah, I don't really have any interest in doing that either beyond novelty.

 

[Ichneumon]

If I was asked to play or run a one-off game of D&D, my answer wouldn't be contingent on the game's proposed duration or character permanence. It would depend on who I was playing with. Friends, or people I can easily relate to, help make the game, and there's really nothing less valuable about a good time for 2 hours, compared to a good time for 4 hours.

 

[Kobold Stew]

See, for me the operative phrase was "you decide": when with friends who are ready for a two-hour game, what would I choose to introduce to the table?

If one of them were to suggest D&D, then yippee -- but that's not likely to happen on the spur of the moment. What I would choose is geared towards ensuring their enjoyment and my sense of their end-result happiess at the end of two hours.

 

[Li Shenron]

If I was to venture a guess... I'd say that it'd be considered a "waste of time" because of the impermanence of the game.

Impermanence actually offers the opportunity to try out something new without committing.

Especially for those who like really long campaigns with low-lethality. If you are going to play that Barbarian PC for 2 years continuously, why would you want to pass on the chance of trying out something different for one evening? It could be a good chance to test out some mechanics you haven't tried before, such as spellcasting or sneak attack. Maybe you like the "preview" and decide that later in another campaign you will play a fully-fledged Wizard or Rogue.

 

[Uchawi]

For any experienced player, there is a big risk of a two hour game feeling rushed or incomplete, unless that 2 hour experience is a continuation of multiple 2 hour experiences over a period of time. I would not try to force D&D into a niche that does not showcase it's strengths. There are plenty of other 2 hour games, or other activities, that are intended to be completed in that time period.

There are exception like conventions, but those are intended as advertisements to get new players, or as a social experience amongst your peers.

So my answer is no.

 

[am181d]

So to be clear: The consensus is very firmly that some people would enjoy it and others wouldn't.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Impermanence actually offers the opportunity to try out something new without committing.

Especially for those who like really long campaigns with low-lethality. If you are going to play that Barbarian PC for 2 years continuously, why would you want to pass on the chance of trying out something different for one evening? It could be a good chance to test out some mechanics you haven't tried before, such as spellcasting or sneak attack. Maybe you like the "preview" and decide that later in another campaign you will play a fully-fledged Wizard or Rogue.

That's true... but also at a right angle to the point.

The point of contention is not whether there is anything to be gained for a short play of D&D in and of itself... but whether the defined specifications of the scenario that the OP posted would be a worthwhile time to do that. My personal feeling is 'No'.

I play D&D biweekly currently (and it was weekly for several years.) Anything D&D-related that I want or need to do can be accomplished within that biweekly window, or at the various locations I might go where D&D is specifically being presented (in whatever format it is). Conventions for example-- I've DMd D&D at PAX East for several years, and I know going in (and indeed have scheduled it) that I'm playing small con games of D&D. I'm good with that.

But in a situation where D&D is not the defined event of the evening... like the scenario the OP originally put forth... for me personally I would find pulling out more D&D to be a waste of an opportunity that would be better served playing something else that I do not ordinarily do. I haven't played Fiasco is over a year. I'd LOVE to play Fiasco again. So if we had the scenario as posted where a bunch of friends are over and we decide to play a game (any game)... playing D&D would be a loss of opportunity.

I imagine the big hang up right now is all of us using the phrase "waste of time". Some of us are using it metaphorically and some of us are using it literally. I don't think any of us really think playing D&D in any situation is a real crippling loss of 2 hours of our lives that doing ANYTHING else would be preferable. That's just silly. We're using "waste of time" metaphorically. It's more that we consider those two hours a loss of opportunity to play or do something else that might be even more enjoyable. But other folks who are countering us are treating our use of the phrase "waste of time" as though we think playing D&D is the absolutely worst thing we could do-- like we'd rather stand in line at the Department of Motor of Vehicles for two hours to renew our driver's licenses than play a one-off game of D&D. So they keep offering up reasons why playing D&D is better than that.

Which we know is true. And which is why we'd prefer you not take us literally by our use of the phrase "waste of time", but take it in the spirit of how its being used. Which really should be rather clear.

 

[Mistwell]

Yeah, I don't really have any interest in doing that either beyond novelty.

True story - best games (of any kind) I've ever played in my life were at GenCon, GM'ed by members of this message board. Kevin Kulp (PirateCat) GM'ed a fantastic game of Mutants and Masterminds (WW2), Jody DM'ed a great game of 4e D&D, JC a great game of d20 Future, and there was another great 0-level 3e game at GenCon (I sadly forget who the DM was at the moment). Those are literally the best games I've ever played in, including all board games (and I've played a LOT of board games including a lot of great Euro games with great people). I'd add to that list a fantastic game of Stargate d20 at a Strategicon out here in Los Angeles. And then when I was a kid I played in a really fun 1e game at a Strategicon.

Convention games are really really fun. You should try them - preferably with a known good GM. I love my home games, my friends are awesome, but those games I played at Cons were the best games I've ever played in.

 

[Mistwell]

So to be clear: The consensus is very firmly that some people would enjoy it and others wouldn't.

Yes, it's a very strong consensus.

 

[xarimus]

I actually did this just last week (well close). We had about three hours so they all played a board game while I printed up three generic characters and a few monsters to make a close approximation of the Irontooth dungeon. It was a blast.