Just focus upon being something good instead.

Agreed.

There are far too many TTRPGs out there for D&D, which is really S&S (Swords & Sorcery), to say "This Game Is The Only One To Play."

D&D has serious limitations as a game. My 'Sword & Sorcery' game I found 30 years ago and nothing within the D&D wheelhouse can come close.

But that doesn't make D&D feckless. It has great power within the hobby and is a great 'gateway game' for new gamers.

I dont really get your point.  Can anything be all things to all people?

My point?

My point is D&D, as an intelligent property and the widely-accepted face of TTRPGs, should get game. I wont, even though I do not use it in-session, dismiss D&D as a bad system BECAUSE D&D draws people to our hobby. The HOBBY is tabletop roleplaying games. I can convert people as I like, if they lean towards what it is I am speaking. If they prefer D&D, I can also run that, until they evolve as gamers, which I have found to be consistent with many (but not all) gamers. Some people can kick with D&D for decades, but if I introduce other games, stuff happens.

I'm not sure any one TTRPG is "all things" to them --- maybe the HERO or GURPS or Savage Worlds or PbtA folk. People like what they like. I've never accepted "One Game to Rule Them All" since the mid-80's when I realized AD&D1e had holes. I guess the impetus here is "play what your group likes most".

That's my Rule 0.

RPG publishers are being enticed to become rainbow fairy land for every flavor of delicate flower in society.

That could become far too distracting, for them to be able to also produce really good RPGs at the same time.

I already have GURPS and Rolemaster.  I don't need D&D to be GURPS or Rolemaster, I need it to be D&D.

D&D is a fast paced, wargamey, combat oriented, kill the monster, get the treasure game.  That's okay, really that's the foundation of the hobby.

You shouldn't have to be a good DM to run D&D.  You should be able to eyeball most encounters by looking at levels and hit dice.  The charts and modules should give you decent material to work with.  The setting, anything goes fantasy, is robust and flexible.  The core conceit of adventurers exploring a dungeon full of traps, monsters, and treasure avoids many problems like characterization, motivation, and consistency that can trip up a beginning DM.

Back in the day I drank the Cool Aid and believed D&D's wargame structure was a liability.  As an adult who plays wargames I think it's D&D's greatest strength, sadly the designers haven't thought so since first edition.

Quote from: Theory of Games;1085444My point?

I did mean the OP but you Ninja'd in there so sorry for the confusion.

Nothing is gonna be all things to all people.

OD&D is awesome at being OD&D. I don't expect it to be anything else.

BUT in our hobby, many people don't branch out and try new games so they get frustrated when D&D doesn't magically become not-D&D when all they really need to do is try out new games and dare go beyond the walls of WotC.

And that's not new. Back in the 80s, we saw this all the time with people who pigeonholed themselves to TSR AD&D only, not even trying out TSR's other games!!

Quote from: Theory of Games;1085435My 'Sword & Sorcery' game I found 30 years ago and nothing within the D&D wheelhouse can come close.

What is your Sword & Sorcery game of choice?

I default to OD&D for S&S, but I greatly love Stormbringer 3e.

I like the power levels of OD&D.  Simpler spells and spell lists.  No feat trees.

Quote from: Razor 007;1085450RPG publishers are being enticed to become rainbow fairy land for every flavor of delicate flower in society.

That could become far too distracting, for them to be able to also produce really good RPGs at the same time.

You have inadvertently brought your SJW predilections to a homebrew fight, in which the real enemy is corporate greed.

OD&D.
"Let's do story mode D&D!"
3e CharOp
4e Tactical Minis
5e Storyteller games

The businesses have never forgotten that Gold=XP and they want the gold. Fuck your gameplay, whatever it takes to get the gold they'll do, even if that means twisting the  brand to fit this decades flavour. "Avacado & Carrot return as fall colours and have you tried story points?"

Quote from: bryce0lynch;1085505in which the real enemy is corporate greed.

However with open content that no longer relevant.

Digital technology has allowed people to create and distribute professional content within the time one has for a hobby. Coupled with open content that means any particular variant, style, etc can be supported as long as there is interest.

The problem always been about control, remove the constraints on creativity and distribution then there nothing to control. Nothing for anybody to use to impose their particular views irregardless of what they are.

Pathfinder versus Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition is a major example of this in action. The OSR is another example although it doesn't have nearly the impact of Paizo knocking Wizards off the top marketing perch.

A few years ago I would say that One Bookshelf market share for internet distribution would be a major issue as that is a possible point of control. However with the rise of Kickstarter and the continued development of Print on Demand technology makes anything that OBS does negatively an inconvenience not a roadblock.

5e D&D is The Best Game.
The Pundit made it so.
Praise the Pundit.

Quote from: S'mon;10855435e D&D is The Best Game.
The Pundit made it so.
Praise the Pundit.

Anathema sit!

Quote from: Shasarak;1085453I did mean the OP but you Ninja'd in there so sorry for the confusion.

Okay. Sorry, Shasarak. Nice avatar BTW.

Quote from: Theory of Games;1085575Okay. Sorry, Shasarak. Nice avatar BTW.

From my old L5R days: Asako Kinuye "Your life, your soul, for the Phoenix"