This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Why do most of us feel such a Strong Urge, to Make Changes to RPG Rulesets?  (Read 3105 times)

Jam The MF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1102
It's so common for people to admit to changing stuff in their games of choice, that it appears a Perfect RPG Ruleset is "Unobtainable".
Let the Dice, Decide the Outcome.  Accept the Results.

This Guy
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 642
because it's not really mine until i've made some changes. the perfect ruleset doesn't come to me complete, it is what happens after i've made the changes
I don't want to play with you.

Godsmonkey

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 222
For me, it's a combination of that, and my obsession with tinkering with rules.

Hell, I even change my own rules.

This Guy
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 642
oh yeah i've been down that rabbithole sometimes, shit sucks when it stops you from getting a game rolling but it's real fun for puzzling over
I don't want to play with you.

Steven Mitchell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • S
  • Posts: 3770
Tinkering with rules is itself a fun activity. 

Moreover, the ideal game at any given table is as much a product of rulings as rules, which means other peoples' rulings codified are often less than optimal.  Against that, you have to balance the cost of the tinkering itself (and the resulting confusion for players). 

Finally, the kind of people that frequent gaming message boards are not typical of the wider users. 

oggsmash

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4009
It's so common for people to admit to changing stuff in their games of choice, that it appears a Perfect RPG Ruleset is "Unobtainable".

   Well, I do not think very many people change any rules of the games of their choice.  I think the people who are usually the gamemasters change the rules.  I think the same people who are the game masters also are the whale product buyers, as well as the ones interested enough in gaming to post and discuss more often.  I think it gives a false indication of how many people involved in gaming are interested in changing the rules to be honest.

This Guy
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 642
   Well, I do not think very many people change any rules of the games of their choice.  I think the people who are usually the gamemasters change the rules.  I think the same people who are the game masters also are the whale product buyers, as well as the ones interested enough in gaming to post and discuss more often.  I think it gives a false indication of how many people involved in gaming are interested in changing the rules to be honest.

Yeah that tracks, they really do have us poor gms by the balls.
I don't want to play with you.

oggsmash

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4009
   Well, I do not think very many people change any rules of the games of their choice.  I think the people who are usually the gamemasters change the rules.  I think the same people who are the game masters also are the whale product buyers, as well as the ones interested enough in gaming to post and discuss more often.  I think it gives a false indication of how many people involved in gaming are interested in changing the rules to be honest.

Yeah that tracks, they really do have us poor gms by the balls.
   
   I would wager a bet the average D&D player who is not a GM likely the average book ownership among pure players might average to be less than 1.

Jam The MF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1102
For me, it's a combination of that, and my obsession with tinkering with rules.

Hell, I even change my own rules.


You even change your own rules?  Now that's funny.  You can't even be happy with rules of your own making!!!

Even more proof, that perfection does not exist in this world....
Let the Dice, Decide the Outcome.  Accept the Results.

This Guy
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 642
   Well, I do not think very many people change any rules of the games of their choice.  I think the people who are usually the gamemasters change the rules.  I think the same people who are the game masters also are the whale product buyers, as well as the ones interested enough in gaming to post and discuss more often.  I think it gives a false indication of how many people involved in gaming are interested in changing the rules to be honest.

Yeah that tracks, they really do have us poor gms by the balls.
   
   I would wager a bet the average D&D player who is not a GM likely the average book ownership among pure players might average to be less than 1.

i like keeping my money so i'm not gonna take that bet. lived experience tells me it's a battle to get them to read your own damn books let alone pick up a copy for themselves. if you narrowed it down to just the 5E PHB you might get in the upper half of less than one but that's pushin it
I don't want to play with you.

Crusader X

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 228
I usually have the attitude where the majority of the rules in a game are great, but if I just made a few little changes here and there, then the game would be perfect! (for me)

I've never found a game where I didn't think this.

HappyDaze

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • H
  • Posts: 5337
I try to keep my house rules to a minimum. Minor tweaks and clarifications are fine, but if I have to rewrite whole sections of the rules, I'll play a different game instead. If those minor tweaks and clarifications start piling up beyond a page or two of a Word document, that's too much too.

Jam The MF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1102
   Well, I do not think very many people change any rules of the games of their choice.  I think the people who are usually the gamemasters change the rules.  I think the same people who are the game masters also are the whale product buyers, as well as the ones interested enough in gaming to post and discuss more often.  I think it gives a false indication of how many people involved in gaming are interested in changing the rules to be honest.

Yeah that tracks, they really do have us poor gms by the balls.
   
   I would wager a bet the average D&D player who is not a GM likely the average book ownership among pure players might average to be less than 1.

i like keeping my money so i'm not gonna take that bet. lived experience tells me it's a battle to get them to read your own damn books let alone pick up a copy for themselves. if you narrowed it down to just the 5E PHB you might get in the upper half of less than one but that's pushin it


I wouldn't be able to stand it, if I didn't own a hard copy of the PHB for the game I was playing.
Let the Dice, Decide the Outcome.  Accept the Results.

Bren

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7638
    • http://honorandintrigue.blogspot.com/
Tinkering with rules is itself a fun activity. 

Moreover, the ideal game at any given table is as much a product of rulings as rules, which means other peoples' rulings codified are often less than optimal.  Against that, you have to balance the cost of the tinkering itself (and the resulting confusion for players). 

Finally, the kind of people that frequent gaming message boards are not typical of the wider users.
This.

   Well, I do not think very many people change any rules of the games of their choice.  I think the people who are usually the gamemasters change the rules.  I think the same people who are the game masters also are the whale product buyers, as well as the ones interested enough in gaming to post and discuss more often.  I think it gives a false indication of how many people involved in gaming are interested in changing the rules to be honest.
And this.

Currently running: Runequest in Glorantha + Call of Cthulhu   Currently playing: D&D 5E + RQ
My Blog: For Honor...and Intrigue
I have a gold medal from Ravenswing and Gronan owes me bee

Slambo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • S
  • Posts: 411
Basically cause every table os different and sometimes things need change.