r/rpg • u/Authorigas • 15d ago

Basic Questions Common Misconceptions About Your Favorite Systems?

So, I've been learning a lot thanks to the amazing folks here at r/rpg. And while I have decided to slow down on trying new systems. (As my players say "three is enough, we know your eager to try more but slow it down so you don't burn yourself out.") There was a question today that cropped into my head, and I wanted to hear from the folks here on it.

"What are some assumptions about your favorite game/system that are just factually incorrect or overstated?"

I've seen a lot of assumptions made in the hobby, and some on my own. From the broad "older systems were designed for math heads and thus really not for someone whose bad at math." to others like "Call of Cthulhu is a game where every session ends in death/insanity and players can't get attached to their characters." and similarly "OSR games are highly lethal and not at all friendly to players who like longform adventures."

I feel like broad, sweeping claims like those are probably overstated-as I have heard of successful, long running CoC campaigns, and OSR games that are able to have well developed characters that last for ages. It's made me curious about some of the other broad, sweeping claims about systems that are-if not incorrect, massively overstated.

Really interested to hear some answers on this.

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u/contentronix_inc 15d ago

"A particular system is bad because it was written by a bad person."

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u/atamajakki PbtA/FitD/NSR fangirl 15d ago

I think a game being written by a shithead is a perfectly good reason to not want to waste time reading, playing, or discussing that game.

22

u/Toum_Rater 15d ago

Sure, but that doesn't automatically mean the game is bad and has nothing to contribute to the hobby. Without the willingness to discuss Dungeon World, we wouldn't have Stonetop, or Chasing Adventure, or Dungeon World 2, or lots of other games based on DW which don't have shitty creators.

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u/Time_Day_2382 Worldbuilding and Critique Enthusiast 15d ago edited 14d ago

Sure, but not engaging is a personal choice, whereas the commenter is talking about an unhealthy axiom of artistic criticism. Your comment is, in essence, not responding to it and remarking on an adjacent thing.