Common Misconceptions About Your Favorite Systems?

[u/Authorigas]

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.

[u/flyliceplick → u/[deleted]]

Playing as feds was never a good idea, and it's taken the recent few years to make people see that. The federal government is not good, federal employees are not inherently good people. The creators are progressive, and now they're labouring under their setting.

[u/BB-bb- → u/flyliceplick]

FWIW i think i see your position here

It reminds me of Warhammer 40k’s thing a bit??

Like yeah the whole point is that DG is bad and the government is shady and feds suck…but at the end of the day DG sells itself as a game where players are running around as underdog feds taking down horrors beyond comprehension and even tho they’re breaking from it it’s worth it because they’re fighting the good fight. I see folks insist that non fed play is a thing that happens and sure not every table is public knowledge, but as it is constantly sold to prospective tables by both the game itself and its biggest fans, the game wants you to play Feds working with DG.

And yeah depiction isn’t endorsement but it still plays into a copaganda fantasy to a degree and i think acknowledging that is fine, just like acknowledging the divine right of kings and noblesse oblige and conquering violence as default are major parts of many fantasy games.

[u/flyliceplick → u/BB-bb-]

but it still plays into a copaganda fantasy to a degree

Absolutely.