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What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Oct 6th, 2015 at 11:38am
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I'm not saying this as an insult or anything, I'm just curious, what gets people really "in" to DnD?

It can't be rules-lawyering, though that seems to be an annoyingly common thread. I've never been terribly impressed by the gear in DnD(its fun in DDO, but in my pnp experiences it's been a crapload of single-use or few-time-use items)

So what makes people get really excited and interested?
  

I'll never understand the propensity of people to brag about being good at a video game. Its a toy you play with for fun. The only person who should be proud of you is your mother. If you're 3.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #1 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 12:06pm
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customizing of character is what i love
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #2 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 12:09pm
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Killing everyone, npcs, PCs, it is all fair game. Oh, I guess their is the socialization aspect of it tat is neat as well. You know, because talking to people over a chat program is not the same as doing it in person. Also, if it isn't your day to buy pizza, free food!
  

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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #3 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 12:14pm
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The good/fun sessions/games/campaigns are why people obsess about DnD.

Find a fair DM and a good Party to play with (not always easy). Don't be a dick. Find stuff to do and do it. Have fun and continue or find another group.
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #4 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 12:42pm
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Customer service and turdbine Cheesy
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #5 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:07pm
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It's great because it allows you to immerse yourself in another world for a while.  And, unlike a movie or TV show, you control the action rather than just observing.  And unlike board games or video games, there are fewer boundaries or limits.  So it feels more immersive.  The best campaigns I've ever been in are ones where there was almost no "rules lawyering" and the story transcended the stat sheets and the dice and the gear.  D&D is best when this is the case.


  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #6 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:31pm
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The hot babes.
  

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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #7 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:52pm
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Asheras wrote on Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:07pm:
It's great because it allows you to immerse yourself in another world for a while.  And, unlike a movie or TV show, you control the action rather than just observing.  And unlike board games or video games, there are fewer boundaries or limits.  So it feels more immersive.  The best campaigns I've ever been in are ones where there was almost no "rules lawyering" and the story transcended the stat sheets and the dice and the gear.  D&D is best when this is the case.


   


I'm with you on the rules-lawyering. That's what killed my last campaign. I was playing a sorcerer and running pretty fast and loose to try and have fun, I was also doing huge damage because even in PnP sorcerers are OP. This didn't sit well with the rest of the party, who felt like it was a competition and not teamwork, so they proceeded to start rules-lawyering the shit out of every action anyone tried to preform. The group fell apart fairly fast.

My favorite dumb episode of rules-lawyering. I was playing as a 6'2" warforged sorcerer who was raised by gnomes and insisted he was a gnome. I had thrown a lot of points into bluff, and passed a successful bluff check to convince the actual gnome in our party that I was, indeed, a gnome. Apparently that's not how bluff works, but whatever, it had no bearing on anything.

Later on he got super butt-hurt because apparently, according to some obscure rule, he was supposed to get a +60 on the check, which completely defeats the purpose of being able to lie about your race in a magical fantasy game.


Anyway, that random anecdote aside, what sorts of things help you feel really immersed?
  

I'll never understand the propensity of people to brag about being good at a video game. Its a toy you play with for fun. The only person who should be proud of you is your mother. If you're 3.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #8 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 2:01pm
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Asheras wrote on Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:07pm:
It's great because it allows you to immerse yourself in another world for a while.  And, unlike a movie or TV show, you control the action rather than just observing.  And unlike board games or video games, there are fewer boundaries or limits.  So it feels more immersive.  The best campaigns I've ever been in are ones where there was almost no "rules lawyering" and the story transcended the stat sheets and the dice and the gear.  D&D is best when this is the case.


Also requires a great DM. I've had good groups with bad DMs and vice versa; if the dude can tell a good story, I've been able to put up with some mild pedantry, but if the DM falls flat and is relying too much on pre-made modules, even the best actors can get bored in a hurry.
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #9 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 2:59pm
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noamineo wrote on Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:52pm:
I'm with you on the rules-lawyering. That's what killed my last campaign. I was playing a sorcerer and running pretty fast and loose to try and have fun, I was also doing huge damage because even in PnP sorcerers are OP. This didn't sit well with the rest of the party, who felt like it was a competition and not teamwork, so they proceeded to start rules-lawyering the shit out of every action anyone tried to preform. The group fell apart fairly fast.

My favorite dumb episode of rules-lawyering. I was playing as a 6'2" warforged sorcerer who was raised by gnomes and insisted he was a gnome. I had thrown a lot of points into bluff, and passed a successful bluff check to convince the actual gnome in our party that I was, indeed, a gnome. Apparently that's not how bluff works, but whatever, it had no bearing on anything.

Later on he got super butt-hurt because apparently, according to some obscure rule, he was supposed to get a +60 on the check, which completely defeats the purpose of being able to lie about your race in a magical fantasy game.


Anyway, that random anecdote aside, what sorts of things help you feel really immersed?


I had one DM who felt pausing to roll dice slowed down the game and impacted the story telling.  So he had every player take 5 minutes at the start of the session to roll each die 50 times, except D20 which you would roll 100 times, and record the results on these sheets.  Then, you turn them into him and when you are doing something that required a roll, he just looked at your next number and crossed it off. 

I think it also helped, because it made it more difficult for us to figure out enemy stats, hp, etc. 

Some people like rolling the dice, though, in them moment, so that might not make everyone happy.
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #10 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 4:06pm
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I like rolling dice, it made everything a lot more dramatic. That moment where it all comes down to a saving throw and you actually make it, that's pretty neat.
  

I'll never understand the propensity of people to brag about being good at a video game. Its a toy you play with for fun. The only person who should be proud of you is your mother. If you're 3.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #11 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 7:50pm
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It's the only kind of thing where I was good enough to kill God.
« Last Edit: Oct 6th, 2015 at 7:51pm by JC »  

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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #12 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 8:18pm
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Bigdickrichguy wrote on Oct 6th, 2015 at 1:31pm:
The hot babes.

talk about dragons. bitches love dragons
  

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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #13 - Oct 6th, 2015 at 8:50pm
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I view D&D as two possible outcomes

1. Shitty non immersive story, rules lawyering, meta gaming, POWER

2. Immersive story, then my interest is solely on that and not so much the math. Which, granted, is hard, I fucking love the math.
  

OnePercenter wrote on May 15th, 2014 at 9:41am:
I just read that the cat followed up by visiting the dog house later that night, dropping some Willie Pete in on the sleeping dog.  #epochsfamiliarFTW

Sim-Sala-Bim wrote on Jan 27th, 2014 at 2:09am:
It seems like Epoch never loses his popularity.
Even against donuts.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #14 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 5:03am
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After 25 years as GM (yes, I'm fucking old), D&D is one of the favourites of my players, specially 3.x edition. I'm not the best storyteller but I keep dungeon crawling and combat experience with great excitement.

So I think the players love D&D for the power, maths and combat. When we want more roleplay we really don't think on D&D, we choose other games, like Warhammer. But I have to say that the best roleplay/story we have on D&D was with Birthright.

Also I have to say that my rpg friends are the kind of players that go right to the front of the door with an battering ram that to search for another options, so...
  

We need more guillotine's revolutions!!!
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #15 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 7:04am
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Athanor wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 5:03am:
After 25 years as GM (yes, I'm fucking old), D&D is one of the favourites of my players, specially 3.x edition. I'm not the best storyteller but I keep dungeon crawling and combat experience with great excitement.

So I think the players love D&D for the power, maths and combat. When we want more roleplay we really don't think on D&D, we choose other games, like Warhammer. But I have to say that the best roleplay/story we have on D&D was with Birthright.

Also I have to say that my rpg friends are the kind of players that go right to the front of the door with an battering ram that to search for another options, so...

I'm also a long time player & DM (I started in 1980) and prefer 3.X or now mostly Pathfinder which is so close the modules are interchangeable.

I love the creative and cooperative aspects. We all have a hand in making up the story, we have a direct and clear cut role in the solution to big problems, and if we get frustrated we can take out our aggressions by beating the crap out of somebody or something that not only deserves it, but for which we will be praised not jailed.

It's got all of the interactions of real life, except we all get to be heroes, and we have Detect Evil to know who the bad guys are.

We did once have a DM who loved hard decisions, liked introducing dilemmas and bad guys who were not really bad, or who we killed and then found out we were wrong. Of  course, he also made us role play paying our taxes. We all found reasons to be busy a lot, and somebody else started a campaign we did have time for, and he eventually got the picture. I think of that a lot when I hear "I love hard decisions" on the official forums  Roll Eyes
  

Turdbin, keep changing the DDO rules, because McDonalds sold over 200 billion hamburgers by changing the recipe for their Special Sauce every couple of months to keep interest up.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #16 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 11:53am
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My favorite parts are:
1 - hanging out with friends and having fun
2 - Roleplaying weaknesses and not just strengths

DDO is all about strengths.  You're here to "win".

In D&D you can roleplay out that 6 WIS half-orc barbarian and have a grand time with it.  That was still my favorite character, trying to figure out how he would react to situations, etc.
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #17 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:00pm
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You guys didnt understand what he's talking about. He's question is why people are excited to see pnp things in DDO such as classic modules and items.
  
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #18 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:16pm
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Vaultaccount wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:00pm:
You guys didnt understand what he's talking about. He's question is why people are excited to see pnp things in DDO such as classic modules and items.


It brings them back to their innocent youth?
  

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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #19 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:49pm
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Vaultaccount wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:00pm:
You guys didnt understand what he's talking about. He's question is why people are excited to see pnp things in DDO such as classic modules and items.


No actually my question was why do people get excited about PnP. Didn't even mean to bring DDO into it. And I'm no stranger to PnP myself, I've played some and really enjoyed it, I'm just trying to break down what elements get people really into it.
  

I'll never understand the propensity of people to brag about being good at a video game. Its a toy you play with for fun. The only person who should be proud of you is your mother. If you're 3.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #20 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:53pm
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Vaultaccount wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:00pm:
You guys didnt understand what he's talking about. He's question is why people are excited to see pnp things in DDO such as classic modules and items.

Ah, yeah, I didn't understand.

Mostly, I'm not.

At first I was, because if I loved it in D&D I'm going to love it in DDO, right?

Wrong, mostly it didn't translate all that well.

OK, so I'll still love it for the same reason I play DDO - it reminds me of the good times I had with D&D when I played that module, right? Like looking at a picture of a loved one isn't as good as talking to them, but it's a pleasant reminder?

Wrong, Turbine invariably screws it up so badly it's a caricature of the thing I once loved, like the zombie of a former lover reanimated. I can recognize the features, but they are a painful reminder of what I don't have instead of a pleasant reminder of what I did.

But I'm not bitter, really  Grin Grin Grin
  

Turdbin, keep changing the DDO rules, because McDonalds sold over 200 billion hamburgers by changing the recipe for their Special Sauce every couple of months to keep interest up.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #21 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 1:34pm
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Meursault wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:53pm:
Ah, yeah, I didn't understand.

Mostly, I'm not.

At first I was, because if I loved it in D&D I'm going to love it in DDO, right?

Wrong, mostly it didn't translate all that well.

OK, so I'll still love it for the same reason I play DDO - it reminds me of the good times I had with D&D when I played that module, right? Like looking at a picture of a loved one isn't as good as talking to them, but it's a pleasant reminder?

Wrong, Turbine invariably screws it up so badly it's a caricature of the thing I once loved, like the zombie of a former lover reanimated. I can recognize the features, but they are a painful reminder of what I don't have instead of a pleasant reminder of what I did.

But I'm not bitter, really  Grin Grin Grin


Lol I'm with you on that. DDO is a fun video game but its not a faithful adaptation of DnD. Although I think that is something of the problem: people go into these games EXPECTING a faithful adaptation, and you either get the rules Nazis bitching about how its not "exactly like 3.5E" or you get the module junkies complaining about the modules not translating over.

No one ever says "Hey, this is a pretty neat game about hitting things with magical swords!"
  

I'll never understand the propensity of people to brag about being good at a video game. Its a toy you play with for fun. The only person who should be proud of you is your mother. If you're 3.
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #22 - Oct 7th, 2015 at 2:58pm
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noamineo wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:49pm:
No actually my question was why do people get excited about PnP. Didn't even mean to bring DDO into it. And I'm no stranger to PnP myself, I've played some and really enjoyed it, I'm just trying to break down what elements get people really into it.


In my case the question is very simple: playing with friends (real friends), a lot of laughts always. I played rpg games with other people and wasn't that fun.
  

We need more guillotine's revolutions!!!
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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #23 - Oct 10th, 2015 at 12:41am
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noamineo wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:49pm:
No actually my question was why do people get excited about PnP. Didn't even mean to bring DDO into it. And I'm no stranger to PnP myself, I've played some and really enjoyed it, I'm just trying to break down what elements get people really into it.


1 part socialization.
1 part storytelling.
1 part character building.
1 part tactics.
1 part strategy.
1 part pizza
2 parts cheetos
3 parts mountain dew.
  

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Re: What really makes people obsess about DnD?
Reply #24 - Oct 10th, 2015 at 6:05am
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Athanor wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 5:03am:
After 25 years as GM

Meursault wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 7:04am:
I'm also a long time player & DM (I started in 1980)


You are not alone ( started in 82 )... moved pretty quickly to MERP ( because lots of friends were in D&D ( without the A for some, with the A in front for others ) as GMs, so to change a bit I took on another game )...
And then I moved to Rolemaster/Spacemaster. The list of games I've played is long ( starting at A like Animode, and ending somewhere around U or V ).

Vaultaccount wrote on Oct 7th, 2015 at 12:00pm:
He's question is why people are excited to see pnp things in DDO such as classic modules


Well because they are Classics... Who would resist to a remake of Heroes of the Lance ( the first D&D computer game... module DL1 ), even if it doesn't fit well with DDO ?
or Tomb of Horror, or Ravenloft ( the module ), or the H serie ( Bloodstone ), of the DA serie, or the ones set in Greyhawk...
  

Yes my avatar is an Hermine eating a Greenland Lemming for brunch.
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