It is good in life and in games. I feel in order to be good at running or playing any RPG you need to change your style of playing every so often and the best way to do this is to change your games.
It is no secret I really enjoy D&D. But it is also not the only game I play, not by any stretch.
Mark Twain once said "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." The same can be said of "travelling" to other worlds.
Want to make your D&D games scarier? Play Call of Cthulhu. Want to give it more of a historical feel? Play Pendragon. Want to give your games a more magical feel? Play Ars Magica or it's half-sister Mage. Occult conspiracies? Play WitchCraft and Conspiracy X.
I honestly get confused when people tell me they only play D&D. Or even, just one version of D&D.
That's like only ever reading one book your entire life (and yes I know those people too).
My interests in RPGs are horror, magic, Celtic-myths and legends, and Victorian-era gaming. I bring these into my games when and where I can. Ok, so Victorian era not so much in D&D, but there are ideas I like to bring over.
My games are better because I have had these other experiences. My game writing is better because I have had these other experiences.
So maybe when you need to improve your own games, try changing it out for a little bit.
3 comments:
>>>I honestly get confused when people tell me they only play D&D. Or even, just one version of D&D. That's like only ever reading one book your entire life (and yes I know those people too).
Hey, I like several different games myself. I've also tried tons more, and own even more than that.
But I'm attracted to a game because of the genre. Or the setting. Or the author. And once I've found a game that I really like (1st ed AD&D, Classic Traveller, 2nd ed Runequest) then I really don't need to play other editions of those games, or play their competitors in the market. I already found the game I like. As long as I can find other players, I'm good.
Playing one game (say, D&D) or one edition of that game (say, my preferred edition) isn't at all like reading one book in your entire life. Because one edition of one game is already like an entire library of books. Perhaps in only one genre, but you can tweak setting, character, plot and style and make endless variations. And that's a library.
Is that all the books you kept? Wish I kept my 3.5 books. My friend were like everyone is going to be playing 4th.
>>>I honestly get confused when people tell me they only play D&D. Or even, just one version of D&D. That's like only ever reading one book your entire life (and yes I know those people too).
Like Baron, this comment made me wonder... I started on AD&D 1st ed back in 1981 (with Dave Chapman) and it's the game I still play (with Dave Chapman!) but I have been everywhere and back again in the mean time. I love these others games, LOVE THEM! But I find myself coming back to AD&D (well OSRIC tbh).
Think there is a bigger take on this; we have a favourite book (or film) that we go back to and read again? Mark Twain was right, but it's always nice to come home and sleep in your own bed, don't you think?
Simon Miles
Dunromin University Press
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