D&D: Flavor in Mechanics
To what I assume is no one's great surprise, I am an avid Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) player. I've been playing since I was 12 years old, and before that I'd wanted to play since my father first told me about the game when I was 6. During this time, I've played two different editions of the game, which I believe both offer lessons to those looking to design roleplaying games (or, indeed, any kind of game).
I started playing Dungeons and Dragons with its 4th edition, which I (along with many other players) consider something of a failure of design. This is not to say in any way that it was a bad game, or that I did not have fun playing it. Rather, I mean only that the game did not live up to the expectations of its storied franchise by failing to properly combine mechanics and flavor into a unified whole.
Conversely, the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons was very much a lesson in how to intertwine flavor and mechanics into an effective game. (It was also better in a number of other, more minor areas, but if I were to discuss them I doubt anyone would read past this paragraph). This effectiveness, and its contrast with the 4th edition, are somewhat difficult to explain without playing the game, but perhaps the best way to go about doing so would be to compare how player classes work in the different editions.
For those of you who have never played, in Dungeons and Dragons the player chooses a class that defines many of their abilities (for example, a player might be a wizard, cleric, or fighter). These classes having very different basic attributes (a wizard using magic, a fighter using prowess in personal combat, etc.), should as a rule of thumb feel different to play in order to enhance the player's roleplaying experience.
We can see how well 5th Edition does this by looking at top-level powers for different classes. For example, in the last few levels a fighter can achieve, they can get such bonuses as extra attacks or healing, powers that feel appropriate for a genius of combat at the peak of their abilities. Conversely, a wizard can pick from a long list of high level spells including wish, which (as the name suggests) works generally like a genie's wish, and imprisonment, which can trap an opponent in an inescapable prison indefinitely (with a few caveats). These powers feel fundamentally different to use and appropriate for the classes that they represent.
Let us then contrast this with the powers of the 4th edition. A wizard reaching the top level of their abilities can gain one of three spells, one of which reads "Roll 7 ten-sided die and deal that much damage to a target" (with flavor text labelling it as a spell). A fighter can also pick from one of three spells, one of which allows them to roll 7 of their weapon die (a ten-sided die is common) and deal that much damage to a target. These abilities are functionally the same. A player could swap a high-level wizard and high-level fighter and find that the only serious differences are in their equipment and hit points.
In a roleplaying game, this is devastating to the experience. Players need to feel like a powerful archmage or strong warrior, and if those don't feel any different, it takes away from the game experience. Conversely, designers who are able to integrate mechanics and flavor will craft a game experience that keeps players engaged and makes them feel truly immersed within the game world.
I started playing Dungeons and Dragons with its 4th edition, which I (along with many other players) consider something of a failure of design. This is not to say in any way that it was a bad game, or that I did not have fun playing it. Rather, I mean only that the game did not live up to the expectations of its storied franchise by failing to properly combine mechanics and flavor into a unified whole.
Conversely, the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons was very much a lesson in how to intertwine flavor and mechanics into an effective game. (It was also better in a number of other, more minor areas, but if I were to discuss them I doubt anyone would read past this paragraph). This effectiveness, and its contrast with the 4th edition, are somewhat difficult to explain without playing the game, but perhaps the best way to go about doing so would be to compare how player classes work in the different editions.
For those of you who have never played, in Dungeons and Dragons the player chooses a class that defines many of their abilities (for example, a player might be a wizard, cleric, or fighter). These classes having very different basic attributes (a wizard using magic, a fighter using prowess in personal combat, etc.), should as a rule of thumb feel different to play in order to enhance the player's roleplaying experience.
We can see how well 5th Edition does this by looking at top-level powers for different classes. For example, in the last few levels a fighter can achieve, they can get such bonuses as extra attacks or healing, powers that feel appropriate for a genius of combat at the peak of their abilities. Conversely, a wizard can pick from a long list of high level spells including wish, which (as the name suggests) works generally like a genie's wish, and imprisonment, which can trap an opponent in an inescapable prison indefinitely (with a few caveats). These powers feel fundamentally different to use and appropriate for the classes that they represent.
Let us then contrast this with the powers of the 4th edition. A wizard reaching the top level of their abilities can gain one of three spells, one of which reads "Roll 7 ten-sided die and deal that much damage to a target" (with flavor text labelling it as a spell). A fighter can also pick from one of three spells, one of which allows them to roll 7 of their weapon die (a ten-sided die is common) and deal that much damage to a target. These abilities are functionally the same. A player could swap a high-level wizard and high-level fighter and find that the only serious differences are in their equipment and hit points.
In a roleplaying game, this is devastating to the experience. Players need to feel like a powerful archmage or strong warrior, and if those don't feel any different, it takes away from the game experience. Conversely, designers who are able to integrate mechanics and flavor will craft a game experience that keeps players engaged and makes them feel truly immersed within the game world.
Comments
Post a Comment