Shawn

Because what's the first thing that people play D&D, they play it for a long time, then they go play a different game, a different system that has a different initiative system. And they love it because it's different. And the first thing they want to do is bring that back and put that into their fifth edition D&D game.

Because what's the first thing that people play D&D, they play it for a long time, then they go play a different game, a different system that has a different initiative system. And they love it because it's different. And the first thing they want to do is bring that back and put that into their fifth edition D&D game.

Which is a fine impulse, but you have to then think through consequences and know the ramifications of doing so. Yeah.

Which is a fine impulse, but you have to then think through consequences and know the ramifications of doing so. Yeah.

Yep. Yep. So again, keep that in mind. Anytime you're designing, know what you're doing, try to break the rules, but know what that will mean. And the third thing I want to talk about, lessons that I've sort of learned over the years, is my preference and my experience are not the same as the totality of the audience that I'm writing for.

Yep. Yep. So again, keep that in mind. Anytime you're designing, know what you're doing, try to break the rules, but know what that will mean. And the third thing I want to talk about, lessons that I've sort of learned over the years, is my preference and my experience are not the same as the totality of the audience that I'm writing for.

I may like something and I may have to work on a project where I'm doing something that isn't my preference, but at least for the time that I'm designing, that needs to be my preference. That needs to be the thing I love. I need to learn to love this so that I can do the best job about it. Write what you know is great advice. Write what you love is great advice up to a certain point.

I may like something and I may have to work on a project where I'm doing something that isn't my preference, but at least for the time that I'm designing, that needs to be my preference. That needs to be the thing I love. I need to learn to love this so that I can do the best job about it. Write what you know is great advice. Write what you love is great advice up to a certain point.

But when you become more advanced, when you become, When you get to the point where you're trying to do different things, it's not write what you know, it's start from where you know and learn. It's write what you love, but learn to love other things, or at least learn to appreciate other things.

But when you become more advanced, when you become, When you get to the point where you're trying to do different things, it's not write what you know, it's start from where you know and learn. It's write what you love, but learn to love other things, or at least learn to appreciate other things.

When I was on the Kiel Lund Triad, one of the first things I did was put a sort of a Yahoo group survey out. And it was a question about prep time and complication and how much weight is appreciated for the effort versus making a simpler adventure that's a little more straightforward.

When I was on the Kiel Lund Triad, one of the first things I did was put a sort of a Yahoo group survey out. And it was a question about prep time and complication and how much weight is appreciated for the effort versus making a simpler adventure that's a little more straightforward.

And people, a wide, wide margin said, yes, make it more difficult to run or prep if it has to, as long as it's going to be different. And those adventures were by far the least liked. So people say they wanted it, but then when the consequences of making it that way were presented to them, They did not like it.

And people, a wide, wide margin said, yes, make it more difficult to run or prep if it has to, as long as it's going to be different. And those adventures were by far the least liked. So people say they wanted it, but then when the consequences of making it that way were presented to them, They did not like it.

Yeah. Well, it was also the players. Yeah. Right. The players said, yes, we want something different. And even if it's a little more complicated and it may not be the best experience ever. Yeah. And and then they're like, no, we don't like this. So, you know, it's sort of that. Be careful what you wish for. And yeah.

Yeah. Well, it was also the players. Yeah. Right. The players said, yes, we want something different. And even if it's a little more complicated and it may not be the best experience ever. Yeah. And and then they're like, no, we don't like this. So, you know, it's sort of that. Be careful what you wish for. And yeah.

Okay, so let's talk about our newer experiences. Third edition was great. We had a great campaign in Living Greyhawk. We had some other sub campaigns. I worked on Zendrick Expeditions, which toyed with the idea of rather than tracking things just on paper, using computers to track. So at the end of a game, the game master would go online and answer the questions

Okay, so let's talk about our newer experiences. Third edition was great. We had a great campaign in Living Greyhawk. We had some other sub campaigns. I worked on Zendrick Expeditions, which toyed with the idea of rather than tracking things just on paper, using computers to track. So at the end of a game, the game master would go online and answer the questions

that your group how they did and that would trigger a certain number of experience points or magic item access etc and then you would go and check on your website oh what level is my character now oh what what could i what could i do and you know this was this was pre-smartphones. This was like, you got to log on and look at this on your laptop.

that your group how they did and that would trigger a certain number of experience points or magic item access etc and then you would go and check on your website oh what level is my character now oh what what could i what could i do and you know this was this was pre-smartphones. This was like, you got to log on and look at this on your laptop.