Idea that will never be implemented

[pwtucker]

After reading 400+ of Bryce's reviews over the past few months, I wish DriveThruRPG would auto-suggest a couple of minimalist/high yield design advice docs to anyone wishing to upload an OSR adventure. Like a waiver/disclaimer, where the designer has to click a checkbox indicating that they've read the docs before uploading.

Something like the Principia or Quick Primer.

Won't happen, I know, but I have to believe most of the terrible adventures come from a place of enthusiastic ignorance, not malicious gold mining via AI/hackery.

(Though crafting a single doc that pleases the whole community is also impossible, so...)

 

[DangerousPuhson]

It's a nice thought, but DriveThru RPG is essentially a vanity press.

You can't really dictate what is or isn't publishable by a vanity press - that's sort of the whole point of self-publication, like, as a concept. Caveat emptor, and all that.

 

[pwtucker]

True.

But this (obviously fanciful) idea wasn't meant to preclude anyone from publishing whatever they wanted, merely point out resources that could provide good adventure writing advice as part of the publishing process. Which... would no doubt be ignored, regardless. Ah well!

 

[DangerousPuhson]

As cool as it would be to point out some required reading on adventure design, the problem is that such material does not exist (nudge nudge Bryce). In terms of practical guidance, OSR Primers are tragically generic in that regard. Sure they're decent at conveying idealized goals and promoting organic play, but as an instruction manual they are nearly worthless.

Precepts like "ruling not rules" or "the answers aren't on a character sheet" is fine advice for fostering a specific kind of DM mindset, but as a guide for adventure design the statement basically means nothing. How does one design for rulings not rules? How does one design to promote player shrewdness over character ability? These are the bits of advice that DMs need and are sorely lacking in the existing material.

And is it just me, or do 90% of DM guides say "this is needed - here is an example" and leave it at that? There's never any depth to any of it. They'll always be generic to-do lists followed by examples, like: "Ensure your adventure has a prominent antagonist - for example have an evil arch-priest taunt the party by doing blah blah blah". It's never elaborated on. Why must the antagonist be so important? How do I make them important? I don't need to know what an antagonist is, I know the language thanks - I need to know how to deploy it effectively. Tell me THAT stuff.

 

[Two orcs]

The problem with most published stuff isn't just that they don't understand OSR, it's that they don't understand game design at all! And it's a craft that requires practice, because you're dealing with the nebulous concept of human psychology.

 

[DangerousPuhson]

I'd say it's more that a manifesto is not suited when an instruction manual is needed.