[Design] Character Generation: Detail vs Opportunity Cost

[David Cake]

At 12:24 PM +1100 16/11/05, Kyle Schuant wrote:
>I said "one reason" for the success of D&D. And appealing to new 
>players is absolutely vital for the popularity of any new game 
>system. To think otherwise is Forgeite gamer elitism. I don't want 
>to be a crusty old gamer playing some obscure game no-one can 
>understand and looking down my nose at eager young gamers hacking 
>their way through dungeons.

	There is plenty of room for both. Just as the world has room 
for both Avril Lavigne and jazz. And it may even be a universal rule 
of aesthetics that the things that have the most depth and long term 
appeal are usually (though not always) not the most approachable to a 
beginner.
	Though, FWIW, some of the 'Forgeite' systems are very 
approachable to a new player. Its the veteran players raised on rules 
heavy systems and in depth exploration of traditional genres that 
often find them offputting. Character creation for something like 
Sorcerer (the canonical snobby Forgeite game) is very easy if the GM 
has a good game concept to get people imagination going.
	The issue of prep time is related to the appeal to new 
players, but isn't all of it. And there is a difference to appealing 
to players new to RPGs, and players looking for a new game. Players 
looking for a new game but familiar with RPGs often overlook a 
relatively high prep time if they can see its getting them somewhere 
ie getting them an interesting character to play, introducing them to 
rules that will have interesting consequences, etc.
	Cheers
		David