A different RP discussion thread!

[VeradBV]

This only applies if you're using a pre-written scenario like a dungeon crawl. My hubby and I have used D&D rules in numerous campaigns over 20 years that happen over IRC, so we type everything in prose format and do our rolling with dice scripts in channel. Our groups often go off the beaten path in RP, too, so it requires a lot of on the fly adjustment. We've done fantasy games, modern games, superhero games, you name it. The general rules for D&D can be used for pretty much anything you want.

I'm aware it can be a pretty flexible system for people who want to use it, but in dealing with the primarily freeform userbase that we have on Balmung and in MMO RP in general, the number of players who are interested in more rules-intensive games like D&D as a system baseline are in the minority. It helps a lot as an outreach tool to use systems that give players more collaborative control over the storyline and has simpler roll results.

For comparison, a popular system for conflict resolution on Balmung is the Grindstone system, which is a simple /random rolloff on attack/defense with the high roller winning, and the first to take three hits is the loser. This has no connection to character ability or tactics or any kind of modifiers, and it's fairly widespread because it's easy to use and (mostly) handles conflicts quickly without a lot of OOC chatter so people can get back to the freeform. I try to work with systems that strike a middle ground between pure simple RNG like that and more rules-intensive systems like D&D.

If I had a crowd that did prefer more rules-intensive games, I'd lob a copy of Big Eyes Small Mouth (aka GURPS for weebs) into the room and let them sort themselves out from there.