Playing on Easy Mode
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In the most recent Game Informer Magazine, there’s an article that talks about playing video games on Easy Mode. He presents a pretty compelling reason to do so, which I was grateful for, because I’ve always played that way.
His argument is that when you’ve got less of a danger of dying, you’ll be able to enjoy the story and look at the scenery around you. You will be able to experience the game instead of just trying to survive it.
I think this is how I run D&D. At least, I’d like to think so.
In my games, I prefer the heroes be willing to actually do heroic things, rather than worrying if I’m going to kill them. I’d rather they enjoy the scenery, enjoy the story, instead of getting pummeled left and right.
I’ve played some video games on hard. You’ll step around a corner and be instantly killed, without a chance to defend yourself, then go back to the beginning of the level, some five minutes before. That’s not fun. That’s work.
In my games, the players should be enjoying themselves, not yelling and throwing dice. I’m not going to screw them over with a bunch of cursed items.
(As a side note, though, I flipped through the 3.5 DMG today, and looked over the cursed items. Holy jeeze, these things are awesome. And horrible. Bag of devouring? Armor of Arrow Attraction? Medallion of Thought Projection? Nice!)
My wife and I aren’t super competitive. When my dad visited a couple weeks ago, he mopped the floor with us in Carcassone because when we play, we help each other out, while my dad seeks only to punish his enemies. I fear what he would be like as a DM.
I think if I had DMed like a 1st edition DM when I taught Bridget how to play, she wouldn’t have ever played again. Nor would a lot of people I know who now play because of me.
That’s not to say the players shouldn’t face challenges. Far from it. The characters should fear at any moment they could die, should they fail. But it should be in the same way that the characters in Lord of the Rings feared every moment for their lives, when we all knew Frodo was going to make it back to the Shire.
Wow, I totally agree. I mean, that’s the way I like doing things.
In video games, I usually take easy mode so I can enjoy the story and images and all the cool stuff. I don’t have much of time to play a game, so I want to see what kind of it is. What it has to offer. Not interested in struggling the game through!
Same goes with rpg’s. I like the story. I want to tell the story, and I want characters to develope as a person. TPK and random death’s would ruin that thing for me.
Thaumiel Nerub´s last [type] ..Whitewolfgasm
When it comes to video games, I do play easy for the very same reason, to enjoy the story and characters.
That be said, when I GM, I think i take the so-called “Normal” difficulty. While the game is too hard on the players, it’s not easy either. I think Nicholas Logue said it best about his own game, “My game is all about failure.” Most of the people I play with, including myself, like hard and difficult things because the challenge helps their heroes be truly heroic.
Now, there are some games I do go on easy mode for. For games like Savage Worlds and Mutants & Masterminds, I go with easy because those games are about being “Big Damn Heroes” doing astonishing things.
So, to shorten things, I run on easy or normal mode depending on what game I’m running.
Cody´s last [type] ..E3 2010- What Im Excited About
That’s also how I play, though there’s a segment of RPGers who hate the approach. I gravitate towards games that are more pulpy (we’ jumping into Savage Worlds this week) and cinematic, where tone is more important than realism. And like everybody else here, it’s not that it’s “easy”, it’ just that your chances of dying for non-dramatic reasons are low.
I’m sure I’ve written posts about this, certain there’s one where I recommend putting the PCs’ supporting cast in danger instead of them, just so there are real consequences. It’s like Marvel Comics, you know. Spider-Man’s never going to die, but the more girlfriends he loses, the more miserable his life is.
I’d be interested to read how other people make “Easy Mode” not all that easy.
Siskoid´s last [type] ..Live and Let Die- d20
I also read that article mark and agree for the same reasons.
I’ll continue to be mocked but I don’t care!
right on!! i agree wid u all!! i ain’t a hardcore gamer and i dunn have luxury of time to enjoy the challenge!! but for the sake of storyline n time .. i wud sacrifice the challenge
playing whole level again n again wud ruin the pleasure of smooth story for me 