Thanks for the post Monte! I really enjoy your blog. I have some different (more or less coherent) thoughts on this post:
I generally agree with your sentiment on this post, but I think it is also important to think about refinement as well. Often in many different media, the first new design is seldom the best - the iterations and refinements by others afterwards usually perfect them, without explicitly innovating the design. This is an important part of the collective process as well.
Taking that idea of the bugbear lair adventure and running with it, despite note being innovate, is not inherently doing adventure design wrong even if its easy to design. Because you can still make a very good aventure. You know, one that, despite not being particularly innovative, is still just plain good, well crafted. Similar adventures might exist to the one you (anyone) is about to create, but are they *as good?* - is a challenge that is as equally valid as designing an innovative adventure (imo).
The process of making that bugbear adventure might be easy or hard - but difficulty itself is not necessarily a good indicator for innovation. Some music artists spend very little time on making new and exciting albums, while others spend years. That does not make the second album inherently better than the first. Sometimes you strike gold at first try, and other times you have to dig deep and hard to find it, and we as designers (and artists) gotta enjoy the process when its easy, and endure it when its difficult.
Nevertheless, I love your drive to push TTRPG design into new territories. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the post Monte! I really enjoy your blog. I have some different (more or less coherent) thoughts on this post:
I generally agree with your sentiment on this post, but I think it is also important to think about refinement as well. Often in many different media, the first new design is seldom the best - the iterations and refinements by others afterwards usually perfect them, without explicitly innovating the design. This is an important part of the collective process as well.
Taking that idea of the bugbear lair adventure and running with it, despite note being innovate, is not inherently doing adventure design wrong even if its easy to design. Because you can still make a very good aventure. You know, one that, despite not being particularly innovative, is still just plain good, well crafted. Similar adventures might exist to the one you (anyone) is about to create, but are they *as good?* - is a challenge that is as equally valid as designing an innovative adventure (imo).
The process of making that bugbear adventure might be easy or hard - but difficulty itself is not necessarily a good indicator for innovation. Some music artists spend very little time on making new and exciting albums, while others spend years. That does not make the second album inherently better than the first. Sometimes you strike gold at first try, and other times you have to dig deep and hard to find it, and we as designers (and artists) gotta enjoy the process when its easy, and endure it when its difficult.
Nevertheless, I love your drive to push TTRPG design into new territories. Keep up the great work!
Well, if you take that Bugbear lair and roll on one of the Weird tables, innovation follows :)
I am about to have a haunted house come into my campaign, after reading this… back to the drawing board. I’m sure I can make it more innovative!
Poignant and well said.