This arose in a Reddit post I was reading, and I thought I'd write a little about it here. One member posted about their growing dislike of 5e, and they happened to be a 34 year-long enthusiast. They wondered if others had similar experiences/feelings, trying to figure out their own dissatisfaction.
So of course I chimed in!
Having played D&D even longer, I felt like I knew where this RPGer was coming from. I've played every edition extensively, and more 5e than perhaps any other edition, and I've enjoyed it. But I know what it does, thoroughly, and I know what it doesn't.
As Adam Koebel once said (paraphrased), "Burning Wheel is the RPG I would want if stranded on a desert island, because it does what it says." What he points out is that RPGs are notorious for suggesting you incorporate elements that make them work as you desire rather than explicitly including such in their designs (specifically roleplaying). A more harsh way to say this is "if you don't want 5e to feel like a board game, pretend it does what you want it to do."
The bottom line is that sometimes we feel "Something's Missing."
5e's rules focus on being a skirmish board game, and it seems WOTC is doubling down on this approach. As I said, I've played A LOT of 5e and have enjoyed it, and many MANY others STILL enjoy it and are loving the latest iteration. And I think most of them enjoy it for what it does. I, however, enjoyed 5e for what it did not do, for what my groups brought to the gaming table that was not found in the rules. For us it was a frame work to settle things we did because it was easy, accessible, provided a diversity of player options within its scope, and presented a wealth of lore spanning 5 decades, all fun and useful stuff.
But some of us eventually find that the rules begin getting in the way of WHY and HOW we are playing, and we begin house ruling and homebrewing more and more, or abandoning it all together to play other RPGs.
There are other RPGs out there giving you options to really get into those WHYs and HOWs we pursue this hobby. Any of you have particular WHYs and HOWs you play a specific RPG?
I don't have anywhere near the extensive experience you have, Ken, but have been playing D&D or Pathfinder off-and-on since the 80's, and I have always had lots of fun (if the table is a good one), whether as DM or player.
One of my disappointments with those systems, however, is that it was never easy to get to some of the specific character types I wanted to play. "Shadow Dancer" for example. I was never able to accomplish the levels and abilities to meet the prerequisites, when starting from a first level character (I did play one as an NPC while GM'ing). I tried twice, but both times felt a bit excruciating to get the proper number of levels in this, that and the other class/ability. Also, this way of building a character seemed odd to me...get enough sneak attack dice and ability points in perform (dance), somehow you learn how to move through shadows. It felt like I was following someone else's weird recipe.
With Dungeonmor (thanks for inviting me to the two tables, Ken!), I've created a 1st level "Shadow Dancer" who starts off with combat capabilities and a racial ability ("Walk Through Shadows"), that will let me tell the story of someone learning how to use the combination of those abilities over time and reacting organically to game situations. Under the other systems, I had to carefully map out my character's trajectory, which led to there being no mystery to the future of the character. Now, with exposure to Dungeonmor-style of play, I'm following my own recipe and free to tell my own Shadow Dancer story.
As someone who leans towards being a rule-lawyer, I am very pleasantly surprised at how much more I'm enjoying this approach to RPG gameplay. I whole-heartedly recommend expanding your gaming experiences beyond those that are familiar to you. Explore!