Andrew, a long-time friend, and I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for almost a decade now. While I had settled down with 5th Edition for the last several years, Andrew rediscovered OSE (Old School Essentials/Old School DnD). While they share a brand name, the two games are very different and we've had clashing views about them for years. But one of the biggest things was how to distinguish the two from each other. More so, how does one explain it to someone brand new? The concept of getting a brand new person into TTRPGs is nothing new but it is notoriously difficult. I don't think it has to be though.
Sitting within the fluff, setting, and themes of every TTRPG is a gameplay loop. A core set of mechanics that when interacted with gives the players satisfying feedback. Which in turn prompts the players to engage with the loop again and again and again. Every type of interactive entertainment has it. Some are simply like in Super Mario Bros where you are challenged to traverse an obstacle course filled with enemies by only jumping. Others, like Magic the Gathering, are much more intricate with numerous subsystems and rules. But in the end, it boils down to defeating an opponent by summoning creatures to deal enough damage while also defending yourself from their attacks.
Now think back to when you or someone else tried to get a person to play any other form of game. Assuming they weren't just cornered into playing one night, this loop was explained and it sounded interesting enough for them to want to engage with it. Now think about how TTRPGs are introduced. Dungeons and Dragons 5e is regularly touted as a game where you can go on adventures and "do anything", I've heard Blades in the Dark described simply as the "heist" TTRPG, and whichever system Star Wars is plastered onto draws in people who like Star Wars. This does a disservice to the game and the people trying to determine if they want to play. While not the only reason for it, this utter lack of knowledge of the system also contributes to player's reluctance in trying new TTRPGs. What's worse is the solution is so utterly simple.
Let's try describing a few TTRPGs with the same mentality we would recommend for other interactive entertainment.
D&D 5e: A heroic adventure where you roll dice to overcome threats and by doing so, become stronger to face bigger dangers.
OSE/Old School DnD: Explore to get loot, get loot to level up, and level up to get more loot in a dangerous fantasy world where you need to take calculated risks to progress.
Star Wars: Edge of the Empire: You are a character in a movie-like adventure whose debts need to be paid, so take risks to stay ahead without gaining too many debts in the process. With dice rarely letting you get away scot-free.
DREAD: A Horror movie where you'll die if you do nothing. But doing something means pulling a literal block from a Jenga tower, making it all the more likely the tower falls and you die anyway.
People who have played any TTRPG will know each campaign you play is different and special. Your 5e game might revolve around being a shopkeep, and your Star Wars EOTE game might have you exploring the Outer Rim. Explaining what the campaign is going to be is important. But the system's gameplay loop is going to be at the heart of it all. If a player isn't interested in that then they won't be a player for long. Whether it is sharing or reviewing TTRPGs, a sentence or two about its loop will make everyone's exploration of the hobby that much more simple.
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