The Psychology Of Learning New RPGs
Need help getting everyone on board with learning a new game? A new video explores the psychology of learning new RPGs.
If you’re looking to shake things up around your gaming table, you might face some resistance from friends who are leery of learning a new system. But don’t fret, there’s hope. And help.
That help comes in the form of a new video from G33ks Like Us in their Psychology at the Table series, a series which explores the psychology of RPGs and how they help us grow, among many other topics. The new video, titled, Changing Gaming Systems, explores the psychology of learning new RPGs.
Psychology at the Table – Changing Gaming Systems
Learning a new gaming system can be difficult. We will often run into internal resistance as we move away from the familiar into the unknown. Dr. Megan Connell will talk through some ways to help you and your gaming group move from one system to another.
This video is a good way to talk through some of the difficulties that many people face when trying to learn something new. And when trying to learn a new RPG, the difficulties can be unexpected. Because every RPG has their own set of unwritten rules.
The D&D Player’s Handbook can tell you how to create a character with six ability scores. And while that knowledge might carry over into the same basic concepts in something like Pathfinder 2E, when you switch to a system further removed, like Kids on Bikes or Avatar Legends, not only are the stats different, but the way they interact with each other is new and different as well.
Without the luxury of being “the default” there’s extra work. And even if you know the system well enough, your friends might balk at the change. But with the right mindset, you can approach the challenge of learning a new RPG while being set up for success. As Dr. Connell points out, knowing what you want out of the system you’re switching to, and what you like about the one you’re leaving behind, can help figure out what will ultimately work for you in the end.
What do you do when you’re trying to learn a new set of rules?
