Polished Rules, a Rant – an editorial

d6ideas dice5If someone presents me with a set of rules, which form a completely smooth, perfectly integrated, closed system…

…then I am left with a system which doesn’t leave room for tweaking and homebrewing!

What’s the point of that?!

I do understand the challenge – and the sense of achievement – of formulating a design goal and then fulfilling it to the letter in such a manner. But this very understanding – the common joy in “creating” – leads me to find the smooth, precisely engineered piece of rules artwork to be of less interest – and use – than the somewhat unfinished, rough and blocky monstrosity in the back.

Tweaking and homebrewing rules and options is fun.

And a system can be too smooth to easily allow for that type of fun.

Better a rough diamond than a perfectly polished glass pearl.

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