by daisychopper
Haha, great rant!If I can counter-rant for a moment (or several), I think the key to enjoying Ravenloft actually lies in the very same things you're complaining about. You ask, "Is there a game that has succeeded in being what CR is trying to do?" I respectfully submit that there is: Castle Ravenloft.
What I mean is, I think the game succeeds admirably in what it's trying to do; you just don't like it, or rather you want it to do something else. And that's cool - to each his own, you know? But the reason I say that is I'm sitting here reading your complaints and thinking, "those are the things I love most about Ravenloft." Now, you're obviously entitled to your opinion, so I'm not trying to tell you you're wrong - just what I like about the very same features you hate:
- The lack of ongoing narrative is great because it's just a ~1 hour game. One of the main reasons I don't play proper D&D anymore is because I can't get people to sit down for a 3-4 hour session. The flavor text at the start and end of each adventure has felt good enough to get people focused and "in the mood" without boring them or dragging things out. At the same time, the theme is contiguous enough between adventures that if people want to play a second game, I can choose a new adventure that continues the vibe, if not necessarily the story.
- The limited leveling and components are also great because they keep things simple. I can't tell you how many D&D sessions have fizzled before even starting because of complicated character building and leveling systems. I like how I can let the players look at the ability cards if they have gaming experience, or if not just hand them out at random and let everyone figure it out as we go. I like that leveling is just a small bonus that helps but ultimately isn't even necessary. I guess this ties into the fact that I like that the adventures only take an hour or so, and while seeming daunting at first can be picked up by new players within the first few rounds.
- I also like the vague rules because it gives me leeway to interpret things based on the table. If I'm playing with veteran gamers (or fellow masochists - more on that in second) I can interpret the rules against the players, and if I'm playing with newbies or more casual gaming types, I can interpret the rules in their favor without making them feel like I'm dumbing the game down for them. That's probably not a feature intended by the developers, but I've found it extremely useful and fun.
- I actually get disappointed when the Encounter system behaves somewhat fairly. I like that it forces you to keep moving, and prevents you from behaving methodically. Often times, a roll or two will go bad and I'd love to stay and do battle with the building pool of monsters but I know I don't have time. The sense of urgency is key - the Encounter system is essentially a timer. The party only has so much HP, and the Encounter system chips away at it over time to keep things moving. I think it fits in very well with the undead/horror atmosphere of the game - I own Legend of Drizzt and have easy access to Ashardalon as well, but Ravenloft is my favorite and it's because of the Encounter system (which was toned down in the later games, and coupled with much more powerful heroes). My favorite thing to tell players when we start is, "This game isn't fair," and that is mostly thanks to the Encounter deck.
And I think if you can embrace that, it becomes much more enjoyable.
As I mentioned above, Ashardalon and Drizzt just don't do it for me. It's really the horror vibe coupled with this deck of cards that I absolutely hate drawing from. I love it when my fellow players are like, "No no no, we can't stop and fight that zombie, we'll have to draw from that god-damned encounter deck. Can you throw something at it? Throw something at it. We can't stop moving. GOD DAMN IT YOU DREW A BLACK TRIANGLE TILE!"
I'm looking forward to reading what suggestions others might have for you, since I can also appreciate a deeper, yet similar experience. Unfortunately, all I can add on that score is that I've played Arkham Horror and while I liked the vibe, it ultimately felt like too much of a chore that would require a pretty dedicated gamer group to get into.
EDIT: After I posted, I had a faint recollection of another game that's supposed to be similar to the D&D Adventure games, but is much deeper - 3 hour+ adventures, leveling system, equip your guy, etc. Will update if I can remember the name. I think it was "Dungeon" something - should narrow the field, right?