Full post on Reddit. Final paragraphs:
And I know that sounds bad. I know! I know this basically all sounds like “you prefer 5E to these other games because you have to actually try to play them?” But the answer is actually yeah, exactly! It’s not that I’m checked out on my phone or something, but I’ve learned I’m not actually interested in thinking too much about my part at the table. I think being there at game night with friends is fun, but I mostly just want to be along for the ride until it’s time to roll some dice to hit something and let the other players figure out what to do otherwise, maybe get in some banter-in character in between encounters, and chill. In everything else I’ve played, I’m dead weight if I’m not actively participating. In 5E, I can just kind of vibe until it’s time to roll to unlock a door or stab someone, and I’m not penalized for doing that. The game is neither loose enough that it needs my constant input outside of combat, nor complex enough to need any serious tactical decisions. That’s a very comfortable spot for me!
So yeah. I imagine there’s a lot of players who would prefer other systems if they tried them, but I’m not one of them. And I imagine there’s actually a lot more people like me at tables than you’d expect! Hopefully this gives some insight into why someone would still prefer 5E over everything else, even after giving a lot of other games a shot. Thanks for giving me a chance.
Interesting reflective statement from a 5e player.
I have a player who is also very clearly there to be vibin with the friends. She’s an elderly lady, who I had trouble adjust to because she will pivot to most simple playstyle possible (when she was playing Bard/Rogue she would each turn do sneak attack plus healing word and ignore other spells or bardic inspiration) and ignores plot hooks I place for her. It took me time to realize she is there to hang out with her friends and I don’t have to press her to participate more, she is having fun just being in the group and watch others roleplay. She is okay to play any rpg, however, not just d&d. I actually plan to ask her, after we finish this campaign, to try moving to my other group, which plays more narrative games, as I see she struggles with d&d ruless.