• session length
  • character creation takes too long
  • DM prep can be long and labor intensive
  • scheduling
  • need consistent attendance from all players
  • Most need a DM
    • requires a specialized skillset and deep understanding of the rules
  • easy to forget things between sessions
  • easy to forget capabilities within a session
  • analysis paralysis (whether because there are too many or too few options)
    • hard if players have not played much or anything or if they have played videogames where the options are very limited and clear)
  • some players can dominate sessions
    • favors extroverts/confident players
  • engaging introverted players
  • some players try to narrate outcomes
  • too many rules/dead time trying to reference rules
  • math
  • most need multiple players
  • better with friends/hard to play with random people
  • difficulty roleplaying (social awkwardness, self-consciousness)
    • improv instead of roleplaying?
  • cost
    • Really? I’ve always thought of RPGs as being a pretty cheap hobby.
  • setting
    • many are medieval fantasy
  • rulebooks teach you a system but not how to play RPGs in general
    • yes!
  • requires taking notes
    • can feel like work
  • social stigma (too “nerdy”)
  • lots of required reading before playing
  • DM skill determines player experience
  • Hard to find a group

Sources