After almost a year of trying oldschool gaming, my players are insisting that people go back to 5e. I'm devastated. Their complaints are lethality and the quantity of involvement required for oldschool play. They do not wish to RS gold draw a map, they do not like having to carefully organize encounters and prevent battle, and they refuse to track encumbrance, water, food, and torches. And they definitely, extremely do not like to have their characters die. It appears I have a bunch of beer-and-pretzels players. They don't wish to shoot RuneScape seriously. They've been pretty clear that they would like to screw around, play, and have their characters do cool items and emerge spectacularly victorious. I get it. That is a legit way to perform and I'm not trying to rag on them or let them know they're having badwrongfun.
Can there be an OSRS or even an oldschool adjoining game which can satisfy my desire to become free of binding principles and game balance, while still maintaining my ultra-casual gamers contented?
Yeah, I think they want to play a fundamentally different sport than I do. I just have so many friends who are eager to play any RPG though! We'll have to work out a compromise.They might not wish to DM, but you don't wish to DM for them. Asking one of these to run RuneScape is completely valid. If nothing else, it gives you a break from DMing that is always pleasant, though the real advantage is that the game looks a lot different once you've sat behind the display for a couple sessions. My advice would be to do a series of 1-3 shots. Ask each individual in the group to put together something that may be carried out in 1-3 sessions and then to run that situation. Everyone will find out something about DMing, play in some different situations, and allow the group dynamics. When there's one story/character/style that the group really responds to then turn into your next campaign.
I feel your pain. I walked away in the heavy lifting of DMing Pathfinder and went back to my origins of 0e and 1e. My players complained too, and still do on occasion. My reply is always the same,"I'm here to have fun, too, and these systems are too much work for me personally to have fun. If you would like to play with them, then you conduct them. I'm out." Maybe it's simply because I'm an old grognard (gaming since 1979) and I just don't like anything after ancient 2e. You wrote that you are doing LotFP. I'd scale back to BFRPG or S&W and I would allow maximum HP for the first 2 degrees. Additionally, start them at level 3 or 2. But, I provide the critters the exact same remedy as the players, they get maximum hp for the first 2 HD. Still deadly, but less frequently. More exciting battle.
If they don't want to keep track of things, then cut on the gold treasure in half as they don't want it for gear. Don't allow any magic items to be sold, other than scrolls and potions. Great luck with them. This seems like the thing to do. 5e seems to check each one your players boxes, and trying to shoehorn them may not go over well. The team I DM for has in departing 5e zero interest, therefore I needed to find a set to get my OSRS jollies from. But if I reach the point it is bust or old-school and you are at, I'd lay down a law. "If you like me to DM, we have ta play X system cause that's where my pleasure comes from. If you'd like a different system I will help share some funds or buy osrs gold paypal get you setup, but someone else is going to run that game."
