The problem with most RP systems is that you can't disconnect the game mechanics from the setting...

>implying I don't think of an Oldsmobile when I think of cars

How is that a problem? The fact that the mechanics breathe life into the fiction is generally seen as highly desirable.

The exception is not the rule

True

You cannot separate the game's mechanics from the fluff because the fluff means nothing, it's all about what you, as a player, can do when utilizing specific actions.

This is why "Meat Points" exists as a concept. It doesn't matter if HP is supposed to be a measure of luck, skill, and morale if all the player sees is "oh, I took 5 damage, I subtract 5 damage from 20 HP, now I have 15 HP left" whenever they take damage.

So if you're going to create fluff to explain concepts within the context of the game's settting, you have to make sure that the concept matches how the mechanics of the game work.

This is why I play HERO. I've written 8 campaigns, all of them different, all using the same rules.

>This is one reason why D&D is so popular.
I'd ask why you think D&D's popularity is BECAUSE of the disconnect between rules and story rather than in spite of it, but considering you probably made this thread to bait and/or post shitty manga pictures I'd say you're probably not looking for a genuine answer.

D&D's mechanics are rooted in its setting, so if that's a problem then I'm not sure how you can credit it as a reason for D&D's popularity.

But let's clarify something straight away here: D&D is bad, and its influence on the hobby is bad. Its players honestly seem to suffer from brain damage - and there really is something to that, it's not just a derisive snub. I've never seen or heard another system's players behave in the way D&D players do, it's like that cordyceps parasite, truthfully. I play lots of games, very rarely even D&D, and I simply don't see anyone from any other system's community suffering from their unique, delusional handicap. To see all worlds in terms of the d20, alignment, Vancian casting, levels, classes - it's sad and disturbing.

>You wouldn't use 3.5 for a WWE/lucha style game. Well, a sane person wouldn't
The problem with dnd is that many people TRY to do it cause they read Los Tiburon greentext and somehow things that dnd fits lucha style game (also because dm or/and his players are lazy fucks that can't learn more than one set of rules).

Said people then come to the internet with questions how to make lucha/horror/low fantasy/grimdark/anything other style game works withing dnd rules, giving birth to:
>Have you tried not playing dnd?

Here's the thing you need to understand: no singular game is going to work for any story/concept because they all invariably work with some expectation of play in mind.

D&D has the expectation that players are doing high-action combat with swingy dice mechanics and are most likely trying to conserve resources.

"But user memememyplayers-" no listen. Your game may work because you're basically just playing a more elaborate Dungeon World with a d20 but systems like HP, Spells Per Day, rations, AC, Fort/Ref/Will saves, etc all lend themselves to that particular style of play and act under that assumption. Whether or not you follow that assumption is up to you but it makes for a fairly paultry experience compared to how other systems would implement the same premise.

Consider for a moment: if D&D was really based around things like societal dealings and intrigue it'd have never given spells a per day limitation or material components because that's the most boring kind of limitation they could have for that premise. Spells would have some kind of narrative repercussion like your appearance changes or you need to form an emotional connection with someone before your magic can affect them.

Spells per day and requiring gold/material components only works and makes sense when you consider the game is built around dungeon crawling and resource management. About the only system that maybe isn't based around it is the skill system in which case great roll a number beat another number fantastic mechanics there really interesting setup.

I don't see why it's a problem

See again the thing about this greentext is that Los Tiburon is still a D&D character. He has a wierd theme to him but he's fighting a dragon for gold and he's abusing shitty or obtuse grappling mechanics but he's not in a game centered around his premise.

He's like a bit of parmesan cheese on a cooked chicken breast. Nice touch but why the fuck are you now suggesting we eat a fucking block of parmesan cheese.

>post shitty manga pictures
Hey, Quick Start is cool.

Because a character like that very clearly doesn't fucking belong in any coherent D&D setting, for one.

But d&d does not have a defined setting?

Thing is: D&D has always had an element of "doing whatever the fuck I want" and silliness to it.

Clerics were invented cause a guy wanted to play peter cushing to troll his vampire friend ffs.

>D&D has always been a skirmish wargame whose narrative you can't take seriously
Yep, no argument here.

I'm making a universal rp system that's based around realism
It's got sanity, limb damage, ailments, terror tactics, ranged combat that doesn't have turns, melee combat that incorporates a timer, and a bunch of other stuff

I'm going to make a kickstarter for it
Keep an eye out

What dice does it use?

Go away Monte nobody cares.

it's d20

I think D&D is the most popular because its the game that everyone talks about in my LGS, its the game that everyone goes to in my uni, its the game that i see everyone playing in the student bar. Only once have i seen a different RP being played in the uni bar, and that was Call of Cuthulu.

I might Autistic but this is a joke, right?

no, I'm serious
Why would you be autistic?