Unpopular opinion maybe, but the take on being “I made a thing” narrator and a “I’ll break your thing” player feels like missing the point to me. I mean, you can build that dynamic and have fun if that’s what you’re into, but it is still collaborative, just that the narrator pretends to be challenged. In most ttrpgs, the narrator has almost complete control over the game. You can try to “compete” but it is never a real match, as the narrator can make your character/s disappear in an instant if she/he/they want. So this supposed pissing contest is really more like a dad playing pretend like he got bested by his kids in a fight. Which shows that this was never the point.

What to me really makes it work is setting up scenarios with a lot of input from the players and seeing the game unfold wherever they might take it. The narrator is given that power precisely because it should try to avoid controlling the story as much as it can, and instead interpret the world around the players (as if the world is the character the narrator controls) to develop surprising and captivating situations and events that play off of everyone at the table.

Also related, “Dungeon master” sounds outdated, as it points to a person that controls a 1 vs many boardgames like Descent, Mansions of Madness or Imperial Assault. Which is why the collaborative storytelling is, to me, what sets it apart from other games. One can definitely have competitive storytelling (Everyone is John), but lets not kid ourselves thinking that’s what goes on in most ttrpg games being played.

“Ha de sarar” from Maro

I’m playing Coridden with my wife and a friend and it is really fun. It is more like what I wanted isometric rpgs to be: open world rpg, dynamic combat with some fun platforming and player to player interactions (you can turn into beasts and ride on top of a friend in combat, as well as the whole mixing of skills for neat combos and strategies, and resurrecting/healing/shielding eachother).

Would love to see more Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) or World/Chronicles of Darkness (CoD) love around. I think CoD has one of the best systems out there to play modern and contemporary settings imo. Also, long live Mage (MtA)!