System Whiplash

I’m a director / dm, and have had the pleasure of running 3 different groups of Draw Steel, but we still have our standing game of 5e when the OG crew can get together (and it’s the only game I get to play in.) Everyone wants to finish the story and clean up the arcs.

We played tonight, and it was fun because we’re all great friends.

But the struggle to get back into 5th edition combat is real. My wife is a tactician in another game and she looked at me perplexed after her turn and mouthed the phrase ,”wait, I don’t get anything not on my turn in this one, do I?”

I shook my head no and she shrugged.

We joked, laughed, and hung out for 3 hours, but the difference in folks defaulting to looking at their phones between their turns was like whiplash for me. Didn’t realize just how much a difference all the off turn action economy makes DS keep people dialed in.

Anyone else bouncing between systems?

Anything you notice yourself yearning for in either direction?