Não encontrei especificamente um artigo sobre linguagem simples, mas filtrado por Legends & Lore, isso captura os posts semanais de Mike Mearls e Monte Cook sobre os objetivos e o design do DnD Next (5e) do announcement em janeiro de 2012 até 4/2013. O Manual do Jogador foi lançado em 8/2014, portanto há algum tempo faltando, mas muitos dos interessantes artigos originais sobre as metas de design estão lá.
Eu acho que essa pode ser a lista mais recente de artigos até 7/2014.
Por exemplo, este artigo intitulou RPG Design Philosophy faz pontos como estes trechos:
The rules shall make things easier for the DM. This might seem like a funny concept, but it’s something that is a huge distinguishing point between RPGs and other types of games. In an RPG, the rules should help move things along, serve as a useful tool for the DM, make things clear and easy to understand for players, and enable the sort of creative, unpredictable, and evocative gaming that has kept tabletop RPGs going for 38 years.
The rules shall balance character options, within reason. D&D gives players classes, races, spells, and other options to build characters. Although the game isn’t competitive, it’s supposed to give players a chance to take on a role as an adventurer in a fantasy setting. Some people want to be wizards, and others want to be warriors. The game should ensure that no single option, or small group of them, completely overshadows the rest. The game is about the adventures of fighters, rogues, wizards, and clerics, not a wizard and his or her lackeys.
Este artigo D & D As próximas considerações sobre design abordam alguns de seus objetivos de design de alto nível, e aqui está uma parte:
Goal #1: Reunification through Common Understanding
As part of the design process, the R&D team must boil down the RPG into its most basic component parts. Using those rules elements, the team must then build an easy to understand game system that incorporates the most iconic elements of D&D in prominent roles. Anyone who has ever played any version of D&D must recognize and understand its most important elements.
Goal #2: Reunification through Diversity
Traditionally, D&D editions have focused on specific play styles. This approach has fragmented the community over time. The next iteration must stretch the system to cover a wider variety of play styles through character and DM options. By looking at past editions and incorporating their elements as core or optional rules, we can allow players and groups to place the focus where they want it.
Goal #3: Reunification through Accessibility
D&D has traditionally required large amounts of time, a large play group, and a sustained commitment. The design process must focus on play time, group size, speed of play, and length of campaigns, with an eye toward reducing the minimum required from each area. Players who want a longer play time and so forth can easily scale up the game to meet their needs and opt into the various rules modules we'll provide or that they'll build themselves. However, our standard goal is to remove minimum group sizes, allow for a complete adventure in one hour of play, and satisfying campaigns in 50 hours of play.
Existem muitos artigos e informações demais para citar cada um deles. Você pode filtrar e navegar pela lista inteira arquivada de 3307 artigos com links de trabalho do que eu vi.
Não sei por que, às vezes os links não funcionam na primeira tentativa, mas eles acabam funcionando para mim. Ficando pouco fora do tópico, mas isso é muito divertido para cavar. Este arquivo é tão antigo quanto um artigo que é datado de 2002 e tem um trabalho link para um PDF de 116 páginas com perguntas frequentes sobre 2008 3.5 com perguntas absolutamente encantadoras, como:
What kind of magic item slots does a dire wolf or rhinoceros have?
Spoilers: Colares, amuletos, bardos e pulseiras.