D&D 4E Find the Anime/Video games in 4e

Rechan · Jan 4, 2008

Over on this thread, multiple posters expressed their confusion about "4e has Video Game/Anime influences"; they can't find them.

And I and another poster have been trying to argue over the valid links of Videogames and Anime to 4e.

So, I ask more directly: where's the beef? Point to something that has been expressed in the 4e previews, say, "This is like video games/anime", and explain your example as to how it is like a videogame or anime.

Rules:

1) Give explicit examples, and back it up with an explanation or argument as to why or why it is not. No blanket statements, no groundless interjections. This is an academic discussion here.

2) Keep it civil. Look, I don't want to start a fight. I honestly want to try and A) Provide some answers as to "Where is the influences that people keep talking about?" and B) Possibly dispel some of those feelings with the stuff from R&C and the previews we've seen.

3) Let's try and avoid judgement calls about "Is this rule good or bad" or "Is this good or bad for D&D". This thread is specifically supposed to be about what rules or fluff is tied to video games or anime, not the worth of those ideas.

Scribble · Jan 4, 2008

I'll play.

But first let me state that I don't care if D&D takes some ideas from video games. If it makes the game more fun, then I like it. No matter what the source.

Ok lets take the per encounter idea.

Take a game like Halo. You have shields that replenish themselves, (provided you don't take any hits for a few moments) and guns that replenish themselves (provided you don't fire them for a few moments.)

We can say this is an inspiration for an encounter based power refresh. In halo, the amount of time between "battles" (unless you rush through it) is sufficient for the most part to replenish your "powers."

In Halo it's based on real time, but in a table top RPG you can't really base things on real time. The easiest way to model it is per encounter. It simulates your fighting, and then momentarily "refreshing."

Doug McCrae · Jan 4, 2008

Lightning Panther Strike - Combat maneuvers with flamboyant names seem to appear quite a bit in anime. Arguably this is more of a kung fu/wuxia thing where moves have names like Five Fingers Exploding Palm Technique. Animal names in particular are very kung fu-y. Otoh in American wrestling all the moves have names too. This is also a feature of comic book superheroes, the Human Torch's Nova Flame for example.

Rechan · Jan 4, 2008

Doug McCrae said:
Lightning Panther Strike - Combat maneuvers with flamboyant names seem to appear quite a bit in anime. Arguably this is more of a kung fu/wuxia thing where moves have names like Five Fingers Exploding Palm Technique. Animal names in particular are very kung fu-y. Otoh in American wrestling all the moves have names too. This is also a feature of comic book superheroes, the Human Torch's Nova Flame for example.

Not to mention non-Eastern fighting styles:

Inigo Montoya: You are using Bonetti's Defense against me, ah?
Man in Black: I thought it fitting considering the rocky terrain.
Inigo Montoya: Naturally, you must suspect me to attack with Capa Ferro?
Man in Black: Naturally... but I find that Thibault cancels out Capa Ferro. Don't you?
Inigo Montoya: Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa... which I have.

While it's not necessarily publicized, I imagine that sports teams also have names for their plays.

What I find interesting about Lightning Panther Strike and Dragon Tail Cut is that, if you remove one of the words, it's acceptable:

Panther Strike
Lightning Strike

Dragon Cut
Tail Cut.

Much more palatable, wouldn't you say? Most of the feat names in the various books have two verbs (Brutal Strike, Leap Attack, Power Charge). It's the inclusion of two nouns before the verb that seem to have the Naming Syndrom.

Doug McCrae · Jan 4, 2008

The most videogame-y element of all in D&D is the ease with which a PC can return from death due to the raise dead spell and other magical means.

I suspect raise dead will be a higher level spell in 4e than it has been in previous editions.

Xethreau · Jan 4, 2008

Doug McCrae said:
The most videogame-y element of all in D&D is the ease with which a PC can return from death due to the raise dead spell and other magical means.

I suspect raise dead will be a higher level spell in 4e than it has been in previous editions.

I concur. Interestingly enough, one of the most Anime-ish JRPG video games out there, Fire Emblem, does not have resurrection magic. At all. Period.

Just food for thought.

Rechan · Jan 4, 2008

Doug McCrae said:
The most videogame-y element of all in D&D is the ease with which a PC can return from death due to the raise dead spell and other magical means.

I suspect raise dead will be a higher level spell in 4e than it has been in previous editions.

Agreed. The second most video-game like aspect is Weapon +1, Armor +1, Stat +2 item, Save +1 item, etc. And the "Go into dungeon, kill monster, take it's stuff, all so you can kill bigger monsters to take more powerful loot to kill bigger monsters to...".

TwinBahamut · Jan 4, 2008

RyukenAngel said:
I concur. Interestingly enough, one of the most Anime-ish JRPG video games out there, Fire Emblem, does not have resurrection magic. At all. Period.

Just food for thought.

Also of note is that, in many videogame RPGs such as the Final Fantasy series, characters don't ever die. They get temporarily wounded or disabled, but they don't actually die in battle. In the heavily anime-influenced Suikoden series, there are rare occasions when a character can actually die (rather than just get wounded), and characters who die this way can never come back. There is one exception to this, but it involves the alignment of 108 Stars of Destiny and the power of two godlike True Runes.

I think D&D can benefit a lot from more Fire Emblem and Suikoden influence. I don't see it yet, though.

Rechan · Jan 4, 2008

TwinBahamut said:
Also of note is that, in many videogame RPGs such as the Final Fantasy series, characters don't ever die. They get temporarily wounded or disabled, but they don't actually die in battle. In the heavily anime-influenced Suikoden series, there are rare occasions when a character can actually die (rather than just get wounded), and characters who die this way can never come back. There is one exception to this, but it involves the alignment of 108 Stars of Destiny and the power of two godlike True Runes.

I think D&D can benefit a lot from more Fire Emblem and Suikoden influence. I don't see it yet, though.

(This has started to go on a tangent)

One game that has an interesting option is Prey. In Prey, when you die, you go to the Spirit Realm, and you must hunt down evil spirits and kill them until you get enough energy to ressurect yourself.

I think that "PCs die, they must now travel the land of the dead and try to get themselves back" is a lot more interesting. Especially with the Shadowfell, the literal realm of the dead. Imagine going into the Shadowfell to hunt down your fallen party mate.

Cadfan · Jan 4, 2008

Doug McCrae said:
The most videogame-y element of all in D&D is the ease with which a PC can return from death due to the raise dead spell and other magical means.

Amen. This is, was, and always shall be so.

I'd add another rule to your challenge.

The analogy between D&D and video games / whatever can't be stupid.

If your analogy is, "D&D has icy zombies, and so does this video game!!!" that's... useless.

I know stupid is a pretty vague standard, but you're going to need SOME kind of gatekeeper.