[EDITION WARZ] Selling Out D&D's Soul?

So because the wind seems to be blowing in that direction, and it happens to be that time of year, I'm creating a thread to help contain the random sniping littering other threads. Specifically, I'm interested in figuring out about the "soul of the game." What is specifically D&D? What is the core appeal of the game? The thing that people have fun doing, the cause of it's existence and it's reason for being and your reason for playing are.....what?

And how does the most recent edition/trends/design of the game violate that? How does what D&D is becoming/has become/became before pervert what you think this spirit and soul of D&D is?

And, here's the clincher: why is that a bad thing? Obviously, many people feel that D&D's trends now are beating and deflowering their precious game, but what would you rather have WotC publish? What new things would satisfy what you need?

My own opine will become evident shortly, I'm sure, but I'm more interested in why others feel that the recent edition/recent trends/modern design choices are spitting in the face of what D&D is to them. I wanna hear your gripes, so gripe them!

I also wanna hear people disagreeing with these gripes, so defend the recent path/design choices/modern trends! Tell me why D&D is either still being true to it's origins, or why spitting in the face of what D&D has been is a good thing for the game.

Is D&D still being true to what it once was? If it's not, is that bad?

Ah, back to my soap box.....

It's ALL D&D to Me! OD&D, AD&D 1E, 2E, 3E, 3.5E, 4E, 8.25E, it doesn't matter! The speciific rule systems are just the game mechanics. Which system is better is merely a matter of personal preference and choice of gaming style.

The soul of the game is this:
A DM who wants to be a storyteller/narrator and a table filled with players who have above-average intelligence, overactive imaginations and a desire for everybody to have fun.

The soul of the game is secure, in a large black pearl I keep in my magnificent mansion.

No need for worry.

-- N

The soul of D&D is a group of adventurers, of mixed race and profession, stumbling into things a nd places best not explored, fighting beasts terrible and viscious, obtaining treasure magical and mysterious, and ultimately shaping the world in which they live.

The details can vary; but the soul of the game remains exploration, combat, reward. Some DMs couch this in intricate plots, others put purely "mechanical" dungeons in to explore. Some use gold and +1 swords, other subtler treasure. Some combats are with gangs, mooks and masterminds, or orcs trolls and demons. The races can be dwarves, warforged, or all humans. And the classes can be fighters, magic-users, thieves, rogues, hexblades, or warlocks. Oh, and the world can be Greyhawk, Faerun, Eberron, Ravenloft, Athas, or the DM's own world. Either way, the generic statement stands.

The rules have changed some, as have the races and classes. D&D though is the same.

Kamikaze Midget said:

What is specifically D&D? What is the core appeal of the game? The thing that people have fun doing, the cause of it's existence and it's reason for being and your reason for playing are.....what?

Click to expand...

Killing things, taking stuff.

And snacks - got to have snacks.

D&D is better now than it ever was.

I don't care about the spirit of D&D, and whether it's violated or not.

All I care is whether I am interested in the kind of game D&D helps to set up, and whether I'll be interested in the kind of game future rules versions or supplements will help set up.

As it stands, D&D 3.5 does a good job of meeting my group's needs and styles. It's not perfect for my tastes, but it's still pretty good (and with us going Eberron some time in the future, it seems even better). And what I read about possible changes in 4e, or what designers think where the game should go, doesn't seem to be an improvement concerning our group and my own tastes.

Perhaps (even possibly) the discussed changes help get D&D find a younger fanbase again, and help role-playing to continue exist as a hobby instead of dying out with our or the next generation. That doesn't make it a game everyone should play, just out of a sense of loyalty.

But whether it's going against a professed "soul" of D&D – who cares? If anything, change is good, and the ability to adapt necessary to survival.

Dracorat said:

D&D is better now than it ever was.

Click to expand...

But why? What makes it better now then before? Not that I disagree with you, but the reasons are important.

The current game system published as "D&D" is a wholly different system that uses the D&D name for branding purposes.