I am not sure how to express this, but this attitude is problematic, because you seem to assume that just because there is an influence, it will change the entire experience to something like an MMO or tactical miniature game. But that doesn't follow.
Do you have a problem with hit points in D&D? Hit points can also be found in MMO and CRPGs (and probably tactical mini games, though I am not familiar with tem). But apparantly that didn't lead to you liking those games more, right? So why do you assume that the opposite is automatically true? A mechanic found in an MMO automatically makes the role-playing game experience worse?
Well, when I first encountered Everquest I saw a lot of similarities to D&D, and my attitude was very positive. Then I saw what the positive D&D experience I had ended up like in EQ - a tedious grind with enforced grouping, and repetitive combat that felt very much like an exercise in optimisation of a given set of mechanics without any thought to realism, immersion or roleplaying. Most new powers and spells one got were just "more of the same", without adding anything new and original. Generic flame, ice and electricity spells alternated every 4 levels as the "most effective" for example. The main attraction of roleplayed combat for me - creative fighting, stunts, and tactics - was reduced to a set-piece battle each time, where math was king (manage aggro, nuke every X seconds, hit hate reducer every y seconds, complete heal all z seconds, etc.) and risk was all but removed by player choices.
There are very few mechanics in MMOGs that enhance roleplay, in my opinion. And those that do are not found in the combat system. When I hear about "striker, tank, dps, controller", I see PvE MMOGs. And trying to compete with them in that aspect is futile - MMOGs do "grid" combat much better than pen and paper can, since it's faster, and graphically more pleasing.
Where pen and paper can shine is with creative things you cannot do in an MMOG. Throwing a cloak over the enemies eyes. Dropping a chandelier on enemies. Making a wall crumble, hack down a door and use it as a battering ram. Using and changing the enviroment, the entire battlefield.
In my opinion, the game should have moved away from all the detailed and limited powers, instead concentrating on the "stunts" aspect, capitalizing on the enormous flexibility and options a human DM has, instead of a computer in an MMOG.
Instead we got the MMOG mechanics, without the graphics. If I just want to battle a dozen goblins yardtrash mobs with my powers, then kill goblin leaders for loot with my special moves before raiding the goblin king for items, I'd log on to an MMOG.
If I play a pen and paper game, I want to focus on stuff I can't in an MMOG. Redirect a river and drown the goblin keep. Make an alliance with the orc tribe against them. Parlay and intimidate them into attacking the ogres. Poison their wells. Kill their champion in single combat and make them my followers. If I do combat, it'll have to do better than MMOG combat - and duplicating their - very balanced and sound - mechanics won't help me there.
