Why is "genre logic is the model (or litmus test)" not a sufficient answer to you? Sincerely curious.
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precisely the sort of modeling and transliteration to genre fiction that non-4e D&D doesn't produce (precisely because of its lacking of Minion mechanics).
Thoughts?
Replying to the same post a 2nd time, not sure if that's bad etiquette, but different topic than minions.
So, "transliteration of genre fiction" and "genre logic is the model?"
Not sure I follow, but I often think of a good genre RPG as one that "models the genre." So, an FRPG shouldn't model a medieval world, and, somewhat arbitrarily and not too logically integrated, a highly mechanistic magic system, and, within the modeled world, model creatures - some of whom may become heroes and some of whom may be played as PCs, but the intersection of those two sets may be slight, and others of whom may oppose heroes or PCs or terrorize & be called monsters or be terrorized by creatures they call monsters, but, really, all of whom are just creatures using the exact same modeling.
Rather, the FRPG should model the fantasy genre, or a sub-genre thereof. Within that genre, heroes are /different/ from monsters, villains, victims, exposition characters, and backdrop peoples, and /protagonists/ are a distinct sub-set of heroes. Each sort of character in genre is different and needs to be modeled differently. The elves of the misty wood might just be mentioned in passing, they don't need to be modeled, directly, at all, the orcs of fang gap may fight the protagonists, they need to be modeled as combat adversaries, the helpful wizard Vancegolf Mythreindeer provides exposition and lights a fire, he'll be modeled differently than the heroic young wizard protagonist, Larry Trotter, etc...
...then, the resolution systems should also model not physics or hypothetical 'laws' of magic implied by hand-waving in representative sampling of genre sources, but what magic actually /does/ in the genre. If magic mostly provides exposition, or mostly sets the hero up to defeat the monster, then it's divination or buffing. If magic routinely blows up swaths of enemies, it's the go-to offense for the game. If magic acts as a foil forcing heroes to prove their courage, morality, & discipline, or confront their metaphorical demons, then PCs tend not to use it, themselves, but to overcome magical challenges.
Or am I completely off base, here?