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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Willie the Duck" data-source="post: 9091684" data-attributes="member: 6799660">I think I see this every time 4E and WoW comes up -- someone puts forth the AEDU <==> WoW cooldown hypothesis and the thread rushes headlong into agreeing with it, disagreeing with it, or arguing if it is really (technically, functionally, or thematically) different from either what came before or after in D&D  (or other TTRPGs). Although other facets of 4E eventually get brought up, we never escape the notion that AEDU is the primary MMO-like quality that may or may not have been why the 'like WoW' notion took hold.I'd posit that it isn't, and that no one quality of 4E really makes it MMO-like (either in reality, or in intent). It is a holistic combination of the any number of things. Slightly-more-gamist framing of encounter powers as per-encounter; the demarcation of party roles*; the increase in abilities such as debuffs and forced movement and other things that can leave adversaries exposed*; and just a general tonal shift in discussing the combat-OOC  divide. None of it sufficient; nor being inarguable**; all of it only being merely leanings in a direction. Because that's what (IMO) it was -- when two paths diverged in the woods of the game design taking the one which seemed more like it would appeal to that market share that WotC believed MMOs were instead capturing and eating into their bottom line.*regardless of realistically how true this has been since D&D began**'setting up combos'***certainly not once you bring in any number of other TTRPGs which are just as or more similar to MMOs (ex: WoW's cooldown resembles Hero System Endurance as much or more than any of the D&Ds)</blockquote>

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