Can we please stop calling D&D Insider an MMORPG

[Asmor]

I spent about four hours grinding in TiVo last night. It was awesome.

Okay, I'll bite. Are you just being facetious, or is there an actual TiVo game?

Clicking the "forward" button repeatedly to make TiVo beep the tune to the monkey chased the weasel is not what I consider a game, though it is very, very amusing.

 

[Ripzerai]

I spent about four hours grinding in TiVo last night. It was awesome.

If your TiVo plays RPGs, I agree that you can play MMORPGs on it. If it doesn't, you're not being particularly relevant or witty.

 

[Asmor]

For what it's worth, I'm no longer going to be responding to Ripzerai's posts. It's nothing personal, dude, but it's obvious neither of us are going to influence the other.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I don't understand how 10 people can qualify as a Massive number of people...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If your TiVo plays RPGs, I agree that you can play MMORPGs on it. If it doesn't, you're not being particularly relevant or witty.

Re-read the thread. It has a subscription, it's electronic, you can play games on it. Ergo, OMG, MMORPG!

 

[Ripzerai]

Unreasonable fan hate? Just a guess

Who said anything about hate?

I think perhaps some people think calling the virtual tabletop an MMORPG is a criticism of some kind. It wasn't intended that way. I'm just trying to use a common word to describe a common experience.

I don't have any opinion on 4e or D&D Insider. It sounds like both will be fine things. I don't have any opinion on City of Heroes or World of Warcraft, either.

The only "unreasonable hate" I've seen is the visceral reaction I've gotten from suggesting we might compare the two. If MMORPGs aren't bad things, why would it be bad to compare it with another, similar medium?

The language we use to describe new technologies is still in flux, and I'm still trying to work out what terms we should use to describe things. MMORPG seems like a reasonable enough word to apply to virtual tabletop play, since it is, indeed, a massively (although it remains to be seen how many subscribers WotC will get) multiplayer online roleplaying game. I've yet to see a persuasive reason that it isn't.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't understand how 10 people can qualify as a Massive number of people...

Squeeze them all into a closet to play.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Also, the virtual tabletop doesn't seem to adjudicate any rules, only facilitate a literal "virtual tabletop." Without implementation of rules, how can it qualify as a CRPG?

 

[Ripzerai]

Re-read the thread. It has a subscription, it's electronic, you can play games on it. Ergo, OMG, MMORPG!

Is it an RPG? If not, you're just trolling.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've yet to see a persuasive reason that it isn't.

Because playing with six people at a time isn't massive. It's been stated repeatedly.