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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Slander" data-source="post: 4143457" data-attributes="member: 1593">Bradford has a negative opinion of adapting gameplay mechanics from MMORPGs. I don't. His use of "ape" throughout the whole rant pretty much shows his bias. Good game design is good game design. If anything made Rogues less thieves and confidence men, it was 3E, not 4E. Skills are available to everyone. None of the 3E Rogue class abilities made them better thieves or confidence men. As skills, they are equally available to everyone. Again, IMO, a good thing.The observation that there is increased emphasis on movement and positioning, and tying it in to mini/map sales is a valid one. It's not something I have a problem with, but I don't begrudge those who dislike the game for having this emphasis. However, implying that the decision is trying to "compete with WoW boss fights" I think is kind of a stretch to support his "DnD is WoW" argument.The success of all of these shifts of focus aren't tied to DDI. I hear that being said, but I just don't see it. At all. And if Wizard's IS tying the success of 4E to the success of the DDI, I think 4E would fail by that measure. But again, I just don't see that as WotCs aim.He's right that there are fundamental differences between the TRPG medium and the MMORPG medium. The implication that there needs to be a "bridge" between the two is a faulty one. A person doesn't need to choose between playing WoW and playing DnD. A person can play both. I used to play both. I quit playing WoW because it didn't deliver what I was looking for. Another guy in our group quit playing DnD because it didn't deliver what he was looking for. Most of the other players in our group still play both, with no sign of stopping either. I think if DnD, and TRPGs in general, tried to change in such a way that they WERE directly competing with WoW, THAT would be the end of TRPGs. Because he is right, the things a computer can do will never be as adequatly or efficiently done by a human. But as it stands, there is a lot that MMORPGs cannot do that TRPGs do well. And it's expanding and supporting those elements that RPG companies need to focus on (and I believe they are).He is also right in that a new audience for TRPGs must be found. I don't believe that it has to shed its existing audience or form to do that. I'm not in a position to judge right now whether 4E will be successful in that respect. I don't think for a moment that WotC or any game publisher is ignorant of this fact, and trust they will be doing what they think is right to succeed on that front.</blockquote>

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