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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dormammu" data-source="post: 3943629" data-attributes="member: 28738">I notice the original poster making many references to 4E seeming like it will be more combat-oriented (eg, more like WoW) and less role-playing conducive.  I'm not sure if you realize it or not, but D&D has pretty much always been on the wargaming end of the RPG spectrum.  There are many different levels of roleplay that happen in D&D from group to group, but typically people who are interested in roleplaying to the exclusion of wargaming choose a different game.More combat options is not more role-playing.  Simplifying combat will actually benefit role-playing.  However, I am concerned that they are heightening the style of the game to a degree that will hurt its generic nature.  Some things can't really be generic.  There is no such thing as a generic magic system, really.  And the Wizard implements are no more arbitrary than were the old systems of spellbooks and Vancian memorization.But there are things which are more stylized in a specific way.  Some of the respondents to this thread don't like "Tolkienism", but elves and dwarves really are more generic in Fantasy mythology than are Tieflings and Dragonborn.  More to the issue for me is the combat style.  It's very Hong Kong martial arts cinema.  Super movement-oriented combat, Wizards using magic melee attacks at will, zombies modeled on modern zombie movies... these present a very specific flavor.  It's hard to imagine using the base rules for something like Ravenloft without completely altering the setting, for example.  It will be more like "Van Helsing" (the movie)!But, as usual, anyone can role-play within any system if they want to.  D&D continues to hold down the boundary between RPGs and wargames, being closer to miniatures gaming (and now computer gaming) than almost any other RPG out there.  Even games like Tunnels & Trolls and Hackmaster are actually less wargame-y, as they simplify combat.  Focusing on maps and figurines like it's a tactical boardgame made 3E super-duper-not RPG-like imo.I actually think this might be closer to 1E than either 2E or 3E were... think about that!</blockquote>

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