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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 8667185" data-attributes="member: 20564">Moving to a different past instead of a wargame past would have likely had two major changes (at least).I don't think there would have been the intense granularity zoom on combat - that's definitely a build on how wargames were played and the types of tactical decisions the players were used to making.And the exercise of those heavily focused rules likely encouraged places to use them heavily, like dungeon exploration.  Remember that skills - a resolution mechanism that applies outside of combat - didn't really exist as a general rule in the early D&D editions.Now, to explore some possibilities of these changes.So, once we've zoomed out of combat as mechanically heavy, we no longer have a requirement that all characters much be able to contribute in combat because it is a long process.  Everyone being able to contribute in combat is just so players are engaged, and an outgrowth of wargaming interests.  There is no general push that all characters must be able to contribute mechanically the same amount (if in different ways) as all other characters across other pillars of play.  We're fine with an outdoorsman tracking, the wizard deciphering arcane runes, and so on - every contributing across the scope of the game, but not needing to contribute equally mechanically to every scene.Another aspect if with less time focused on combat, it may be that other pillars of play might get more mechanical expression.  I'm not saying any of them would become "the new combat" level of granularity, but all of them having more similar levels of mechanical support might come about.  Say a reputation and a morale subsystem (which we did have), but not a whole social combat system that zooms in like D&D combat.Again, which group popularized it would have a big effect on what aspects they want to see in play/emulate in rules.  Reenactment might have kept the focus on combat.  Parlor games might have included more puzzles, riddles and drama with mechanics for crossing between player ability and character ability, much like D&D combat is character mechanics and player tactics.Considering the worlds of some of Appendix N -- which still would likely have been some influence -- mayhaps exploration would have a a big deal, with overland travel and sandbox style hexcrawls, or even more of a travelogue of exploring known lands as a focus.</blockquote>

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