How Does D&D Influence American Culture?

[Tonguez]

Wait ... so the answer is, "Yes, but in D&D's absence something else might have come up with D&D-esque elements"?

How do you argue against that? By your reasoning Einstein, Ford, Pasteur, Newton ... none of them count for squat because, eventually, someone else could have figured it out.

(Lol. I really to think twice before I post to these sorts of threads. I always regret it. Carry on.)

No thats not what I said. DnD did not invent roleplaying - the taking of a role and interacting in a fantasy environment - and I can think of a few sidescrollers which use cut scenes (a technique from the movies) and 'shops'.

Take Excalibur for instance (wiki puts it at 1983) it is a strategy/resource mangement game where you take the role of King Arthur. Its history is more wargame than DnD but it could have been developed as the base of rpg games too...

 

[El Mahdi]

If D&D were more influential, I could Find/Disable Traps before going in to my boss's office.

Or get a raise with a simple Diplomacy check...

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Or get a raise with a simple Diplomacy check...

Getting a raise is always a skill challange.