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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ahnehnois" data-source="post: 5775333" data-attributes="member: 17106">Well there's definitely two sides to the issue. Skill challenges and rituals, for example do codify noncombat actions arguably more than other versions of D&D. There's two other big issues that I see. One is that resolution mechanics can actually discourage roleplaying the underlying action and reduce the amount of game time spent on it. This has always been the argument with the 3.X Diplomacy skill. If it is implied that a successful skill challenge can resolve a situation, there isn't much incentive for a player to think about or act out the scenario (obviously DMing will greatly affect how this plays out).Another is that while the system as a whole describes noncombat actions, the characters themselves are more combat oriented by default. As is being discussed extensively elsewhere, 4e redefined the classes using a new set of combat roles; the roles now being postulated as the fundamental basis of the classes. Character classes classically seen as less combat oriented (rogue and bard, for example) were remade under these combat roles, while NPC classes like expert and aristocrat were not included. Also, skill points were replaced with a less robust system of of trained skills, and there was a substantial degree of skill consolidation-especially of noncombat skills. Many non-combat spells were changed to rituals, and thus were no longer part of the typical caster's daily repetoire. Great complexity was added to combat and combat abilities; fighters were required to select from an extensive list of powers, tactical movement and modifiers were emphasized by these powers. NPC and monster stats were redefined to focus on combat statistics. On the whole, the rules for characters were greatly shifted towards combat.So while the statement about non-combat resolution mechanics is true, I think the broader reality is thus:</blockquote>

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