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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9530347" data-attributes="member: 6790260">Sure. But one of the things that draws people to D&D is, specifically, that it is a game which tells or produces stories, derived from the things that actually interest, excite, or motivate the specific people playing in it. That's something that only tabletop games can offer; MMOs and CRPGs cannot do that, they can only offer a spectrum of hopefully-comprehensive options, and often must make sacrifices as part of telling that narrative (e.g., the proliferation of rank- or title-based names for a character, such as "Commander Shepard", because it's not feasible to have a true name implemented for all possible IRL names.)Which means a decent slice of the playerbase--I dunno if I'd call it a majority, but I would call it a majority of those among the new blood brought in by 5e that are more casual and only care about mechanics instrumentally--absolutely would prefer something where random, permanent, irrevocable death is not on the table. That doesn't mean characters can't die; it just means that if they do die, it's either well-executed (no pun intended) and narratively satisfying, or it's not going to stay that way (e.g. how Lorien sustained Sheridan, "for a little while"), or the other characters can do something about it (some shows might use time travel, or collapsing alternate universes/timelines, e.g. what Voyager did with Harry Kim and Naomi Wildman.)That doesn't mean it's for everyone. Very few things are. But to rebut this with, "Well, games aren't 100% identical to stories" is fundamentally missing the point. The fact that games can be stories, and indeed can be much, much better, more personal, more fulfilling stories than any other medium on offer, is straight-up one of the biggest selling points of the hobby. "You can do whatever you want" in narrative form, rather than the form of a physics-engine, or mettle-testing process, or genre-emulation tool. (Things that, notably, computer games are often just as good, if not better, at doing.)</blockquote>

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