Hypothetical: If DnD had never existed, BUT...

[hammymchamham]

so I dunno about your argument.

I don't this he/she has an argument. Just that they wouldn't be playing RPG's if it weren't for that specific product.

Personally, probabbly white wolf, since the person who got me into DND also played that alot

 

[Drawmack]

If not for DnD I'd probably be playing CoC or Vampire as one of those probably would have generated the early 80's controversy that pulled me to DnD in the first place.

However, I hate CRPGs - I know what kind of a programmer am I - I think that they cause a lack of imagination and a general dulling of the gamer. For example no one that I work with can understand why someone in everquest would play cross sex - to me it makes perfect sense.

 

[der_kluge]

That's really tough to say. My sister actually bought the original Red boxed set when I was in 5th or 6th grade. My first D&D game was at a birthday party, and I played the rogue straight from the red book. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I didn't play again (1st ed) until 10th grade. I imagine that, without those books existing, I probably would have never played. The D&D boxed set inspired me enough to want to play 1st ed when I was invited. If it had been something else, like Cyberpunk, I might have been more hesitant.

But then, D&D was the first RPG, so I find it hard to believe that all of those others would exist if D&D never did. So, the hypothetical situation is a little unbelevable. I find it more likely that strategy games would have evolved into something more. I like playing Battletech, so it seems reasonable that I might have gotten more into Battletech if D&D never existed.

 

[Umbran]

Hmm.

I probably still would have picked up and loved Marvel Super Heroes. Then Shadowrun. Then White Wolf Games, and then Deadlands...

Once I pick up a game, I never really put it down again

 

[jmucchiello]

The real problem with this question is what would have taken D&D's place as the premier fantasy game? Tunnels and Trolls? Runequest? Dragonquest? Ars Magica? Fantasy Trip? Chivalry and Sorcery? Skyrealms of Jorune? Torg? None of those games are perfect but they may have done well in a market without D&D.

I'd have ended up in Champions/HERO but I don't know who I'd be playing with. Not many of my RPG friends play HERO.

Joe

Edit: I'm just know I'm going to remember yet another game and have to add it.

 

[Maraxle]

MMM.... the first text-only game was Adventure (granddaddy of zork), and it appeared in 1972, before DnD, so I dunno about your argument. I think it's very likely that the text-based adventures would have evolved into rogue/nethack, MUDs and graphical RPGs on their own, without the influence of paper based RPGs.

Certainly, they were influenced by the existence of the paper-based games post '74, that is not in question. However, I think they would have evolved on their own.

I'm guessing LARPs would have happened on their own as well. I would think the two of these would have generated a paper based RPG game of some sort.

My argument? I said that *I* probably wouldn't be playing RPGs, not that RPGs (or CRPGs) would have never come into existence.

If you thought that I meant that all CRPGs came from the Gold Box series, you're mistaken. I tried CRPGs well before that, but I just didn't find them interesting enough to warrant my spending a disproportionate amount of time on them. My interests were split relatively equally between a bunch of genres. They did not open the door to D&D for *ME*... the Gold Box series did that.

 

[WayneLigon]

RuneQuest, hands down. Hey, there's even a '4E' out now

If not that, then Champions, probably followed closely by either MegaTraveller or GURPS.

 

[Tuerny]

Considering I am playing it right now and D&D does exist, I would have to say I would be playing White Wolf's Exalted.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

The only stuff I've played has been D&D, Hackmaster, and Kobolds Ate My Baby - so I guess I'd probably play Kobolds Ate My Baby if it wasn't for D&D.

It's not that I'm not interested in other games, it's just that I've never found anyone who played anything else. Well, except for Vampire, but I'm not interested in that. So there.


All Hail King Torg!

 

[kengar]

Runequest (Chaosium, not Avalon Hill), Stormbringer, or Warhammer FRP