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<blockquote data-quote="JEB" data-source="post: 8193109" data-attributes="member: 10148">Basically, as noted by [USER=7015332]@PsyzhranV2[/USER] and [USER=6779196]@Charlaquin[/USER] above, pop culture as a whole would likely be vastly different in an alternate timeline where D&amp;D didn't appear in 1974. For example, you not only risk deleting all CRPGs, but any video game with RPG-like mechanics, to include leveling, vital statistics, and hit points. We're talking at least hundreds of highly influential games.Agreed that space opera would outpace fantasy. D&amp;D also certainly contributed to the boom in fantasy fiction in the 1970s onward, so a lot of those go as well, and less fantasy fiction generally means less reason for someone else to come up with the idea. The exception might be stuff drawing on earlier material, like LOTR and Conan; this does possibly mean the 21st century LOTR and Hobbit films could still happen, however, so I could see that as an influence for a modern-day version of D&amp;D.Miniatures wargames are an interesting question. There was clearly a market for fantasy wargames, since that's where D&amp;D's ancestor Chainmail came in with its fantasy supplement. But it wasn't Chainmail that took off like a rocket, it was D&amp;D. Also, wargames were pretty niche, and D&amp;D almost surely grew interest in hobby stores that helped the wargaming industry. OTOH, I think D&amp;D also competed with wargames for attention. So it's hard to say what happens there. I assume, however, that we don't see Warhammer (since Games Workshop was an importer of D&amp;D in its early days). Maybe some LOTR-inspired wargames, though?One thing I'd bet on, though, is that the game would only use six-sided dice. (Assuming it uses dice at all.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="JEB, post: 8193109, member: 10148"] Basically, as noted by [USER=7015332]@PsyzhranV2[/USER] and [USER=6779196]@Charlaquin[/USER] above, pop culture as a whole would likely be vastly different in an alternate timeline where D&D didn't appear in 1974. For example, you not only risk deleting all CRPGs, but any video game with RPG-like mechanics, to include leveling, vital statistics, and hit points. We're talking at least hundreds of highly influential games. Agreed that space opera would outpace fantasy. D&D also certainly contributed to the boom in fantasy fiction in the 1970s onward, so a lot of those go as well, and less fantasy fiction generally means less reason for someone else to come up with the idea. The exception might be stuff drawing on earlier material, like LOTR and Conan; this does possibly mean the 21st century LOTR and Hobbit films could still happen, however, so I could see that as an influence for a modern-day version of D&D. Miniatures wargames are an interesting question. There was clearly a market for fantasy wargames, since that's where D&D's ancestor Chainmail came in with its fantasy supplement. But it wasn't Chainmail that took off like a rocket, it was D&D. Also, wargames were pretty niche, and D&D almost surely grew interest in hobby stores that helped the wargaming industry. OTOH, I think D&D also competed with wargames for attention. So it's hard to say what happens there. I assume, however, that we don't see Warhammer (since Games Workshop was an importer of D&D in its early days). Maybe some LOTR-inspired wargames, though? One thing I'd bet on, though, is that the game would only use six-sided dice. (Assuming it uses dice at all.) [/QUOTE]

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