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<blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 8193839" data-attributes="member: 58197">I'm trying to envision a world where the TRPG genre doesn't exist but everything else is basically the same. It ain't easy, but... say TRPGs were never invented, but their descendants (CRPGs, MMOs, CCGs, etc.) somehow arose from other origins and developed along similar lines to the real world; and also that the fantasy genre got a boost from another source to replace the one D&amp;D gave it.The first question is, in 2021, why would a TRPG arise at all? Remember that 5E is the result of decades of refinement and community-building. We are positing a world where online RPGs have had those decades, and TRPGs have not. In such a world, a proto-D&amp;D would be like a trilobite dropped into modern seas; despite having been hugely successful in its own era, it could never compete today.Just as D&amp;D evolved from '70s wargames, a TRPG would have to evolve from some existing game genre, and the most likely candidate is the MMO. Say MMO players get tired of scripted storylines and want something with more scope for creativity. Modding communities arise around &quot;moderated adventures&quot; where a proto-GM tells an interactive story. A spinoff game comes out that puts the moderated adventure front and center. Then, with the rise of podcasting and streaming, we see equivalents to &quot;Critical Role&quot; where professional performers gather in person to play the spinoff. This both catapults the game to popularity, and promotes the idea of playing it face-to-face instead of purely online.In this world, the computer remains an essential part of the game, crunching the numbers and handling the rules, with the GM stepping in as necessary to override it. This means the rules will be insanely complex by TRPG standards, since no human has to interpret or apply them. From the player perspective, though, they probably look... well, a lot like 4E.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dausuul, post: 8193839, member: 58197"] I'm trying to envision a world where the TRPG genre doesn't exist but everything else is basically the same. It ain't easy, but... say TRPGs were never invented, but their descendants (CRPGs, MMOs, CCGs, etc.) somehow arose from other origins and developed along similar lines to the real world; and also that the fantasy genre got a boost from another source to replace the one D&D gave it. The first question is, in 2021, why would a TRPG arise at all? Remember that 5E is the result of decades of refinement and community-building. We are positing a world where online RPGs have had those decades, and TRPGs have not. In such a world, a proto-D&D would be like a trilobite dropped into modern seas; despite having been hugely successful in its own era, it could never compete today. Just as D&D evolved from '70s wargames, a TRPG would have to evolve from some existing game genre, and the most likely candidate is the MMO. Say MMO players get tired of scripted storylines and want something with more scope for creativity. Modding communities arise around "moderated adventures" where a proto-GM tells an interactive story. A spinoff game comes out that puts the moderated adventure front and center. Then, with the rise of podcasting and streaming, we see equivalents to "Critical Role" where professional performers gather in person to play the spinoff. This both catapults the game to popularity, and promotes the idea of playing it face-to-face instead of purely online. In this world, the computer remains an essential part of the game, crunching the numbers and handling the rules, with the GM stepping in as necessary to override it. This means the rules will be insanely complex by TRPG standards, since no human has to interpret or apply them. From the player perspective, though, they probably look... well, a lot like 4E. [/QUOTE]

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