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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EarthsShadow" data-source="post: 699755" data-attributes="member: 3531">I think that all those other elements are in other d20 games but not D&D is what causes many to think that D&D is generic.  I think another thing to remember is that D&D is generic, its generic fantasy as shown in the PHB.  It get's different in the different campaign settings, which should show how different the game can be from other worlds out there.Should game mechanics like reputation or defense bonuses per class be in the PHB, or should they be added on based on the various setting books out there?  Personally, add them to the settings that would depend on them, and leave them out of the PHB.  Or, put them in the DMG as optional variants but leave them out of the PHB.  Now, as for combat goes, I do think that there is a too heavy emphasis on combat in the PHB, as everything within the game, with the exception of a few skills, depends on combat and monsters for treasure and experience.  Sure you can homebrew your own house rules for options, but as listed in just the three Core books, the main emphasis is combat, and it always has been that way for D&D, and it probably won't change.  Other games out there do a whole lot more for character development than D&D does, as many of them have been listed and examples shown.  Sure D&D could possibly do some of those things, but that is not what it is designed for.  So, if somebody says, what is D&D's main emphasis, I would say combat.  Why? Because 90% of the books deal with combat in one form or another.  Everything is geared around it: BaB, AC, HP, Saves, Equipment, spells, psionics, XP, monsters, treasure, etc... most skills are not used in combat, and how often do we actually see people pick skills that are not combat orientated? Hardly ever.  How often do we see people pick feats that have no combat potential?  That's even more rare.  Sure, you can house rule things and with a good group have a good rp session, but that's just an added bonus in the end.Other games do offer more than just combat.  Alternity included just about everything for a well developed character, and just about everything was given an almost equal emphasis.  Combat was not as important as it is in D&D, it had more skills, it had more rules for various situations, and it was the d20 system before WotC changed their minds.  (AT least it is in my opinion).Gurps, having only read about it, does offer more options than D&D does.  That is the way it is designed.  Heck, even Earthdawn had more to offer than just combat.  Plus the fact that it had a combat chapter that was only 15 pages long tells you something about the emphasis of that game, which was the world and the people, not combat.And D&D does what it does best: combat.  Not only that, but sometimes getting people to really roleplay D&D is like pulling teeth out of a dragon trying to eat you.  People are so used to it being combat, combat, combat that anything else is almost impossible.  I say almost, not is.  To answer the question: Is D&D generic?  the answer, at least from me, is: Yes it is generic, and that is the way it is designed.</blockquote>

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