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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dannager" data-source="post: 5504219" data-attributes="member: 73683">I think that this idea gets lost in the shuffle.You can create a fantasy world with all its quirks and then try to fit a game to that fantasy world, but the game isn't going to be as awesome as it could be, because concessions will definitely be made for the sake of preserving the integrity of the setting. A lot of people take this standpoint - some of them because they like a particular setting and don't want game mechanics to alter their perception of that setting, and some of them because the above rationale is an easy way to justify their personal tastes regarding caster-over-noncaster superiority (the fighters-can't-have-nice-things crowd).On the other hand, you can create a game that embraces the idea of a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game, and then create the setting with the game's design considerations in mind. This might take some explaining for the sake of clarity.Wizards being stronger than fighters isn't something that follows its own logical course. It is not a tautology. Wizards have been stronger in previous editions of D&D because the collective wisdom was that it makes sense for wizards to be stronger than fighters from a setting standpoint. The people who are called wizards wield god-like powers and fighters swing swords.There is nothing, however, preventing you from describing wizards and fighters differently. Wizards can still shape reality with mere thought, but nothing is stopping you from allowing fighters to do their own "wild and amazing things". When we step out from setting considerations and preconceived notions of how the classes should be stacked against one another, we can decide how we want the game to look.This is what 4e does. It says "There's no good reason for fighters to be lackluster compared to wizards, from a game standpoint, and the settings can always just follow suit."Certainly, there are some who would rather have their preconceived setting remain totally intact even if it means the game will be poorer for it (in the sense that common game design goals like balance, meaningful choice and roughly equal spotlight time will be negatively impacted). I believe, however, that D&D's foremost goal needs to be making the game fun.</blockquote>

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