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<blockquote data-quote="ruleslawyer" data-source="post: 3980965" data-attributes="member: 1757">I don't quite agree with you here. *Most* groups with which I've played D&amp;D prefer an emphasis on RP and story elements to the combat side.This actually brings up something I've been meaning to post about in general. While it's easy to look at the mechanics for D&amp;D and say &quot;Oh, yeah, this is basically a minis combat game with some extra role-playing fluff,&quot; the fact is that D&amp;D has had quite a strong emphasis throughout its history on non-combat elements; the vast wealth of settings, story-based adventures, and the like that have evolved around the game (including stuff like Planescape and Ravenloft, in which combat was something that was usually more a dead end than a solution) has created a large section of the playing population that runs the game in more of a storyteller mode. Indeed, the mechanics for social interaction in 3e may be dwarfed by the combat mechanics, but they're enough of a structure on which to build RPing adventures. More to the point, people played this way even when there *weren't* rules for social interaction or non-combat activities at all.IMO, this is because of the strength of D&amp;D's brand. Different RPGers have played D&amp;D in widely divergent playstyles simply because D&amp;D has always been the biggest brand on the block, and so it's easier to get a bunch of people together for a game of courtly intrigue using D&amp;D than to, say, get everyone to learn Amber Diceless or Burning Wheel. The mix-and-match element is something I appreciate about the experience of playing D&amp;D, but unfortunately also something that has come to set up certain design expectations: Namely, the expectation that D&amp;D can be shaped into all things for all people. The designers took a load off their backs when they created the OGL, allowing for the creation of rules-light, low-magic, gritty, pseudo-historical, etc. &quot;D&amp;D-like&quot; games, but my guess is that they're trying to enable as many playstyles as possible within the context of the new edition.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ruleslawyer, post: 3980965, member: 1757"] I don't quite agree with you here. *Most* groups with which I've played D&D prefer an emphasis on RP and story elements to the combat side. This actually brings up something I've been meaning to post about in general. While it's easy to look at the mechanics for D&D and say "Oh, yeah, this is basically a minis combat game with some extra role-playing fluff," the fact is that D&D has had quite a strong emphasis throughout its history on non-combat elements; the vast wealth of settings, story-based adventures, and the like that have evolved around the game (including stuff like Planescape and Ravenloft, in which combat was something that was usually more a dead end than a solution) has created a large section of the playing population that runs the game in more of a storyteller mode. Indeed, the mechanics for social interaction in 3e may be dwarfed by the combat mechanics, but they're enough of a structure on which to build RPing adventures. More to the point, people played this way even when there *weren't* rules for social interaction or non-combat activities at all. IMO, this is because of the strength of D&D's brand. Different RPGers have played D&D in widely divergent playstyles simply because D&D has always been the biggest brand on the block, and so it's easier to get a bunch of people together for a game of courtly intrigue using D&D than to, say, get everyone to learn Amber Diceless or Burning Wheel. The mix-and-match element is something I appreciate about the experience of playing D&D, but unfortunately also something that has come to set up certain design expectations: Namely, the expectation that D&D can be shaped into all things for all people. The designers took a load off their backs when they created the OGL, allowing for the creation of rules-light, low-magic, gritty, pseudo-historical, etc. "D&D-like" games, but my guess is that they're trying to enable as many playstyles as possible within the context of the new edition. [/QUOTE]

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