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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 6366752" data-attributes="member: 59082">Yeah, the smartphone adds a whole new dimension - entertainment in one's pocket. This impacts everyone - young and old(ish) alike. This is really another whole discussion, although related to this one, but I don't think we'll fully understand the negative elements of the cultural impact of smartphones for a few years yet. I'm not a luddite, but also find the "technological utopia" ideology laughably naive; for every step forward a new range of problems arise.Sure, in that 40 years isn't so long historically speaking. But I guess my question is whether it is largely a Boomer-to-Gen Y thing, centered on Gen X, or if it will capture Gen Z kids for whom advanced entertainment technologies are not just available, but ubiquitous. I have to disagree with you here, Bryon. Preference for the Transformers movies vs. the novels of Proust isn't just a personality thing, just as preference for Dunkin Donuts over gourmet French pastries speaks to a lack of refinement of tastes. Any kind of taste requires a development of a palate; in the case of video games vs. RPGs, the palate involves the deeper, more refined taste of self-generated imagination, wonderment, etc.True. This reminds me of a thought I once had, about what would happen to RPGs if all publishers ceased publishing - or at least the major ones. I imagine there would still be a vibrant "underground" community, with tons of people self-publishing online, kickstarters, etc. Although unfortunately even then, people like to text and drive! I can't tell you how many people I see texting while driving. But yeah, as to the rest, you're preaching to the choir, bub. One other issue you didn't mention is when you play with a group of players and you're the only one who really wants to DM; if your group plays or not is entirely dependent on whether one person has the time and energy to prepare a game. So much of D&D at least is reliant upon one person, the DM.Well here's the thing: As I see it, there are two major qualities that tabletop RPGs have that video games don't really have, which is imagination and social interaction (and board games lack the former, for the most part). Humans, young and old, crave both. The problem isn't that we don't want these things, its that it is too easy to find surrogates - through video games and other discursive, passive, and non-creative entertainments. And what people don't realize, in my opinion, is that those "lesser" entertainments won't truly satisfy the deeper longings that tabletop RPGs can satisfy; all they do is "fill one up," like junk food. But like junk food, the underlying nutritional need remains unsatisfied. But as for board games, they're a lot easier to prepare for than an RPG. First of all, most board games are a one-off - you play for a few hours and then are done. No picking up things where you left off. Board games are short stories rather than novels.Talk about selective reading! Tony, to be honest I find it a bit challenging conversing with you because you're so clearly defensive about anything having to do with 4E and seem to (mis)translate anything anyone says that isn't glowing adoration as an attack.So yeah I hear you, as Haffrung put it, you're pissed off that WotC moved on from 4E. Nothing I can do about that. I think that you're somewhat wilfully ignoring the fact that  4E--for whatever reason--split the community in a way that WotC wanted  to rectify, and tried to rectify with 5E. Even if 4E is the best version  of D&D evar, it still wasn't well received by the community as a whole. And in the end, for better or worse, that matters.The question has always been two-fold: how to bring back lapsed players and how to find new ones. But 4E was the first time that large segment of active players left en masse, which was a huge problem for WotC and the health of D&D. So regardless of how good 4E was as a game, it was terribly divisive to the community and had to be let go of.I believe you - but it seems that your experience is somewhat localized and clearly and exception rather than the rule, otherwise 4E wouldn't have fizzled and died three years after it first came out. Of course, although that doesn't mean that the two--what old players like and what will attract new players--are mutually exclusive. I would argue that the underlying qualities are somewhat universal - e.g. the play of imagination; Mearls' three pillars of exploration, combat, and social interaction; heroic adventure, etc.Yes, that's part of it. I also see a streamlined game that reflects the last 25 years of game design, and little innovations and new bits here and there.Not sure what your point is?That is not at all what I am saying. Actually, I find that every generation has its foibles and hangups, but I take the view that "normalcy" is a mild form of psychopathology!I'm not blaming "kids these days" for growing up in a context where adults these days exploit them by surrounding them with junk food entertainments. As an aside, youdo realize that there are 4Edition warriors too, right? <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/erm.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":erm:" title="Erm    :erm:" data-shortname=":erm:" /></blockquote>

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