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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Belen" data-source="post: 1552220" data-attributes="member: 1405">I have to agree with you here.  I have met bad role players who did not like to play effective characters though.In any event, I tend to lay blame for the current trends at the feet of WOTC.  They have consistently published books that have highlighted took box approach to the game, without balancing it with the RP aspects of the game, instead, they decide to leave that to the GMs.For instance, it seems that DnD gaming is slowly devolving into real time Neverwinter Nights, sacrificing depth of RP with kewl "builds." Story has become frosting rather than any real impetus to the game.  The "complete" books resemble a video game "expansion pack" rather than any real discussion of the how and whys of playing a class.  I find that I still go back and read the old TSR complete books for that stuff!Heck, I'd be happier if the "Complete" books focused on how to use the core books rather than adding more "Kewl Tools" to the game.  In that, the Powergamer books are more useful!The current gaming trends take a lot from anime and video game influences where combat strategy and kewl abilities are more important than social interaction.  WOTC has embraced that trend in order to sell to a larger audience. I mean, if a newbie experiences the game first through Neverwinter or Everquest, then they will expect to play tabletop like neverwinter or everquest.  The newbie will expect to take anything that is available in the released tool box books while expecting the GM to create combat encounters with a story.  Heck, even the RPGA has embraced this trend. It is very close, if not identical, to a MMORPG.MMORPGs and game like Neverwinters are created to serve players.  These games are also created so that players are optimized for combat etc because that is the focus of their games.  Obviously, you cannot interact with NPCs other than through scripted lines etc.  Thus, many new players have no idea there would be a need for this.  They understand social skills like diplomacy, but again, this is an area to max out in order to roll for the scripted plotline etc.GMs have no place in this scheme.  Thus, WOTC offers no support for them and no material to show the newbies that tabletop can be different from MMORPG.Dave</blockquote>

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