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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 3460330" data-attributes="member: 42582">I don't play computer or video RPGs, only tabletop ones. But the comparisons being made are interesting.I don't think it's a very significant defence of tabletop against CRPG that, in tabletop, it may be possible to engage in non-plot-related banter with NPCs, because for most people this is not what roleplaying is. Roleplaying is about making meaningful decisions for one's character, and inane chat with NPCs is not part of that.An example of an event from my own game, which I think is something that is less likely to occur in a CPRG, is the following: A confluence of circumstances led to our warrior mage learning spells from the weather mage pilot of the ship the party were soon to embark on. As it happened, this woman was in fact a dragon in human form. Some members of the party knew this (namely, the two who were a fox spirit and a tree spirit in human form) but the warrior mage did not. Instead of just learning his spells and letting the NPC dissapear into the background, however, the warrior mage decided to court her - taking her to the theatre on two evenings before the vessel departed, then discussing matters both magical and literary with her during the journey, and finally trying to rescue her from the Sea Dragon who attacked the boat in order to insist that she return to her family. (It was also about this time that he realised her draconic nature.) Although that initial rescue attempt was unsuccessful, the in-game relationship between the two has continued ever since (although the party has gained about 17 levels in the meantime) and has played a significant role in the character's (and the whole party's) relationship to the Sea Lords, Storm Lords and the heavenly bureaucracy more generally.These sorts of character-driven, non-tactical, political and social aspects of play are very easily handled in a tabletop game, but (as far as I know) are not well handled by a CRPG. It is because I enjoy RPGing where these sorts of elements are to the fore that I continue to enjoy tabletop gaming.</blockquote>

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