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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Reynard" data-source="post: 3837981" data-attributes="member: 467">I am not an anti-video game person.  I enjoy them a lot, actually, and I have played both WoW and CoH in the past.  The problem isn't that MMOs and the like aren't fun, it is that they are not at all like RPGs and bringing their influence into table top gaming promises, in my view, to make the game less fun for everyone involved, much for the reasons you cite -- mostly the issues regarding combat balance.  making sure every character class is equally viable in all situations, considering combat balance as the only kind worth working toward, hardwiring distinct combat roles into every character and creature, and removing elements from the game that pose the risk of having a player "lose" his turn are all lessons "learned" from MMOs.  And every one of them detracts from the table-top play experience as it has been for 30 years.  You can't reduce uncertainty and risk without also reducing tension; you can't ensure parity without increasing blandness; you can't enforce tactical roles without restricting choice.  What's more is that building the game around encounters reduces the value of adventures which reduces the value of the campaign.  Constant, incremental levelling is not necessary to engage the players and keep them coming back in a table top RPG like it is in an MMO, and in fact puts a focus on levelling and those incremental advances where it should be on play and the ongoing game.In any case, I will, for WayneLigon's benefit, go dig up all the blog posts and other official WotC comments that have specifically stated how MMO style gameplay is an intended model (they've been saying such things for a while now), when I get the chance.  For now, i think that just plain denying the fact is being deliberately contrarian, but until then we'll call it a difference of remembering.</blockquote>

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