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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eyebeams" data-source="post: 3487338" data-attributes="member: 9225">Roleplaying is not the same as tabletop RPGs. Roleplaying is an activity (or a set of activities) that can be accomplished in a number of ways. Tabletop RPGs are just one of them. As a whole, though, roleplaying is a tremendously popular activity when you consider MMOs, fanfic, reenactment, etc.They wear their parentage on their sleeves, but many of the incremental improvements and concepts of MMOs are specific to them, or at least represent a train of development independent from tabletop games.If the guy next door isn't interested in Eberron and I am, he may as well be on the moon. But I can use the right tools now to find someone interested in it a short drive away -- or I don't have to drive. But right now these tools are subsets of larger services and aren't necessarily integrated.I didn't say it was absolutely bright. For some, it will be horrible.Indie games are a great example of social networks having an effect. If you read about that community you'll see that the balance of their organization and much of their gaming happens online -- or is organized offline through online community hubs. It isn't a "revolution" because it's such a small niche and again, it's based on tools that are not designed specifically for gamers.You're right; it's not easy to swallow. As for "new categories of games" -- I don't know about that. It's such a subjective thing to say a game is this or that.It certainly does exist now. Like most things, it's less a matter of invention than optimization -- but optimization that has additional, positive effects. Outside of RPGs, Myspace is a good example, as it was originally designed for musicians, but the service demonstrated far broader appeal.But what I'm saying is that post-OGL, there's been the idea that you make a generalized RPG "application" and lots and lots of ways to customize it orthogonally (not across play over time, but as part of the setup). I think that's going to decline in favour of games that try to keep players playing and talking about the same things to a greater extent, but without *feeling* restrictive.</blockquote>

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