Tactical Boardgame?

[MaelStorm]

Here The day the game ate the Roleplayer, Post 7

 

[Fifth Element]

It's a good point, but then Wizards has invited this meme upon themselves by not showing us any aspects that break it out of the tactical boardgame model.

We're going to judge what we see, after all. If all we see is slash-bang-zoom-pow, that's what we're going to judge.

In some sense, I agree with you. But in another sense, people should have enough sense to realize that they're judging something about which they have incomplete knowledge. It's one thing to say "the 4E combat rules seem board-gamey to me", quite another to say "4E is a board game!" It's the second one that's unfair, not the first.

 

[Wolfspider]

The "I played 4E at D&D XP and it is just a Tactical Boardgame" meme. It's spreading hard, especially among people who were anti-4e but "keeping an open mind".

The way you put this last part in quotes makes it seem to me that you really don't think that these people were keeping an open mind at all.

Care to clarify?

 

[Wolfspider]

"Tactical board game" is just the new version of "videogamey" or "anime" or whatever. At least it's new.

I think that the entire "videogamey" and "anime" arguments were overdone, too.

But dismissing a new criticism offhand like this can be just as misguided. It's an easy thing to do, but it can be unfair.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

It's a good point, but then Wizards has invited this meme upon themselves by not showing us any aspects that break it out of the tactical boardgame model.

My followup demonstrates the Scylla and Charybdis (sp) issue.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

I think that the entire "videogamey" and "anime" arguments were overdone, too.

But dismissing a new criticism offhand like this can be just as misguided. It's an easy thing to do, but it can be unfair.

I'm dismissing it out of hand...yet, I don't feel misguided. In fact, this criticism has absolutely no bearing on my decision making regarding D&D. Interesting. I also don't feel that I'm being at all unfair. Weird.

 

[Bishmon]

What's the point of starting a thread with the sole purpose of disparaging a number of people's opinions?

There's a way to have this sort of discussion, but this certainly isn't it.

 

[Wolfspider]

Dungeons and Dragons has always been a tactical wargame. That doesn't make it any less of a role-playing game.

I do think, however, that 4th edition focuses more on these tactical elements than any other edition.

I do find it interesting that none of the reports from D&D Experience that I have read mention anything about role-playing. Did any go on? Did people talk in character or plot with fellow part members or try to reason with the kobolds or dragons or whatnot?

I guess most people were too caught up with the new mechanics to mention this in their reports. I'd very much like to hear about these aspects of the games, though.

 

[Fifth Element]

What's the point of starting a thread with the sole purpose of disparaging a number of people's opinions?

There's a way to have this sort of discussion, but this certainly isn't it.

If you have a problem with a thread, please report it. The little '!' button is at the bottom left of every post.

 

[Hussar]

I think that the entire "videogamey" and "anime" arguments were overdone, too.

But dismissing a new criticism offhand like this can be just as misguided. It's an easy thing to do, but it can be unfair.

Possibly, but, judging from experience, can you really say that I'm that far off base?

I mean, come on, what does "tactical boardgame" really mean? Heck, in this thread we've got someone saying that because there's a battle map on the table all the time, we're playing a board game. It's started already. People will take it to mean whatever the heck they want, which is generally, "this playstyle isn't mine therefore it sucks" which is precisely what videogamey and anime meant.

It's like the comparison to MTG. I mean, building a deck? Come on. Why not, "Customizing my mech" which is pretty much exactly the same thing, but, different game without the negative connotations. Oh, but, that's right, the negative connotations are entirely intentional. Easy way to score points on the internet. Instead of trying to make unbiased criticisms, it's just easier for people to launch loaded hot-button terms around that really don't mean anything when you examine them.