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The "real" reason the game has changed.
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5428645" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>It's true that the system sets parameters around the story that can be told (for example, given that your mage can climb and jump, you have to tell a story as to why - perhaps your mage is good at self-telekinesis). But this is true also of AD&D, which precludes telling a story in which a mage wields a longsword - which is a story at least as conceivable, from the point of view of an imagination untutored in game rules, as a story about a non-climbing mage.</p><p></p><p>That's not to say that there's no difference between the way AD&D and 4e approach the relationship between character building, action resolution and ingame elements. Of course there is - AD&D approximates to simulationism in its outlook, whereas 4e starts with the metagame. And these have implications in play. But to try and describe those implications by saying that only in 4e do the mechanics shape the story is, in my view, a misdescription.</p><p></p><p>To reinforce this conclusion, I'll pose the question that I frequently do and that is rarely responded to - if metagame-heavy design and play <em>really</em> impeded story, then it would be the case that a game like HeroQuest or The Dying Earth was a weaker vehicle for story-rich roleplaying than a game like Rolemaster, Runquest or 3E D&D. But is there anyone who believes this?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 5428645, member: 42582"] It's true that the system sets parameters around the story that can be told (for example, given that your mage can climb and jump, you have to tell a story as to why - perhaps your mage is good at self-telekinesis). But this is true also of AD&D, which precludes telling a story in which a mage wields a longsword - which is a story at least as conceivable, from the point of view of an imagination untutored in game rules, as a story about a non-climbing mage. That's not to say that there's no difference between the way AD&D and 4e approach the relationship between character building, action resolution and ingame elements. Of course there is - AD&D approximates to simulationism in its outlook, whereas 4e starts with the metagame. And these have implications in play. But to try and describe those implications by saying that only in 4e do the mechanics shape the story is, in my view, a misdescription. To reinforce this conclusion, I'll pose the question that I frequently do and that is rarely responded to - if metagame-heavy design and play [I]really[/I] impeded story, then it would be the case that a game like HeroQuest or The Dying Earth was a weaker vehicle for story-rich roleplaying than a game like Rolemaster, Runquest or 3E D&D. But is there anyone who believes this? [/QUOTE]
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