Video game influences on my D&D

[Psion]

Because computer games are for children and are silly and have no imagination. We can't take inspiration from silly stuff. Now excuse me while I go off and pretend to be an elf.

I think you made it into a quote somewhere...

 

[WizarDru]

I see your point, but, and I'm not trying to be insulting to anyone, it also strikes me that such implications are often made by people who aren't that well-read in regards to D&D's inspirations and sources.

Very true....and in point of fact, these too are common references for many games, of which D&D is but one. Case in point: I was reading a gaming blog the other day. They were reporting on a game from Japan called Yggdrasil Labyrinth...which some posters had heard was a 'tree of power of some sort'.

The longer I play D&D, the more amazed I am at how many sources EGG (and others) have drawn upon for the game. Dragon's current "Demonicon of Iggwilliv" series, for example, always includes a 'XXX in the Real World' section, detailing where famous bad guys like Kostchchie came from. The same applies for so many magic items, monsters, spells and other facets of the game.

The implied threat that the hobby is capitulating and falling away from its core competency is demonstrably false. One of the single largest complaints about any RPG, CRPG, MMORPG or video game is that the player is 'on the rails', so to speak. Sometimes this is a necessary or important decision. If River City Ransom allowed you to hang out at the McDonald's instead of rescuing the girl...well, you wouldn't have much of a game. But you can essentially do that in many MMORPGs, to the extent of non-games (IMHO) like Second Life or A Tale in the Desert.

What irks me about calling D&D 'video-gamey' however, is that it paints with such a broad brush. Am I to believe that Ninja Gaiden Black, Katamari Damacy, Mario Kart, God of War, Shadow Hearts, Mercenaries, Advance Wars, Winning-11 8, Fight Night 3 and Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney are all similar to D&D...or even themselves?

Oh, and concerning Fallout....that's the tail wagging the dog, there. The feat system in Fallout originally came from GURPS, which Fallout was originally going to use, until the two companies started disagreeing over design issues. They kept the basic design but turned it into the SPECIAL system. My first reaction when seeing 3E was..."Wow, they added GURPS feats into it!" So again, Video-games are D&D-ey (or GURPS-ey, if you prefer in that case).

 

[Psion]

just about every "power" or ability that someone ascribes to this or that video/computer game, I usually can think of instances of it appearing in literature or film that came before video games.

 

[hong]

I'm not going to say that RPGs like D&D haven't drawn any inspiration from video games in recent years, but for just about every "power" or ability that someone ascribes to this or that video/computer game, I usually can think of instances of it appearing in literature or film that came before video games.

That's what happens when you have a generation of detractors raised on a diet of nothing but video games.

 

[WizarDru]

That's what happens when you have a generation of detractors raised on a diet of nothing but video games.

hong, you glorious Bastard!

 

[shilsen]

I think you made it into a quote somewhere...

Thank'ee kindly

 

[Desdichado]

Because computer games are for children and are silly and have no imagination. We can't take inspiration from silly stuff. Now excuse me while I go off and pretend to be an elf.

shilsen, is it appropriate for me at this juncture to say that I love you with all the fire of a thousand suns, and that I want to sire my (other) family of children with you?

No?

 

[ColonelHardisson]

That's what happens when you have a generation of detractors raised on a diet of nothing but video games.

It's weirdly ironic, isn't it? They're supposedly defending "old school" D&D from the corruption of video games, yet are aggressively unaware (dare I say ignorant?) of the fact that much of what they rail against often comes from much, much older source material.

 

[Kormydigar]

I want the people who make the game to have more imagination and stop turning D&D into a video game.

For the record, I do not like a video game feel to my games either. That being said, you will only drive yourself nuts trying to get other people to do anything. The way I see it, game designers are simply doing what they have always done- writing material based on thier own personal influences. To quote the Princess Bride, " When I was your age television was called books". When the game I love so much was first written and produced, the designers were inspired by literature, and there were no video games (at least no inspiring ones). The young game designers of today grew up with video games, and so we see those influences. Change and evolution of style will happen no matter how much you kick and scream against it. The only way to deal with it is to find a group of like minded players and use the rules you like.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

The only way to deal with it is to find a group of like minded players and use the rules you like.

QFT.

I think all the debate on the issue is sound and fury signifying nothing. It's a matter of taste. If you don't like the rules or the feel of 3E, don't use it -- play with rules and feel that you *do* like, instead. If you like 3E, then go with it.