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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6508185" data-attributes="member: 42582">I have never played WoW (or any other MMO game).When I read the section on "roles" in the 4e PHB, it struck me as serving the same purpose as Gygax's description of character class functions in the introductory part of the Classes section of his PHB, as well as in the class descriptions themselves.I'm not sure what you mean by "character development", but in AD&D if I choose to play a fighter, it is basically guaranteed that (absent some funky magic items) I will never be a healer or a buffer, but will be a damage dealer who is capable in melee. (Archery options are feasible, but in my experience are rather boutique, and nothing in either the Gygax's PHB text encourages them. Bow specialisation somewhat changes that.)Likewise, in AD&D, if I choose to play a wizard it is basically guaranteed that (again, absent very funky magic items) I will suck in melee combat (perhaps not once I get access to Tenser's Transformation at 12th level).For me, paying attention to the suite of mechanical options available under the class label is part of playing a class-based PC. In my experience players who don't do this tend to end up disappointed - eg they wanted to play Gandalf but discover that in AD&D they cannot use a sword and will get cut to ribbons in melee; or they wanted to play a swashbuckler but discover that, in core AD&D at least, wielding a d6 weapon with chain armour and no shield just makes you mechanically weaker than the other fighter PC in plate armour with a d8 weapon and shield, for no compensating mechanical benefit.I see the role labels as sending signal to help players avoid such disappointment: when you open up the 4e PHB, and learn that the fighter is a defender and the rogue a striker, this is part of the guidance that tells the would-be player of a swashbuckler to incline towards rogue rather than fighter. Further guidance is available by reading the class descriptions and power lists in more detail - much as, in AD&D, if my vision of a "magic-user" is a white witch healer than a perusal of the spell lists will tell me that I want to play a druid rather than a magic-user.</blockquote>

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