The whole point of something like Bloodbowl is that it's "football with a twist". It relies on football being so commonplace and well known, a parody of it can exist.
D&D has just as many parodies and knock-offs, so if a Telltale D&D is a parody then it should exist
Those are games based on characters. D&D is a game based on rules. Completely different things.
D&D is only partly based on it's rules. Characters play a big part in D&D, Elminster, Dritzzt, Misc, Tiamat, I've never come across any of them in a session but I know who they are because people talk about them when they talk about D&D. You can even argue that some monsters are D&D characters like Mind Flayers and Beholders.
I think a Telltale style D&D game would be awesome. But it's less a "D&D game" and more a game telling a "D&D story". It could be fun, in the same way that the Betrayal at Baldur's Gate can be fun and somewhat of a D&D experience or reading the official D&D comic book. But I don't think it's what most people are looking for when they request a new D&D videogame.
Ya I agree with you that it's not what most the people are looking for in a D&D videogame, at least not the people that play D&D TTRPGs and videogames.
You could turn the board game Pandemic into a great Telltale game, about CDC operatives traversing the globe while trying to combat four simultaneous outbreaks of viruses. But I doubt it would be what fans of the game want when they ask for a "Pandemic video game", which is the experience of playing Pandemic, but digitally.
That's different tho, Pandemic doesn't have any real meaty fluff to work with, and a digital port is arguably more a tabletop simulator then a videogame.
But they did make the tabletop game Battleship into a movie. It was a flop because it was terrible but I remember people being curious about it specifically because they were making a tabletop game into a movie.
I'm really curious how many Hardcore Battleship players wouldn't watch the movie because it wasn't 'true to the game' or whatever. And how many people that watched the movie gave the game a try specifically because of the movie.
Either case, even tho the movie was a horrible failure I'm sure none of the Hardcore Battleship players stopped playing the game because of it, and I'm sure some people started playing the game because of the movie.
Arguably, we should be differentiating based on if people are asking for a "D&D branded video game" or a "D&D roleplaying game based on the TTRPG". But that's a lot of clarifying text.
Ya I agree. But I still think that a Telltale/Life is Strange game is more then just a "D&D branded video game."
It's beneficial to the game, but it's not beneficial to the people who only engage with the brand through the TTRPG and have no interest in a board game (Betrayal at Baldur's Gate or Against the Giants)or comic books, or webshows, or action RPG video games (Neverwinter). It's not beneficial for people who just want an opportunity to play the game they like solo.
It's not about accepting it or not. It's about it being the product we want or not.
I disagree, I think it's beneficial even to the people that only play the TTRPG. Exposure brings in new players and new players benefits people who only engage with the TTRPG
I'm sure there's plenty of D&D players who's gateway was the D&D books or comic. Or D&D players who's gateway was watching Critical Role or Rollplay on twitch or youtube. Or D&D players who's gateway was TOEE, Baldurs Gate, or Neverwinter.
Also I think maybe depending on the gateway, it brings over a player base with certain assumptions and skill sets that inform and direct the way you start to play D&D.
The player base that was exposed to D&D by way of the TOEE videogame will already know what classes, HP, Levels, and AC are, and will know how turn base combat works. That player base will most likely lean into the Combat aspect of D&D because it's so prominent in the videogame.
But a Telltale/Life is Strange player base won't know what HP or AC is, but they will lean more into the character development and meaningful decision making story aspect of D&D.
Which would benefit me because I like wondering if the Elf and Dwarf are going to overcome their racial baggage and smooch, or get sad because the Human died and the Tiefling never got a chance to confess their love, or wonder if the cowardly Halfling will overcome their fear and help their party when the time comes or run away then watch them struggle with their guilt.
Hmm... I'm starting to think that maybe I just want a Telltale D&D game because I think it'll bring in a bunch of players that love melodrama as much as I do lol
