Why Play D&D?

[MoxieFu]

LOL true. I don't think the young-uns realize how easy it is to pick them out, either

Yeah but instead of picking them out I'd rather pick them off.

Preferably with hollow points. Script kiddies and munchkins are really annoying.

And get off my yard with yer skateboards and nintendos!

 

[pawsplay]

It's like asking why go to super burger joint for a big one with cheese, a basket of piping hot fries, and a Cherry Coke, when you can just walk to the icebox and grab a microwave "burrito" any time you want.

 

[nedjer]

It's like asking why go to super burger joint for a big one with cheese, a basket of piping hot fries, and a Cherry Coke, when you can just walk to the icebox and grab a microwave "burrito" any time you want.

burger, cheese, fries and coke v's micro-burritos. Either way you'll be wanting this:

 

[Werebat]

You all are posting in a troll thread; you know that, right?

In fact, I do mostly play trolls in WoW...

- Ron ^*^

 

[Wik]

It's like snail mail vs. e-mail. Why do some people refuse to change with the times?

- Ron ^*^

I'm kind of surprised no one's commented on this yet. While there have been plenty of comments on the WoW bit, I really don't do MMRPGs (besides a brief stint with EQ years ago, which I did not enjoy). And so don't feel like any comments I make on that subject are worth mentioning.

However, I do know a bit about snail vs. e-mail. And I can tell you - snail mail is MUCH better.

E-mail gets the point across. It's brief, it's to the point, and it allows communication. I love e-mails, and I have had many, MANY e-mail conversations over the years.

That being said, snail mail is so much better. It takes more time to create, and you'll put more thought into what it is you're writing. And receiving a letter from someone, knowing they took an hour or more just to communicate with you, fosters a much deeper connection than anything electronic. Plus, while everyone has an electronic "voice", I can guarantee that voice is amplified in written communication - you can easily tell a letter from Kate apart from, say, Robyn. Which is sometimes harder to do with e-mails.

Plus, and this is important, letters are something you hold on to. While you can save e-mails, they do not provoke the same sense of joy to re-read than a letter. I have a shoebox filled with letters, and they are definitely fun to read from time to time.

Finally, I don't know about you, but when I find a letter in the mailbox for me, it actually brightens my day. An e-mail? Not so much.

I guess, in a way, that sort of answers the main question, too - while RPGs might seem like "snail mail" to you, I look at that as a feature, and not a bug.

 

[Impeesa]

To answer the original question: because my group and I are playing WoW the other 6 nights of the week, need a little variety! Both have different strengths. I talk to 9-24 other people, over voice chat, several times a week, and I'd be less social, not more, if I didn't. MMOs give me a different type of challenge and teamwork than a tabletop game - nothing matches the satisfaction of finally downing something your 25-person team has struggled with for months (just killed 25-man heroic Lich King a few weeks ago, for those who play - wow what a fight!). On the other hand, I don't deny the accusations that computer games are often (by necessity) a bit of a straitjacket. I like character building. In WoW, I have 10 classes to choose from, 3 talent trees for each, for a total of 30 unique playstyles to try. Sounds like a lot, but there's only 3 primary roles (unlike other MMOs in which support, buffs, and crowd control were roles unto themselves), and many talent specs play similarly. Compare with D&D 3.5, where character creation with lots of supplements available is pretty much an infinite canvas. I like worldbuilding for similar reasons, which I haven't done much of in computer games since Sim City 2000 was current.

 

[Riposte]

Players in WoW people spend years working for equipment that suits their character. In DnD I can do that in a few seconds given the right campaign design. Also the graphics in my head are wayyyy better.

Jokes aside... WoW isn't an appropriate comparison. Maybe if DnD didn't have DMs or role-playing it would make sense. If I had run away to a videogame escape, my poison would be Bayonetta or Vanquish or a 90s shooter arcade game.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I haven't seen a good RonPost since I quit usenet years ago.

Hi, Ron!

 

[jaerdaph]

I just compromise and play this:

 

[Votan]

[*]I don't have to shell out money every month to play D&D

I can see that you have not noticed the recent change to the character builder, yet.

{of course, in practice, I am a major RPG book junkie so shelling out money was true either way . . . }