Your role? Nothing matters but combat.

[Bugaboo]

It saddens me that the part a character plays in group combat is defined as the entirety of his "role" (i.e. striker, controller, etc.), with barely a nod toward noncombat adventuring or other social interactions and goals in the gamebook's descriptive text.

In other words, it looks as though nothing other than combat is worth mentioning in this game anymore.

 

[Fifth Element]

They are only intended to be combat roles. They indicate nothing about play outside combat, and are not intended to. That's where the role-playing comes in.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

With respect to you combat role not much matters other than combat.

As to the social challenge and skill challenge systems, it seems to me that there are plans to make these systems allow characters to interact in other ways with the environment. Everyone is supposed to have something to do out of combat situations and those things will (likely) be entirely unaffected by combat role.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Oh pfft. More like the non-combat parts of D&D 1/2 by Skill Challenges everyone can choose from and 1/2 by RP choices and player personality, not hard rules. I don't need rules to tell me if my character is a shy rube or an arrogant Baron of the Court, and I'm glad WotC didn't waste any time trying to write rules I'd ignore anyway.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Troll. Old troll.

 

[marune]

They are only intended to be combat roles. They indicate nothing about play outside combat, and are not intended to. That's where the role-playing comes in.

Grrrrr.

You can roleplay in combat, not roleplay outside of combat, the nature of actions taken (combat, diplomacy, clues finding, whatever, etc.) is completly irrelevant to roleplaying.

Roleplaying is when narration, acting, etc. is added on top of dice rolls.

No role/rollplay dilemna ever existed.

 

[NebtheNever]

I think you have a very limited definition of role-playing, skeptic.

 

[Cadfan]

That is the stupidest of stupid conclusions, ever.

But I have to start using that logic on my fiance.

Fiance: Dear, would you take out the trash?
Me: Can't.
Fiance: ...why not?
Me: Not my job.
Fiance: What do you mean its not your job.
Me: My job is "Lawyer." I can't do other jobs.
Fiance: I'm not following you.
Me: What I do at work is the entirety of my "job." Therefore, I can't do other jobs when I'm not at work. This guy on the internet explained it to me.
Fiance: That seems logical. You are excused from all household chores, forever.

I'm sure the conversation would go something like that.

 

[Bugaboo]

That is the stupidest of stupid conclusions, ever.

But I have to start using that logic on my fiance.

Fiance: Dear, would you take out the trash?
Me: Can't.
Fiance: ...why not?
Me: Not my job.
Fiance: What do you mean its not your job.
Me: My job is "Lawyer." I can't do other jobs.
Fiance: I'm not following you.
Me: What I do at work is the entirety of my "job." Therefore, I can't do other jobs when I'm not at work. This guy on the internet explained it to me.
Fiance: That seems logical. You are excused from all household chores, forever.

I'm sure the conversation would go something like that.

It's not stupid, and please refrain from such insults.

Using your own example above, you didn't go far enough: Does the fiance describe you in letters to her family only as your professional job description? Given the opportunity to introduce you to others for the first time in text, do you deserve any other descriptors? ... THAT's the point.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

It saddens me that the part a character plays in group combat is defined as the entirety of his "role" (i.e. striker, controller, etc.), with barely a nod toward noncombat adventuring or other social interactions and goals in the gamebook's descriptive text.

In other words, it looks as though nothing other than combat is worth mentioning in this game anymore.

As others have said, the roles are the combat-roles. How could roles even work in non-combat/social encounters? Hell even in combat roles are pretty loose and only see them being heavily used when your in a really tough encounter.