Quote:
Originally Posted by Trombone4Hire
On the topic that has come up here and elsewhere as to whether this game is a roleplaying game (and not always in a negative way), it really depends on how you define "roleplaying game". Some define it broadly, taking into account everything from OD&D and its contemporaries to Nobilis and vs. Monsters. Some people define it in such a way that 4e is not, but then neither were the first "roleplaying games". I think that as long as we're aware that these semantic differences exist, we can continue discussing this as respectfully as we have in this thread (which has made me very happy).
My opinion as to whether 4e is a roleplaying game? I think it is. It can be run in such a way as to include no "roleplaying" at all, i.e. no speaking in character, making in-character non-tactical decisions, or any "character development" aside from statistical advancement.
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Well, did you notice you changed concepts midway? You start by re-iterating the good old question, is D&D a
role playing game. And next when you try to answer that question you just drop the keyword 'role' and substitute it for another concept,
character. And provide no explanation or justification for the change.
For me this is the crux of the matter. People today tend to think that
role means
character and that these two words are synonims. They are not. We can have
role playing games that are not
character playing games. I agree that D&D is not a character playing game, but since character playing is not a synonim to role playing this fact tells us precious nothing about whether or not D&D is a role playing game. IMO it is. It has some precisely defined roles for us to play. From ODD to DD3 these roles were equated with classes; with DD4 an higher level of role division is added with its four 'roles' in the group of characters.
Anyone that plays D&D is leaded to play a role. This role may be framed within a very limited set of potential roles (fighting adventurers), but it is still a role. In this it is not different from the roles we play in a professional life. A D&D character has almost no psychology and personality, but then when McDonalds or General Electric hire you to fulfil a role in their corporate vision they don't expect you to bring inside your psychology or personality.
Conclusion? If you stick to the concept of a 'role' D&D is certainly a role playing game. If you stray away and force the word 'role' to mean something it is not intended to mean, than you do as you please.