4th edition coming: Do we like it?

[TheElf]

I remember the times when the computer gaming industry seeked to gain permission to copy some values of D&D and AD&D, I still see how much they do for a Warhammer licence, they still see strong brands, they still see strong games. But the market for Roleplaying games is dieing. And it is the case since 3rd editon of D&D became released.

Why? It is easy to explain to Joe the Player, that simplicity you can have in a computer game is superior and we want to use the simplicity at a small costs, for some time they will believe in it. Hey, the experts at the big company said that! Who wouldn't believe in their words.

I was one. I prefer roleplaying games because they are better than CRPGs in many different comparisions. They give you freedom, and their system can help the DM even with complex adventures, and complex and creative plans from the players. Have you heard simplicty?

They doesn't seem to be a simple 8 bit world, where you can move with the controller of an ages old nintendo and select a few actions, now that would be simplicty, nor the same feeling with HD Quality real time 3D graphics and 5.1 sound from your XBOX 360. And that would be still an easy and simple game.

Why? Because you can't have HD Quality full 3D video and 5.1 sound with printed medium. You can have imagination and creativity.

On XBOX 360 or PS3, or PC your game might have a realy simple system: Who would call the RPG elements in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas complex? And we can name MMORPGs, more recent console hits, etc. we see them as simple.

But in the said games, do we see a grid for simplicty? The explosion from the grenade or a fireball affects certain squares on the grid for simplicty? No. What we see from the system there might look simple enough, but try to do all the calculations involved in their modeling of world in a pen and paper medium. It isn't that simple.

In D&D Online or World of Warcraft: Do you stay in squares, and when you want to dodge an attack from an assassin you have to stay in place or risk an extra attack? Or You can move out of the way and dodge, and end up somewhere else in a dynamic combat?

What these games do? They do give you more freedom than the system of D&D, and it is a sad state. But now you will also get D&D insider, since Wizards promises you: You can get the computer to help you for the simulation.

Sadly it will still use cubes for your fireball.
Your cathedrall will still follow a square grid.
Your combat will be still static that doesn't resemble what would you imagine as combat.

But now you can be limited to what is in the code of an application. Bravo: One more severe disadvantage of CRPGs is now combined with disadvantages of D&D and limits of pen and paper systems. Have we heard about advantages?

No, since you will still have to read books, and their "minimal" system will still need a lot of exceptions, and you will still have to use your head as a D&D lexicon, BUT now you don't have to think, be creative or imagine anything.

You don't have to enjoy the values of roleplaying, but you need a long reading time and have to prepare a lot.

And the publisher gladly explains you, why computer games and video games on various consoles are better. They forgot about what is good in roleplaying games, and decided they don't want to keep these values.

Gamers who see this kind of communications, these values from D&D and its followers on Roleplaying games market won't see a reason to buy any books. If even the publishers of this industry who would gain money from the purchase treat them as inferior products that try to copy video games but have some limits on modeling, and still have a lot of work involved to run these gaames, and they are more expensive than your video games (thanks to expansions, miniature collecting, etc) you wouldn't buy it.

And this is why there are only a few new players, and a lot stoped playing, but the people who stay, bought the message, and most of them believed in this way. So D&D still has a good market share, but the market almost died on it.

Good Market share, but losing people to XBOX 360 and World of Warcraft? If you forgot about the values of RPGs and don't see to core of the problems is a good reason for further moves in this direction, and preferably faster moves. Something fast and drastic.

It isn't enough to win anything - since Wizards still doesn't and couldn't name valid advantages of Roleplaying games - but it is enough to make sure more players will spot a problem about going in this direction. Some will adapt some won't and it will do more damage to the market of roleplaying games and the whole industry.

About smaller changes: Some of them are good, some of them are bad, but they won't and couldn't change the picture. D&D is going in to a very very wrong direction.