[MUD-Dev] "sweeping change"?

[Freeman]

> From: Michael Tresca [mailto:talien at toast.net]

> This is such a revealing, ignorant statement that I find myself
> paralyzed trying to comprehend the implications of it all.  It's
> bad enough it started with Raph, but to arrogantly pronounce
> pen-and-paper RPGs as dead is to deny the hundreds, if not
> thousands, of attendees at Gen Con.  Young attendees, I might add.

I wrote a response to Raph's question about whether PnP RPGing was
dead or not, and bashed WebRPG mercilessly in the process.  It
bounced due to a database snafu, and I decided not to resend it, on
account of the merciless bashing.

So, okeedokee, I don't think RPGs are dead.  On the other hand, I'm
not in any position to know whether they're dead or not.  My
personal experience is that I still play D&D about once a week, and
spend an average of ~$0 per month on RPG stuff.

> This was deeply disturbing to me, disturbing in a way that I
> intentionally forgot it.  But this new thread has really revealed
> those statements to be quite accurate -- it's not just "We're not
> role-players," it's "We're not role-players and you stupid
> role-players know nothing about gaming!"

I don't recall the thread.  But while I still play PnP RPGs, I don't
think that CRPGs involve roleplaying, not even massively multiplayer
ones.

> I will gladly submit that not everyone who has a vested interest
> in making a fantasy MMORPG (please note the R-P-G) should be a
> role-player.

Calling it a MMORPG doesn't make it an RPG.  Just as calling
computer game "CRPGs" don't mean they actually involve any
roleplaying.  Forget what it's *called*, and think about what it
actually *is*.

>  But to act as if this is a bad thing to be, as if it > is somehow
>  a less perfect form of game creation is just outright > snobbery.

At issue is whether an MMO's should be an attempt to create a
massively multiplayer online RPG, when clearly they are not RPGs.
 
> This is what the people want.  Neverwinter Nights will prove me
> out.

Looking forward to that myself.  But that's not an MMO any more than
my weekly D&D game is an MMO.

The point is just that MMO's are not RPGs, and a lot of Bad Ideas
creep into MMO's because they are good ideas for RPGs - or even good
ideas for CRPGs - but those ideas don't belong in MMO's at all.
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