Retro Post: The Perfect Game Continued

Previously.

[Let's keep going with this theme and make a few wild allegations as well.]

Hard core gamers all fall into two categories: power gamers and drama queens. Everyone in-between that is either a new gamer or a casual gamer.

You will know when 4e has gone too far to be called a tabletop RPG anymore, when you feel the same way about your character as you do about your last saved game in a first person shooter. When the character simply becomes a vehicle to get to the end game and “win,” it’s time for D&D to go all digital.

You really can’t blame the players for being power gamers or drama queens. If you’re playing 3e or 4e, you’re pretty much forced into the role of power gamer, as both systems cater to that type of player. (Why not? They buy the books.) Given the number of options in creating a character, choices have to be made. Even with 4e’s emphasis on character balance, some builds are better than others, so discretion has to be used. With all of these edges, the system teaches you how to optimize your character and how to exploit those advantages. Teamwork is achieved by combining those advantages. But they all boil down to picking a power, rolling dice, and adding modifiers. Like chess or Monopoly, there's good strategies and best practices to be used in order to be successful.

The Old School ideal involves making a fairly generic character with a very limited skill set. They start off pretty weak and must be played very thoughtfully and cautiously if they are to survive and rise in level. As the character has few resources and encounters aren’t necessarily play balanced for character success, it is the player’s intelligence and imagination, which will have to give them an edge. In Old School, the character’s intelligence doesn’t dictate their life span, the player’s does. In reality, Old School players actually fall back on best practices (hitting everything with a 10’ pole and never touching levers) and running away. There’s little imagination involved. If a DM sets up a problem with a solution provided, there’s virtually going to have to be a sign and directions to go with it. And still the players won’t try it (mistrusting the DM), until there’s no other option.

Character is created for most players from play experience, the character is the sum of what they’ve done. In 4e, play has been so mechanically abstracted, your concept of character may be based on your most memorable die rolls. In any case, until the character does something notable, it’s just a bunch of stats and an archetype.

Some players may start off with the character concept and build the actual character around it. Perhaps they have a grand background and deep personal motivations. This stuff will be disregarded and irrelevant after the first session.

Regardless of the system, a character is more than just stats and abilities. This is where you see the divergence from wargames. This isn’t just a piece in a game; it’s your alter ego in the DM’s imaginary world. The relationship may be short. Emotional detachment may even start while rolling up abilities.

[Was there more to this?  It just sort of ends.  Probably just as well.  Go ahead and draw your own conclusions on this subject.]