D&D Encounters
The above link is a article on CNN.com about Dungeons & Dragons, or more specifically the new D&D Encounters Program. I want to start by saying that I am thrilled to see an article on Dungeons & Dragons in a major news outlet without them attempting to tie it into antisocial behavior or violent crime. That being said, I think this article is showing a shift in the way the game is being looked at that is detrimental to it, in the long run.
The D&D Encounters Program is designed to allow busy people to be able to participate in the D&D experience, at least that is the stated goal. However, only playing D&D 2 hours a week leave little to no time for anything past combat encounters. Now, I personally love the combat system in 4th edition, but the true D&D experience is so much more than this. I feel that if your only experience playing D&D is with a pre-generated character, playing short combat encounters with a group of strangers, then you are missing out on the best parts of the game, the roleplaying and emmersive storytelling.
The worst part, I think, is that this is the main (read: only publicized) way that Wizards is attempting to gain new players. While it is a decent idea, the fact that the "D&D Encounters" style play is the only type of gaming that is recieving positive attention by the media, worries me. If the new generation of players learns how to play Dungeons & Dragons in this manner, it only stands to reason that the game will change to match it, turning it into a boardgame and away from being a Roleplaying game.
The game cannot survive if there is no new blood, and I understand that Wizards must do what they can to make sure that new players are drawn into the fold. However, I believe that it is a greater responsibility of the current players to bring others in, and more importantly to make them the best roleplayers that they can be. This is the only way to keep the soul of the game alive along with the mechanics.
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I see the shift to shorter games as a nod to people's shorter attention spans, as well as limited free time. Many people can't sit still through a movie or a game that is longer that two hours, so this is geared partially to them. Of course there are plenty of people with no trouble concentrating for long spells (ie anyone who has ever participated in multiple WOW raids) and likely this game is not the best version for them. But it can be a gateway version, at least, for some.
ReplyDeleteThis type of publicity is not the way the game, or RPG's in general, have survived this long. I like that CNN is mainstreaming it to a degree, but word of mouth (or these days, internet forum) has been a satisfactory method of passing on the delights of this game from one generation to the next. I have usually seen people brought to the game by other players, whether a teacher, parent, classmate or adult mentor. I don't think that pen and paper D&D is endangered by this version, as a result. Besides, anyone who starts this way and has more time to devote is likely to seek a regular group. I would not be surprised if stores that offer sessions of this game have regular groups, as well.
Finally, D&D board games have been around since the mid-'80's. My sister and I had one. We also had the basic set, though her interest did not continue. And here I still am, playing tabletop, not the board version, 26 years later.