Is The Classic RPG Making A Comeback?

sundance asks: "Despite Wizards of the Coast's Microsoft-like domination of tabletop RPGs there may be a revival under way for some of those old RPG worlds we used to love. Runequest's Glorantha has been back for a while now with a new game system and new products including a computer game: King of Dragon Pass. M.A.R. Barker fans also got a boost recently with the annoucement that Tekumel is to return to print! What does Slashdot think? Is it a good sign that these old friends are returning to print or are they doomed by Wizards domination of the industry? Can an independent game survive in today's market?"

Comments

This reminds me of plastic models

[Infonaut]

I used to build plastic models when I was a kid. Lots and lots and lots of them. I would spend countless hours reading the latest techniques in FineScale Modeller, wondering if I'd ever get good enough at it to win a diorama contest.

Then in 7th grade, I heard some strange discussions in the school library. "Asmodeus could kick any Gold Dragon's ass!" I was intreagued, and before long I was playing Basic D&D, then AD&D (I vividly remember when the first hardbound Dieties and Demigods appeared.. droool). Then I moved on to Aftermath!, RuneQuest, and countless others. Over the years I burned countless thousands of hours running pencil and paper RPGs. Finally my gaming tapered off as college came to a close.

Now, ten years after college, I'm gaming again, but only once every three months, with the same guys I gamed with in high school and college. It's fun, and we thoroughly enjoy our games of RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu, but to be honest, it's really primarily an excuse for us to get together and have fun.

When I get older still, and I've got lots of free time on my hands, I may get back into plastic models. But like most things that are really fun, building models takes time, which is something I don't have much of these days.

Like plastic modelling, pencil and paper games are dying out slowly, as a result of competition from the overwhelmingly visual, instant-gratification flavor of computer and console games that can be played alone, in short bursts or for long periods of time.

I'm looking forward to Neverwinter Nights. Maybe it will truly spark a new revolution.

Roleplaying is superior to comp. gaming... for now

[Mossfoot]

As a freelance writer, I find RPGs to have an incredible amount of potential depth and character, something even the best computer RPG cannot possibly match. Imagination is a much more powerful tool than a really good graphic artist (or, to use an old movie analogy, the first rule of a good horror movie is to NEVER show the monster. The audience is far more frightened by what their imagination can conjour up than what the art college boys can cook up with latex).

If you have a talented writer as a GM, the possibilities are endless, and rewarding. I'm sorry, but computer games simply cannot compete.

Yet.

Neverwinter Nights is introuducing some very interesting things that will begin to level the playing field a bit. Not only can you create cities, adventures, characters, ect... but the gamemaster interacts while the game is going on, and can take on the roles of any NPCs he or she wants to. This level of interaction has great possibilities in constructing a fluid, dynamic storyline that the players can enjoy. I'm interested to see where this goes.

But I can't help but feel that traditional roleplaying will have a single advantage, and that is you are forced to rely on your imagination, and nothing else.