Purists vs. Hardcore

July 13, 2008 · Filed Under General, Blogging, Musings, MMOments, Gaming, Toys

I remember back in the old days when me and my old group of tabletop-RPG friends would debate about whether or not MMORPGs are complimentary to traditional pen-and-paper. Most pen-and-paper hobbyists would classify themselves as ”purists” of the gaming revolution and would look at MMORPGs as something vile.

Our debates back then would focus on topics such as how immersive MMORPGs can be, how dull and boring they are (since they are “linear” in a way). Some of my friends would argue that MMORPGs are the onset of technology. It is perfectly natural for gaming to adhere to the rapid gains in technology and the internet.

This debate still lingers on on forums and some blogs, let’s try to list down a few of the finer points. That, after the break…

COMPLIMENT OR A NUISANCE

The purists are simply that - purists. They will look at MMORPGs as a barrier to the fun that they get from traditional pen-and-paper. They would argue that MMORPGs can barely scratch the surface of what traditional role-playing can give, i.e. depth of character, unlimited choices, non-linear game play. True, but a single combat in the old “dice and character sheets” type of gaming can last for up to 4 hours! It’s true, I am witness to that during the time I was Game Master (GM) for all the games that me and my friends would play. I remember an encounter that took us 5 hours to complete. Now, what would happen to that same 5 hours in an MMORPG? A lot.

So, let’s list down some points for and against the 2 schools of thought

Pen and Paper

PROS

Limited only by your imagination
Non-linear game play
Play it at your own pace
Epic adventures, doesn’t need a damn video card
No internet connection required

CONS

Setup is a bitch. Character creation can take hours or even days
Pace is slow. See my notes on encounters above
If a guy involved in a major plot twist is absent, you’re screwed!
Difficult to get all your friends on a Saturday night.
Complex. You need to do a LOT of reading
Can be quite expensive. You have to buy all those rulebooks

MMORPGs

PROS

Easy to pick up and learn
All you need is a PC and broadband
Free to play (for most)
You play at your own pace
Lots of resources on the web
You can move on
Not dependent on a group being all present on Friday or Saturday night

CONS

Linear. Sometimes, all MMORPGs look the same
The grind! Oh hell!
Time committment. You spend more time here dude. Is that your girlfriend calling?
You might need a better PC, faster vid card or a faster connection
Greed. The motivating factor
Security. Don’t let yourself be hacked
Cheats. ‘Nuff said. Those suck

When we were in college, we used to game… a LOT! But when this new thing called “Life” (work, wives, responsibilities) knocked on my door, pen-and-paper became less and less. Now, it’s a burden to get at least 4 guys free on a Friday for an old-school dungeon romp! But I sure miss the good old days.

In closing, for me, MMORPGs do not compete against the old-school games. That’s why D&D 4th Ed has refined some of the rules and even learned from games such as World of Warcraft. Games will be games. And the most fun you can have from them is when it’s interactive or online. Friends are the X-factor in any game.

At the end of the day, it’s the stories that you tell yourselves when you look back at all your gaming. That’s what’s important and that’s what counts a lot.

Thoughts?

Sound off by commenting below.

GM T

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Comments

6 Responses to “Purists vs. Hardcore”

Noel on July 14th, 2008 3:55 pm

just wondering…was there an email-based roleplaying? cause I seem to think that between the mmorpgs played on uber comps these days and the pen and paper days, there has to be something to fill in the lag.
issai on July 15th, 2008 12:26 am

i think the motivating factor is the reward system. not sure about greed, but i love helping out lower level chars if i have enough gold.

i prefer hardcore, without mmorpgs, there’d be no machinimas. i
issai on July 15th, 2008 12:27 am

well, i guess there can be machinimas even there’s no mmorpg. but it’s just fun to have mmorpg machinimas.
Blackwolf on July 15th, 2008 10:13 am

Yeah, GM T, we sure had some great times, didn’t we? Unfortunately, real life is a byach. As our friend Glenn C. used to tell me, ‘Playing tabletop may be fun but once you’ve moved to MMOs, you’ll realize that everything’s there. You don’t need to work as hard at preparation and you can play anytime you feel like it.’

Sadly, we don’t get to play with the same level of creativity and imagination. Neither do we get to hone our acting skills. Thing is, getting a bunch of thirty-and-fortysomethings to devote even one day a week for a few hours of play isn’t easy. And if we need to resolve combat, we spend more hours crunching numbers for a fight that would last minutes in an MMO. On the whole, I have to agree that it may be more convenient on the whole to just get everyone playing the same MMO than getting them together on the gaming table.

My books and dice have been gathering dust for the last six years now. With the way our schedules are now, I don’t see myself taking them out anytime soon.

It would be nice to play with you again though.
GM T on July 15th, 2008 6:59 pm

I get a different fix when playing tabletop. Frankly, I don’t mind the long hours resolving combat. It’s being with your friends and the stories you craft afterwards that counts.
valfogg on July 21st, 2008 7:47 pm

exactly, there are richer stories in tabletop and there are finer ways to mess around with your players in tabletop games.

well, to give an example, gm garamond still runs his exalted game every saturday or so. and the stuff that happens still cant be beat with any mmorpg.

interpersonal relationships with npcs and other pc’s is what is missing in mmo’s. not to mention i have to see yet an mmo that emphasizes social fu(talk your way out of things) rather than kung fu.