Roleplaying Vs Combat: How do you weigh them? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Roleplaying Vs Combat: How do you weigh them?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
phbwil
Feb 16, 2009 19:39:35 I'm beginning work on an editorial for a newly opened (actually site just went live today) roleplaying website. I am looking for honest, well worded answers from actual players and gamemasters across a multitude of sites.

This first editorial will look at roleplaying vs combat. How do you weigh them? Which is more important in your campaign? Why is X more important than Y in Z campaign type? Etc...

I could just write something up for next monday and say that is that, but that would only be my opinion and as with any research the more sources the better. So please let me know what you think, what systems you play, and how you weigh these things within your games.

I will try to credit any users whose post significantly add to the article.
#2
Cyber-Dave
Feb 17, 2009 15:16:27 For starters, I don't consider roleplaying and combat to be antithetical. They are not opposite ends of the same scale, they are the heading of two completely separate and co-existing scales. There are low-RP to high-RP games, and low-combat to high-combat games. A game can be both high combat and high roleplaying. It can be both low roleplaying and low combat (though to be honest I would not play such a game). It can be high combat and low roleplaying. It can be low roleplaying and high combat. The two scales coexist with each other. More combat does not mean less roleplaying, and more roleplaying does not mean less combat. Moreover, there is role-playing that goes on both in and out of combat situations, or combat that goes on both in and out of role-playing situations.

So, I think your question is posed poorly. I think the real question aught to be, why do some games require more role-playing? Why do some games require more combat? Why do some games require a healthy dose of both? And, are there any games that can get away with neither (I would hazard to guess no. A game needs at least a healthy dose of one or the other, or a healthy dose of both, in order to be classified as an RPG)?

As for the types of games I play, I play D&D (have since 2e), I enjoy a wide variety of sci-fi games, and I enjoy modern horror style games. My favorite systems are Star Wars Saga, 4e, and a heavily house ruled Monte Cooks World of Darkness. I am most comfortable using the d20 System, simply because this is the system I essentially grew up with (even though at the time it was not called the d20 System, but simply 2e D&D). I have also played games using White Wolf's storytelling/storyteller system, and some d6 games (such as the old WEG Star Wars game).
#3
phbwil
Feb 17, 2009 19:58:40 Just so you know, it is a loaded if not flawed question that I ask and I do so to get people talking. You would be amazed at how easy it can be to get conversation started with a flawed question(though not on these forums it seems). I've posted the same thing over at EN World and gotten a variety of answers from more than a handful of people.

EN World went in the direction of looking at my question as combat being mutually exclusive from roleplaying and came up with something interesting posts on the subject. But, they have also talked about how they use and how combat works into their games, and that is what I have been looking for.

Knowing that is there something you can add?
#4
Cyber-Dave
Feb 17, 2009 20:26:06 I don't know. If you want to provide a link to their posts I will take a look. Honestly though, if they looked at combat as being mutually exclusive to role-playing, chances are I would consider their presumptions flawed from the get go. When you start out with a flawed presumption, you usually end up with a flawed conclusion. Considering combat and roleplaying to be mutually exclusive is, in my opinion, a huge mistake.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 phbwil Feb 16, 2009 19:39:35	I'm beginning work on an editorial for a newly opened (actually site just went live today) roleplaying website. I am looking for honest, well worded answers from actual players and gamemasters across a multitude of sites. This first editorial will look at roleplaying vs combat. How do you weigh them? Which is more important in your campaign? Why is X more important than Y in Z campaign type? Etc... I could just write something up for next monday and say that is that, but that would only be my opinion and as with any research the more sources the better. So please let me know what you think, what systems you play, and how you weigh these things within your games. I will try to credit any users whose post significantly add to the article.
#2 Cyber-Dave Feb 17, 2009 15:16:27	For starters, I don't consider roleplaying and combat to be antithetical. They are not opposite ends of the same scale, they are the heading of two completely separate and co-existing scales. There are low-RP to high-RP games, and low-combat to high-combat games. A game can be both high combat and high roleplaying. It can be both low roleplaying and low combat (though to be honest I would not play such a game). It can be high combat and low roleplaying. It can be low roleplaying and high combat. The two scales coexist with each other. More combat does not mean less roleplaying, and more roleplaying does not mean less combat. Moreover, there is role-playing that goes on both in and out of combat situations, or combat that goes on both in and out of role-playing situations. So, I think your question is posed poorly. I think the real question aught to be, why do some games require more role-playing? Why do some games require more combat? Why do some games require a healthy dose of both? And, are there any games that can get away with neither (I would hazard to guess no. A game needs at least a healthy dose of one or the other, or a healthy dose of both, in order to be classified as an RPG)? As for the types of games I play, I play D&D (have since 2e), I enjoy a wide variety of sci-fi games, and I enjoy modern horror style games. My favorite systems are Star Wars Saga, 4e, and a heavily house ruled Monte Cooks World of Darkness. I am most comfortable using the d20 System, simply because this is the system I essentially grew up with (even though at the time it was not called the d20 System, but simply 2e D&D). I have also played games using White Wolf's storytelling/storyteller system, and some d6 games (such as the old WEG Star Wars game).
#3 phbwil Feb 17, 2009 19:58:40	Just so you know, it is a loaded if not flawed question that I ask and I do so to get people talking. You would be amazed at how easy it can be to get conversation started with a flawed question(though not on these forums it seems). I've posted the same thing over at EN World and gotten a variety of answers from more than a handful of people. EN World went in the direction of looking at my question as combat being mutually exclusive from roleplaying and came up with something interesting posts on the subject. But, they have also talked about how they use and how combat works into their games, and that is what I have been looking for. Knowing that is there something you can add?
#4 Cyber-Dave Feb 17, 2009 20:26:06	I don't know. If you want to provide a link to their posts I will take a look. Honestly though, if they looked at combat as being mutually exclusive to role-playing, chances are I would consider their presumptions flawed from the get go. When you start out with a flawed presumption, you usually end up with a flawed conclusion. Considering combat and roleplaying to be mutually exclusive is, in my opinion, a huge mistake.