DnD4 Countdown 9 - Roleplaying

One discussion that is taking place on enworld and rpg.net as of now is whether dnd4 is just a combat-game without any support for roleplaying. What people are saying is that it seems that the classes are defined by their role in a combat situation, and also that the powers are focused on combat and encounters.

The counter-argument is usually that we need rules for tactical combat, but we don't need rules for "roleplaying". Rules for roleplaying only hinders actual roleplaying more than it helps. It's in this assumed that rules for roleplaying equals social interaction rules.

My take on this is that I share the worries that DnD4 is heading towards to much of a tactical miniatures game rather than a roleplaying game. When I look ahead in the pipeline for what's coming later this year, there is the Martial book and a book about magical items. The first one is more combat powers, more martial classes and paragon paths etc. The second is, well, more magical items.

So, yes, I'm worried that DnD4 is slowly moving away from what I consider to be an interesting rpg. I'll still play it, and propably enjoy it, but I'm glad I'm playing in two campaigns at the same time, so that I don't have to rely on DnD4 for my rpg-fix.

However, I think it's also fair to establish what I consider to be roleplaying. It's a very wide term, of course, but if I should trim it down to one sentence, this is it:

Roleplaying is expressing what and who the character is!

This means that roleplaying isn't just limited to social interaction. You can roleplay in a combat situation, for instance. This includes, but is not limited to, describing what the character does in a more colorful way. It can also be using special maneuvers, adapt a battle-cry etc. Nothing fancy, but the possibilities are there.

By the same token, social interaction may very well be a very complex struggle in real life. This is something I as a player isn't very good at (being the classical geek, I'm not that skilled in diplomacy or the finer details of the social game), so for me having a fairly firm ruleset regarding this kind of conflict is good, because I'm not automatically hindered for not being the socially skilled. It's the character that makes a difference, not me.

This discussion will be continued tomorrow