With the ever-advancing technologies available to us, one might stop and wonder what the future holds for role playing games. In this article I’ll be talking about how pen and paper role playing games (in general) have changed, the impact Dungeons and Dragons has had on the hobby, and the new directions RPGs are taking.
In the beginning, the rules governing play for most role playing games were not well-written, not clearly defined, and not always easy to find. Too many times, DMs and players would spend too much time flipping through books looking for a rule, or argue endlessly how to interpret a rule. Over time, this has has gotten slightly better, but just slightlty. The current leader of the industry, Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition has taken a huge step in improving rules, though there is still some debate on how some of those rules should be implemented.
A new trend in designing campaigns for RPGs is to use an online database/wiki. There, the game master can write and store everything relating to his or her campaign, including characters, places, maps, and a timeline of events. Obsidian Portal and Epic Words are the industry leaders here, though a supposed Virtual Tabletop version for Dungeons and Dragons is in the works.
One recent advancement of the industry is the addition of e-books. More and more people buy an electronic version of the game they’re playing. This makes it convenient to bring a single laptop to the gaming table instead of a stack of hardcovers.
Currently, a suite of tools is available online for players to use with their D&d 4e games. Players and DMs can create characters and monsters, as well as look up statistics, definitions, and rules. It is widely accepted that other games will require this type of support if they are to remain somewhat competitive. An independent website, rpgweb.com, offers the next best thing, though it doesn’t offer as much and is not compatable with the latest edition of Dungeons and Dragons.
Sometime within the next few years, a character illustrator (for D&D) will be available to allow players build their characters visually, instead of drawing them manually. Other companies with similar programs are sure to follow.
One new trend that the gaming industry has taken on is playing a traditional pen and paper RPG over the internet or LAN. New features, like digital maps, battle grids, and monster placement, can be accessed and manipulated on laptops, either from home or all still sitting around a table. RPTools.net is the leader in this area, though I guess it’s only a matter of time before Wizards of the Coast overtakes them (they own D&d).
Some believe that Palladium Books might have a chance to equal or even overtake the success of Dungeons and Dragons, if they would only overhaul their rules system. Indeed, they have a large amount of quality content and settings, but have failed to keep up with current trends in gaming. This has led Palladium Books to lose buyers, while a few loyal fans patiently wait for the updated version, one that may never come.
In conclusion, Dungeons and Dragons is the industry standard that most other games need to follow, if they want to remain competitive. There will always be a market for those games that don’t hop on the bandwagon, but it will be a small market.
By: Mike Turney About the Author:
Mike Turney writes about
role playing games and offers resources on how others can improve their
roleplaying experience. Read more over at stuffershack.com.
