[...] and came across some links over from ENWorld. Specifically, I found a link to a thread a commenter (Agent Oracle) on my 4th Edition Wishlist post made. It’s interesting to see the breakdown of people over [...]

Gygax preserved and expanded the Class System in order to encourage teamwork, the core of D&D. If you’re a fighter you look to the thief to help you out, you help the physically weaker wizard, the cleric heals etc etc. You’re supposed to be restricted in some things and better at others, that’s what ensures mutual protection, its also more fun, you cheer on the druid when he talks to plants, he cheers you on when you stab the troll. ALIGHNMENT is the most important thing in D&D. Alignment is what orients someone to the game world, it fills the vacuum of completely undirected play. ALSO it aids players in making decisions. If you’re LG you have a starting point for what you do and why, it’s not an after thought, it is The Thought that helps a player PLAY. It’s also what complicates the game session and leads to those really unforgettable, surprising moments. Especially when people don’t say HI, I’m a Neutral Good Halfling nice to meet you, and play it like it should be an internal, complex worldview. I think people that are against the alignment system aren’t up to the challenge it presents to a game player. It’s part of the game system, just like fireball radius, the distance bows can shoot. Its an intelligent and difficult variable that good gamers know how to enjoy and work with. Fourth Edition’s “unaligned” is a cop-out pure and simple. It’s for pre-teens that simply aren’t developed enough as a person or a gamer to appreciate it and aren’t smart enough to understand it. Fourth edition isn’t Gygax’s D&D, it’s HASBRO’s MBAs and VPs of Marketing looking for a way to make MAGIC the GATHERING into a series of books because that’s what makes them the most LOOT.

Well, while this article is old, it’s still satisfying to say that Alltel just got bought by VZW. That’s right. The little, nerdy Verizon guy just put a dog-collar on “Chad” that says, “Verizon”.

He owns you now, Chad.

Ha, that’s a funny take on it Dave. I’m just hoping the buyout means I can stop having to see those Alltel commercials. All commercials are horrible, but at least Verizon’s tend to be corporately bland rather than somewhat offensive.

He owns you now, Chad.