"When I was growing up and developing my unhealthy addiction to D&D, [we had] a reliable circle built on trust and forgiveness, which meant I could act like a ham with a side of dork, coating myself with several layers of roleplaying. […]
You know what’s easy? Or at least easier? Rolling dice, using tactics, performing a cleave, shift, action point, knee breaker. That’s thrilling, engaging, epic, and makes for a fun story, especially if you managed to roll above 5 on those attacks. You can tell the rogue, “Delay your action until I get over there,” or command the wizard, “Use with fireball, I can take it.” These sorts of mobile, lively, evocative adventures are pure cinema, just a whole lot of easy fun.
However, this could lead to a game that feels as shallow as a late-80′s action flick, with a distinct lack of motivation in the characters and an absence of characterization in the storytelling."
