Q: Developers on The Temple of Elemental Evil have claimed that it is the most faithful to Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition rules out of every game out there. A technical achievement worthy of boast, to be sure, but is it something that's really warranted, design-wise? Are you afraid players might get bogged down in having to read too many rules to make sure their actions will be beneficial?

Again, I am confused. Are you suggesting that it would be better for me to invent a new system of rules, so that anyone familiar with D&D would have to learn my own new hybrid system in order to play ToEE? Now that sounds like it would bog down the player.

The whole point in using the D&D core rules and having the computer act as DM is to free the player to enjoy the game. Just because our monsters have all of their abilities and because spells cast just like the rules say they should doesn’t mean the player is bogged down. On the contrary, players are liberated from the bookkeeping so long associated with role-playing games. They are free to play the game while the computer keeps track of hit points, weapon ranges, encumbrance and all the other minutia of the game. Any knowledge of D&D will help them play ToEE, certainly. But most of the rules don’t need to be understood by the player to enjoy the game.