D&D Online questions

Over the years, I've known many an individual who would list Dungeons and Dragons as one of their major or minor hobbies. So I have a passing familiarity with how that particular and somewhat unique style of tabletop gaming works. I have had occasion to watch weekends worth of gameplay and have noticed the social interactions that occurs fluidly throughout, as the gamers manage their game roles and outside selves seamlessly.

Now, Wizards of the Coast, the owners of the D&D franchise, are in the final stages of delivering an MMPORPG that is supposed to be true to the tabletop game. In a discussion with Kelly about this last night, I enthused that it will be an interesting study to see how it gets integrated into the habits and hobbies and affections of hardcore D&Ders who've managed until now to abstain from MMOs, even those rather blatantly based on the game. Kelly rightly brought me down to earth and pointed out that the game universe may well be doomed to failure and ultimately to strong disappointment or disapproval from tabletoppers because the game is anticipated to be one of the next big releases, causing existing online gamers to flock to it in droves, bringing along with them their blithe and open disregard for the traditions of D&D itself, looking only for an immersive gameplay experience that replicates and conforms to existing MMO conventions. We both wondered also to which market Wizards of the Coast will market - their existing rabidly loyal tabletopper base or the arguably larger online gamer base?

In thinking more about this today while reading a political science piece on the elite engineered political movements in Europe, it got me thinking about the whole concept of the "elites" as it will/would apply to D&D Online. Certainly the existing tabletop gamers, some who have played conventional D&D for as long as 30 years now, will have definite expectations too of the game and will consider themselves the "real" or "true" elite. When they meet the online gamers, many of whom come from a completely different gaming tradition completely tied to computer games, goals and values and identities will clash. Both will see themselves as the "true" elite. According to my readings, any power clash of elites will return as the winner the group that is best equipped materially and culturally to handle the power presented. But in this new MMO, that power is nebulous and still undefined. And in a digital universe, what could be considered the material or culture that is best suited to this game? With dual claims to elite status probably coming from both sides, it will be up to Wizards to manage the schism and unite the world, a daunting task.