4E: Roleplaying

One of the prevailing anti-4E arguments is that the 4E rules "don't support role-playing". It's amusing because the implication is that the rules in the previous editions did. Really? The central theme of D&D since the beginning has been "kill things, take their stuff" (from a core POV, which is all you can compare 4E with since that's all that's out for it at this point). Role-playing has always been something that the group brought to the table. This is an old, old argument. I remember that flame wars on Usenet in the early 90's about how AD&D (1 or 2) was all hack-n-slash and that only games like Vampire and that ilk allowed you to truly "role-play".

You don't need rules to tell you how to role-play. If you want to RP, you can and probably will. If not, then you won't (or you'll do the bare minimum). It's as simple as that.