DM Entry: They See Me Role-ing They Hatin

Below are some snips from one of my favorite Dragon Magazine articles.
The article below was published in 1992. This discusses the kind of game I am most interested in playing. Dungeons and Dragons is, after all, a role-playing game. Not a roll-playing game.

"That's 'Role,' Not 'Roll'! Put more 'oomph' in your role-playing--and have more fun."

"Put the stress on role
"I once asked a player in one of my campaigns, Why do you think they call it ‘role-playing,’ anyway? His answer was: Because of the dice. I regret to say that he was serious. Gaming, as he knew it (and as too many of us know it), is the juggling of statistics and scores for the purpose of making a powerful character. Most of us begin playing this way, and for a while it is entertaining. But, as one horde of despicable monsters after another falls to the heroes’ swinging swords, the excitement wears off. Soon no one is interested in how many 20s you roll or even how many orcs you killed that day. This is the point where most casual players quit the game, leaving only the hard-core players determined to enjoy themselves."

"Role-playing is fundamental to the AD&D and D&D games; no one plays because he or she likes keeping records and memorizing charts. The idea behind role-playing is very clear: It is pure escapism, pretending to be a person you clearly are not. How, exactly, do we go about this? What tables are there for it in the Dungeon Master's Guide? There are no rules for role-playing; there are, however, certain guidelines that will help you become better "role-ers?"

"Like most things, you get out of it only what you put in. If you play a shallow, cardboardlike character, you are far less likely to enjoy yourself as much as you would playing a character with a personality and "reality" about him. Whether you're playing an 800-year-old elven wizard or an 80-
year-old human beggar, your character should be believable."

"A truly impossible situation cannot be solved through the use of brute force or magical items; only inspiration and downright craftiness can save the party. It is a measure of a group's mettle as well; a good group of players will work to find a solution, while poor role-players generally begin complaining or consulting the rules for technicalities with which to prove that the DM "can't do that."

"To referee these scenarios properly, the DM must give the PCs the sense that their hard-won victory is real, and the dangers they faced could have killed them. The game is more exciting when everyone
knows that something is at stake besides a few more hit points."

"The DM should not bow to party members' wishes merely because they argue loudly; only in dire
circumstances should the DM alter the outcome."

"Gamers all too often choose character classes and races because of the statistical advantages each type exhibits, instead of picking a profession because it would offer a lot of role-playing possibilities."

"Players especially should beware of creating "no-personality" characters. The PC who refers to himself as "the cleric" is probably not role-playing. If the DM were to ask what "the cleric's" name was, the player would doubtless have to look on his character sheet. As a rule, when creating a new character, players should think of something unique about the PC, some trait or piece of his past that sets him apart from other characters. By doing this, the character will have a more realistic quality
and be more fun to play. Don't let your magical items and strength scores make your character!"

"When the players attempt to second-guess the DM, real problems occur. A good player tries to work within the situation given him, while a poor player generally tries to argue his way out ("I don't think he'd shoot at me, I'm only a cleric" or "Those orcs aren't smart enough to do that. They only have 'low' intelligence."). The players who stop the game to argue over such things are being immature by refusing to accept the DM's storytelling and refereeing because things are not going their way."