RPGWatch Side Quest: The Avatar and Me

RPGWatch has posted a new "side quest" feature that offers a perspective on why the "fantasy simulation" gameplay of Oblivion may not be the role-playing future some players are looking for.
...separating the player and the avatar provides the tools to enable better gameplay. Forget the current mood in the broad gaming press that rules inhibit player freedom in cRPGs -- embrace the good use of rules-based systems for the sake of better gameplay.

One of the things I've most enjoyed about NWN2 is the return of stat-influenced dialogue. Building characters with Diplomacy or Intimidate offers more character options and allows game designers to create more points of interaction more choices, to put it plainly. Play Fallout as a bumbling idiot with extraordinary luck or Arcanum as an ugly but genteel half-orc. Now, imagine these rules-based systems are removed.is the game improved? The dialogue choices can still be offered and no character is excluded from taking any response.but we have no mechanism to judge the success of, say, trying to intimidate an NPC. Empty choices make for hollow gameplay.