Littlemanpoet, a well-cosidered post. One particular aspect caught my eye ...
"AD&D with its encyclopedic mish mash of monsters, spells, hero classes and what not, which has the mass market appeal of making everything accessible for one's own picking and choosing and thus reducing ALL fantasy to the lowest common denominator for those who don't know better"
Although I enjoyed playing as a teenager, and still believe it is a pastime that allows for a certain creativity, I tend to agree with your critique - and agree that it has played a part in the evolution of the genre (and with an unfortunate 'dumbing-down' effect). But I would widen your analysis to include Final Fantasy and other variations of computer and RPG games. These products are now part of the cultural landscape and extremely influential.
More later ... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
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