Please give archer a dagger.

[Jennestia]

I thought they were about becoming a different person and growing as a character, and doing so in a virtual social setting.

Ever since the P&P days it's been about math. Even now in the age of RPGs and MMOs that are pretty much played for you there's still a lot of math involved -- how else would people know they need x amount of dex/str to show results that their speed/attack/damage would increase? It's well known the RP aspect of the genre is dead because sadly, people only cared for the loot and bragging rights.