I don't particularly remember the days when you got the gang together and sat around a table or on the floor with six hundred maps and papers and dice all over the place. In fact, I can't remember what came first in my RPG (role playing game)life: Baldur's Gate or old fashioned gatherings. The point is, role playing is now easier and in my opinion more fun on a computer with great effects and multi-player and no dice rolling, although sometimes you still have to go old school just for the hell of it.
My favorite computer game RPG so far is most definitely Neverwinter Nights. With two expansion packs out, you can be a player or a dungeon master, or create your own worlds with creatures and stories. Each expansion pack adds a little bit more onto the original story and then adds it's own epic adventure, as well as more creatures and settings. I am just absolutely in love with this game, and you don't need to be an RPG pro to play it. You can join groups online at the website to form a new kind of guild to play with other people. With versions for both PC and Mac, Neverwinter Nights is becoming quite popular and unites both the old time players and the new ones.