I was "booed" for even showing the 4e Core books

[Ulrick]

I gave a presentation for the gaming club I belong to called Game Mastery 101. The presentation covered the basics of GMing for both beginning DMs and Expert DM. Everything was going fine until I got to the part where I told the audience to "start small." That is, if your not sure if you want to be GM, don't make big investment of your time and money.

I said, "In fact, the only thing you need to play D&D is just the three core books." I took the three 4e core book off the table and held up for all to see. 2 or 3 people, out of an audience of around 15, booed me. One went "Ahhh...4e!" His reaction reminded be of Gollum spitting out Samwise's fish and chips.

It was all in good fun. I know they weren't really booing me, just 4e. Which is a shame. Because I think the 4e DMG has some of the best advice for DMs out there right now.

Has anybody else encounter such an attitude toward 4e?

This isn't the first time either I've experienced scrunched noses toward 4e. It's one thing not to like a game but to shirk away from it the moment it appears is another.

 

[JeffB]

Has anybody else encounter such an attitude toward 4e?

This isn't the first time either I've experienced scrunched noses toward 4e. It's one thing not to like a game but to shirk away from it the moment it appears is another.

I see lots of gamer "snobbery"- mostly on the intarwebs. But I remember seeing it when 3E was announced and debuted as well- again mostly net, but also at shops.

Meh. I love the hobby, but I just cannot take a game of make believe nearly as seriously as some do. Or any game for that matter. Sports freaks drive me insane too- you know the kind- their team loses and they call in sick to work the next day and are "depressed" for a week? I try not to associate with people like that

 

[Umbran]

Has anybody else encounter such an attitude toward 4e?

I've seen that attitude expressed about both editions. Pretty much every single day, here on EN World.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Were you able to find out how many of those booing you had actually read any of it or (what a concept) played at all? I can't say 4E is my favorite by a longshot but booing at a game that you have never tried isn't fair.

 

[Rock_lobster]

I haven't observed anything that extreme in person. Though I've seen a dramatic increase in interest in other rpgs, at the FLGS and gaming club at UConn.

 

[Crothian]

No from a friend or someone I game with. I'd consider it rude and not be pleased with them even if it was in jest or just about the game.

 

[El Mahdi]

I've seen that attitude expressed about both editions. Pretty much every single day, here on EN World.

No doubt. Read any thread that goes more than about 1 to 1 1/2 pages and that seems to be what you predominantly get.

 

[RFisher]

I’ve seen gamers tear game X to shreds and swear they will never play it again.

Then someone says, “I was thinking about running X,” and those same people are the first to hop aboard.

I think our bark is worse than our bite.

 

[Rechan]

I've even seen a similar attitude of gamers to different systems.

Just mention WoD anywhere near D&D gamers and watch them sneer at "angsty larpers". Ask GURPs or Rifts guys about D&D and they'll roll their eyes about "level based systems", and so on.

It's certainly not exclusive to 4e, or 3e.

 

[Retreater]

4e destroyed my gaming group of 10 years. Well, it was half of the group loving 4e and the other half not willing to step inside the same room with a copy of the core books.

Now, despite my preferences on the system either way, I would be happy just to have a group to play in. Even if it was GURPS or Palladium.

There were really strong emotions about it around where I live. The LGS both refused to carry it, so you'd have no choice other than ordering from Amazon. (Now one of them has shut its doors for good and the other sells only CCGs - again, I would prefer any RPGs.)

So in my experience, the release of 4e has basically splintered the local gaming culture into tiny factions and essentially destroyed the hobby in my city.

All of my books are packed up in the garage, and I'm playing video games now when I used to have a regular weekly group.

And it's a shame.

Retreater