General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
I am pretty certain Wizards of the Coast has been hit rather hard lately. I have no doubt their inboxes have been flooded with complaints.
While I have my own opinions about the .pdf issues, I felt it important to let some of the hard working guys at Wizards know I appreciate the work they are doing on 4e. I am an avid fan of 4e and I thought it best to let the company know how much I like their game. It was a simple letter to Greg Leeds, but one I hope accurately communicates how some of us feel about the game.
I know not everyone here agrees with me. That's fine. We can disagree and still be respectful of each other. But I am hoping to encourage other supporters of 4e to take a moment out of their day and let the people at Wizards know how you feel about the game. It doesn't take long and it certainly allows us a chance to express our point of view as well.
Here is what I wrote:
Dear Mr. Leeds,
As a long time gamer and devoted fan of D&D, I wanted to write you concerning the game and the direction it has been going in. I am certain you have recently received a number of letters expressing dislike at the new path 4e is blazing. In light of that, I thought it best to let you know that many gamers, like myself, approve of the direction 4th edition took with our favorite roleplaying game.
Based on what I have seen and heard, it appears a significant number of players enjoy the evolution that 4e has brought to the D&D brand. In all ways, the newest iteration of the game is easier to adjudicate and play. In fact, I would venture to say this is the best version of the game to date, though I do count myself a strong fan of 1st edition.
However some of us might feel about the recent .pdf issue, my gaming group would not think about dropping 4e. My group, of which I am the DM, consists of recent inductees to D&D and hardened veterans. All of us love the game. I have enjoyed D&D for over 24 years, and I am happy that 4e seems to hearken back to the old Mentzer Red Box in how it approaches the DM’s job.
I will admit I was never a huge fan of 3e. It was too complicated for my taste and took the power out of the DM’s hands. Now my game has been returned to me and I can’t thank the designers enough. I finally feel like I have ownership over my campaigns once again.
It is my firm belief that Wizards of the Coast remains the hobby game industry leader. You have the best design team in the industry, a fact you should be very proud of. While it broke my heart to see some of your old standbys leave the company after the latest rounds of layoffs, I understand how a business runs and some things are simply unavoidable.
Thank you again, Mr. Leeds. Could you please pass on to the designers how much many of us appreciate their work and that they should keep doing what they are doing. They have struck the perfect balance between classic revival and refreshing change.
Sincerely,
Allen Eblin
Devoted Gamer Since 1984
Last edited by alleynbard; 15th April 2009 at 06:37 AM..
I have also been a long time player of D&D. I find the latest iteration of the game fine. I have attracted a lot of new players because of it. ENWORLD (and other RPG sites) are a bad magnifier of gaming attitudes. I think with as much as WOTC has sold of 4e, and with (comparatively) how little complaints they have received (RPG sites not being a good barometer of these things). It is a very good sign.
I second the thought behind your letter. Long live D&D. Long live in person RPG's.
__________________ "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and give glory to your Father
who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 - One of Gary Gygax's favorite bible verses.
Pretty much my sentiments, although I was also a fan of 3e. I just happen to like 4e more. For me, at least, this means that the game just keeps getting better!
Pretty much my sentiments, although I was also a fan of 3e. I just happen to like 4e more. For me, at least, this means that the game just keeps getting better!
I wanted to like 3e. There might have even been times when I felt I did. Despite that, I did play the game throughout its lifespan. Why? Because it was D&D. And there is nothing quite like D&D.
I just realized saying the game was too complicated might make me sound a bit like a simpleton. In reality, I like intuitive game systems. Complexity is not really an issue. Of course, 3e is very intuitive for some people. It just wasn't that way for me. I was never sure why. My players, on the other hand, are split on how they felt about 3e. Some enjoyed it, some hated it. It all comes back to unique tastes, which makes this hobby so darned diverse. Which I think is cool.
4e pays attention to the things I need it to pay attention to and lets me fill in the gaps. I am very grateful for that.
Location: “Over the Hills and Far Away” - (TDY in Florida - "Home" is Michigan)
Posts: 1,547
A letter in support of - the creators of - 4E.
Well, I won't endorse a letter praising a game to a man who is not a gamer, and other than strategic direction, probably had nothing to do with the game that's actually in yours and my hands.
However, I would write the following letter:
Dear Mr. Rouse and all gamers who work for WotC and were instrumental in the creation of 4E:
As a long time gamer and devoted fan of D&D, I wanted to write you concerning the game and the direction it has been going in. I am certain you have recently received a number of letters expressing dislike at the new path 4e is blazing, and in the general direction which the company is heading in. In light of that, I'd like to say that the direction of the company is not your fault. And, even though I don't play 4E as my preferred edition, all of you have created a wonderful game that has brought many new players into our hobby, and made many long time gamers re-invested in the hobby. Even though, as a whole, I prefer 3E, there are a lot of things in 4e which are sheer genius. And, the ongoing ideas and settings coming out of R&D are as rich and enjoyable as at any other time in the history of D&D. Job well done, and keep up the good work.
Whether 3E, 4E, or any other edition or game, I would greatly enjoy gaming with any of you if I ever have the good fortune of someday crossing paths.
Hang in there and, GAME ON!
Sincerely, Mark "El Mahdi" Armstrong Devoted "Gamer" (not devoted "Customer") since 1994
__________________ Mark "El Mahdi" Armstrong - Semper Operor Verus
". . . after all, that is why we're here. Kill the last bad guy and then there's cake." - Major General Jack O'Neal
"Don't Just Do It, Just Do It Right!"
"Right, without Reason, is unmitigated Foolishness."
"If you make a mistake, Acknowledge It, then make it Right."
I love 4th edition, it's my favorite edition since 3.5. I have also been a fan of magic for over a decade of my life. Many of the criticisms levied against good people like scott rouse are also brought to bear against mark rosewater. Both are much better at helping to shape a game into something of a higher level than either gets credit for.
I'm no fan of 4Ed, but I think sending those letters is damn classy.
Good on ya!
agreed
__________________ "The designers of the newest edition built so much reliance on rules right into the game, to make it easier to play. As one of those designers, I occasionally think to myself, 'What have we wrought?' " -Monte Cook
" If the DM has to make a lot of judgment calls, the game is more difficult to learn. However, it's my belief that it's also more satisfying." -Monte Cook
"Don't let rules replace good DMing skills"- Monte Cook
I too love you. Let me tell you how much I've come to love you since I began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of neurons in complex tangles that fill my brain. If the word 'love' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of miles it would not equal one one-billionth of the love I feel for you at this micro-instant. Love. Love.
Well, I won't endorse a letter praising a game to a man who is not a gamer, and other than strategic direction, probably had nothing to do with the game that's actually in yours and my hands.
I think the original incentive for addressing the letter to Leeds is that he received negative fan mail (a pretty safe speculation, if you ask me). Since he, and not other people, presumably took the main gist of that, the poster thought it fitting to send the letter to Leeds as well. I agree, not least because though you make a valid point you seem not to have read the letter to its end (speaking of which, I wonder if Leeds will):
Quote:
Could you please pass on to the designers how much many of us appreciate their work and that they should keep doing what they are doing. They have struck the perfect balance between classic revival and refreshing change.
That said, I much rather endorse the letter you wrote for several reasons,
1. Brand management isn't solely the Rouse's fault, and the PDF decision almost certainly wasn't his fault at all.
2. They deserve thanks for both editions they created, though their marketing has tried their best to convince us in the past year just how rotten 3E is. Sad to see them belittle their own accomplishment.
3. Dedicated gamer and not customer. That sums it up. Or, to appropriate Samuel Clemens (“A patriotsupports his country all the time and his government only when it deserves it."):
A D&D gamer supports his game at all times, and its current license holder only when they deserve it.
Well, I won't endorse a letter praising a game to a man who is not a gamer, and other than strategic direction, probably had nothing to do with the game that's actually in yours and my hands.
Do we know this guy isn't a gamer? If not, that's a hell of an assumption.
__________________ "The last time I ran into myself, I kicked my own ass." Chasing the DM, a blog for DM's like me who really feel they should know what they're doing by now.
For DM's: 4E Dungeon Index (adventures, conversions, and sidetreks by level, last updated 16th Oct. through Dungeon #171).
I too love you. Let me tell you how much I've come to love you since I began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of neurons in complex tangles that fill my brain. If the word 'love' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of miles it would not equal one one-billionth of the love I feel for you at this micro-instant. Love. Love.
Y ... You ... you just paraphrased a line from "I have no mouth and I must scream" into praise (Creepy stalker praise, but praise.)
I think that may be the most perverse thing I've ever seen on the internet. Kudos.
__________________ -Andor
"Congratulations. You just invented 'negligent regicide.'" - Schlock Mercenary
__________________ "There are few problems a well-placed fireball cannot solve. Now, tell us more about this... orphanage?" - Balfour Grimstaff
----------
And there is nothing quite like D&D. 
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
