thormagni
Explorer
Hope the game went well yesterday. I REALLY wish I was there instead of at work. I worked 9:30 to 6:30 then 10:30 to 1 a.m. This really sucks.
I have been browsing the 4e tidbits and I was in that press conference at Gen Con and so far I have yet to be blown away by what I am hearing, mechanics wise. It might be the hottest game since sliced bread but the thought of abandoning 3.5e puts me in a foul mood in a way that 1st to 2nd never did nor did 2nd to 3e.
I basically considered both of those to be moves from very flawed games to better games. This seems more like fixing something that isn't very broken.
But a few things I have been reading this morning have me intrigued. Intrigued enough to spend $100 on new rule books? Not yet. But intrigued still.
Social interaction (quotes pulled from the 4e news part of ENWorld)
"Rules for non-combat encounters. The example given was social interaction. Unlike 3E, where negotiation amounts to a single Diplomacy check, it's treated almost like a combat in 4E. Ari Marmell's blog -- "Social encounters. For those who don't just want to RP such things without some mechanical impact, the game has rules for non-combat encounters. The example given was social interaction. Unlike 3E, where negotiation amounts to a single Diplomacy check, it's treated almost like a combat in 4E. I make a skill check, but I also tell the DM what/how I'm doing. The opponent responds with behavior (and a check) of his own. I counter with a new check, and new words. And so forth.""
The sweet spot
They seem to have recognized that there is a range of levels where the game is actually really fun to play and other levels where it just isn't. From 1st to 6th you basically suck, unable to really fill your given roles and from 15th to 20th you basically are either too powerful or not powerful enough (depending on your character type and build.) So there is a "sweet spot" between levels 7 through 14 where the monsters are challenging and combat exciting without being too hard or too easy.
Their plan is to extend that "sweet spot" across the entire range of character advancement, so an encounter at level 1 is as exciting as an encounter at level 30. Sounds interesting to me.
Advancement
It sounds like they have realized that there are periods in the character advancement where you go up a level and nothing really happens. You don't get a feat, and your class gets no special ability, so you just add some skill points and hit points, move up your saves and then you are done. They appear to be fixing that, so that something cool happens every time you level up.
I have been browsing the 4e tidbits and I was in that press conference at Gen Con and so far I have yet to be blown away by what I am hearing, mechanics wise. It might be the hottest game since sliced bread but the thought of abandoning 3.5e puts me in a foul mood in a way that 1st to 2nd never did nor did 2nd to 3e.
I basically considered both of those to be moves from very flawed games to better games. This seems more like fixing something that isn't very broken.
But a few things I have been reading this morning have me intrigued. Intrigued enough to spend $100 on new rule books? Not yet. But intrigued still.
Social interaction (quotes pulled from the 4e news part of ENWorld)
"Rules for non-combat encounters. The example given was social interaction. Unlike 3E, where negotiation amounts to a single Diplomacy check, it's treated almost like a combat in 4E. Ari Marmell's blog -- "Social encounters. For those who don't just want to RP such things without some mechanical impact, the game has rules for non-combat encounters. The example given was social interaction. Unlike 3E, where negotiation amounts to a single Diplomacy check, it's treated almost like a combat in 4E. I make a skill check, but I also tell the DM what/how I'm doing. The opponent responds with behavior (and a check) of his own. I counter with a new check, and new words. And so forth.""
The sweet spot
They seem to have recognized that there is a range of levels where the game is actually really fun to play and other levels where it just isn't. From 1st to 6th you basically suck, unable to really fill your given roles and from 15th to 20th you basically are either too powerful or not powerful enough (depending on your character type and build.) So there is a "sweet spot" between levels 7 through 14 where the monsters are challenging and combat exciting without being too hard or too easy.
Their plan is to extend that "sweet spot" across the entire range of character advancement, so an encounter at level 1 is as exciting as an encounter at level 30. Sounds interesting to me.
Advancement
It sounds like they have realized that there are periods in the character advancement where you go up a level and nothing really happens. You don't get a feat, and your class gets no special ability, so you just add some skill points and hit points, move up your saves and then you are done. They appear to be fixing that, so that something cool happens every time you level up.
Last edited: