A long and winding road...

[D&D]

So...today I played my first 3.5 game in almost a year (since I swore it off out of frustration). And...I had a blast. I'm happily bewildered, if you will.

Since the swearing off, I've played almost every version of D&D/D&D-esque game out there, from various versions of retro-clones to C&C to 2e...to Burning Wheel/Mouse Guard. They've all been fun to some degree, but tonight's 3.5 game was just head and shoulders more enjoyable. I never thought I would ever have fun with the system, but here I am mid-rave...

Anyway, the point of this thread is to ask: has anyone else taken such a winding, meandering path back to 3.5?

 

[Hjorimir]

I did for a short stint. /shudder

Personally I found myself extremely frustrated with 3.5 after having played 4e for a while. We had a TPK after a few sessions and I'm (somewhat) ashamed to say I was happy for it.

You asked!

Anyway, the good news is that you had fun going back. Regardless of what version you prefer, I'm always happy to hear that gamers are having fun.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So...today I played my first 3.5 game in almost a year (since I swore it off out of frustration). And...I had a blast. I'm happily bewildered, if you will.

Since the swearing off, I've played almost every version of D&D/D&D-esque game out there, from various versions of retro-clones to C&C to 2e...to Burning Wheel/Mouse Guard. They've all been fun to some degree, but tonight's 3.5 game was just head and shoulders more enjoyable. I never thought I would ever have fun with the system, but here I am mid-rave...

Anyway, the point of this thread is to ask: has anyone else taken such a winding, meandering path back to 3.5?

Sounds great. Maybe you just needed some time off, be refreshed by something else?

 

[Asmor]

I have an experience which is similar, but the end result is quite different...

I swore off 3e forever the moment 4e was announced. Played Savage Worlds mostly in the interim.

Not too long ago, against my better judgment I joined a 3e game primarily to hang out with friends.

Completely reinforced my hatred of the system.

 

[Piratecat]

I run two 4e games, and have lots of fun with them, and I play in Sagiro's 3.5 game. I also played in Kid Charlemagne's 3.5 game this weekend at GenCon. It was really fun and completely comfortable, and I don't recall a single rules question during the entire game. I couldn't ask for more. That's why I really don't understand folks who previously played 3e and now don't care for it*. Maybe my style is inclusive, but they're not all that different to me.

* I did go back and play a 2e game after I had been playing 3e. That? That was painful. NWP deserve a kick in the junk.

 

[Hussar]

Well, me, I'm about to take my hiatus away from D&D. I'll likely be back, sometime down the road. But, there's just so many games out there that have really grabbed my attention and only so much time to play.

It'll be interesting to see what we do come back to, if and when we do settle back into D&D.

 

[Mark]

(. . .) That's why I really don't understand folks who previously played 3e and now don't care for it*. Maybe my style is inclusive, but they're not all that different to me.

* I did go back and play a 2e game after I had been playing 3e. That? That was painful. NWP deserve a kick in the junk.

I had no idea that was part of the National Writing Project. At least it put people to work: the authors, the readers, the people explaining the rules to the readers, the people explaining things again, etc.

 

[Barcode]

Non Weapon Proficiencies were invented by the National Writing Project?

 

[williamhm]

I tried a 3.5 game, but after 4e it just didnt feel right. The class imbalance was even more glaringly obvious and the lack of real abilities at low level killed any fun for me. The racial stat penalties also offended me a lot more. I just feel like 4e is a better game over all and will never touch 3.5 again.

 

[Barastrondo]

That's why I really don't understand folks who previously played 3e and now don't care for it*. Maybe my style is inclusive, but they're not all that different to me.

I'd play 3 or 3.5 again, but mostly at lower levels. I found my play style just doesn't work well once the levels start getting into double digits, or at least if there are casters involved. E6 would be fun to try. My favorite GM at the moment, though, has adopted 4e, and I run more than I play, so it seems unlikely at the moment.

But if I may be so gauche, I would say that your relationships with various editions could be like relationships with significant others. For some people, 3e is the girlfriend you realize you didn't appreciate like she deserved at the time, and only dating someone else makes you realize that. For others, it's like the girl you have no regrets about, who just wasn't the one. And for some, they talk about it like it's the psycho ex that you have no idea why they were dating in the first place.

It's an iffy metaphor, but I think it's important because it's not necessarily about value judgments — it's just chemistry. It's not that the person you broke up with is a terrible person, it's just that it didn't work out.

* I did go back and play a 2e game after I had been playing 3e. That? That was painful. NWP deserve a kick in the junk.

I actually considered going back and trying 2e again; I had a lot of really great gaming during the 2e days, and though I know it's silly to try recapturing the spirit of younger and crazier times, some part of me wonders what it would be like to run 2e knowing what I do now about running games in general.

My wife, however, is less experimental. Suggestions of a D&D other than 4e elicit the look. You're married, Piratecat. You know the look.