Andy Collins interview

[RFisher]

No doubt there's an existing thread where this would be appropriate, but I failed my search check...or wis check...or something...

In the interview with Andy Collins, Andy says:

"Being a wizard is about blasting people with magical energy."

(O_O)

This is so wrong for me that it has really tripped up the momentum that my enthusiasm for 4e was building up. (The "join Insider to get previews" thing was just a splash of cold water; this is a foot sweep.)

Heck, I'd be more interested in reducing the amount of "blasting people with magical energy" that goes on in D&D.

So, that's the thing that stuck out for me. Feel free to discuss other aspects of the interview in this thread. (Like I really have any say anyway... (^_^))

Also see part 2 of the interview.

 

[Victim]

No doubt there's an existing thread where this would be appropriate, but I failed my search check...or wis check...or something...

In the interview with Andy Collins, Andy says:

"Being a wizard is about blasting people with magical energy."

(O_O)

This is so wrong for me that it has really tripped up the momentum that my enthusiasm for 4e was building up. (The "join Insider to get previews" thing was just a splash of cold water; this is a foot sweep.)

Heck, I'd be more interested in reducing the amount of "blasting people with magical energy" that goes on in D&D.

So, that's the thing that stuck out for me. Feel free to discuss other aspects of the interview in this thread. (Like I really have any say anyway... (^_^))

Also see part 2 of the interview.

I agree. Any halfwit with a big weapon can do damage; wizardry is about far more than raw blasting. However, I don't blame WotC - look at all the people who automatically consider all wizards or sorcerers to be artillery pieces.

 

[Arkhandus]

Yeah, 4E's going to focus more on being an MMORPG but without the convenience and pretty graphics, but better support. It'll be dungeon crawling and similar adventuring without the 'baggage' of clever tricks, roleplay, and other fluffy marshmallows that we've come to enjoy from 2E and 3E. :\

 

[Glyfair]

"Being a wizard is about blasting people with magical energy.".

Keep it in context. He is comparing that to a wizard being forced to pick up a crossbow and firing in combat because he ran out of spells.

He's trying to point out that being a wizard is about using magic, not running out of magic and trying to figure out how to be useful.

 

[Henry]

I agree. Any halfwit with a big weapon can do damage; wizardry is about far more than raw blasting. However, I don't blame WotC - look at all the people who automatically consider all wizards or sorcerers to be artillery pieces.

Well, to be fair, even polymorphing someone into a frog is "blasting them with magical energy."

But I do take well the point many people have made over the past few years that it's a bum deal for a wizard to not have SOMETHING magical to do each round, when rogues can sneak or flank each round, fighters can cleave/power attack/whirlwind attack each round, barbarians can blast people with big axes, etc. If a Fighter could only seing his sword 50 times per day, it would be a situation worth outcry. I personally don't believe a wizard should be doing his strongest powers all the time, but having at least something minor, equivalent to the average damage of a warrior-type, would make them feel more... magical, than having to break out the sling or crossbow.

 

[Keldryn]

Taking a single line like that out of context is never going to paint an accurate picture of what the person is saying. A tactic used by fearmongers everywhere.

 

[Glyfair]

They had to shut down R&D a month just to play D&D. Horrible, horrible job

 

[F4NBOY]

I don't think the OP did it on purpose. It would be a shame.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Holy crap, Andy Collins is like 16 years old.

When I was 16 years old, I was trying to figure out how to unhook a bra in the 10 second window before the girl changed her mind. He's got a real job!

(Either that, or Potions of Longevity are back in 4E.)

 

[KingCrab]

Regardless of how strong Andy actually feels about that one line, thanks for the link to the video.

I always felt that giving arcane casters those 0-level spells was an attempt to give the caster something to do when they ran out of real spells. Become a Dazer, for example. Unfortunately the damage 0-level spells should have scaled by level. It's kind of silly that they didn't, because a high level caster using ray of frost is just ridiculous.