non-4e D&D Players . . .

[MortonStromgal]

Yes, I will pick up the 1st box set... However I don't see myself diving into the E line. Not when I have Dragon Age and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.

 

[Umbran]

According to what I’ve read in the previews, Essentials is aimed at new players as well as lapsed players. The whole concept seems too confusing for new players. How do they tell the difference between 4E and Essentials?

Really?

I would presume the big word "ESSENTIALS" on the cover would probably be a clue.

Apparently, there isn’t supposed to be a difference. But, there are character classes with the same name that use different rules? And they can be played at the same table?

New players don't have 4e materials. They aren't going to care if it matches 4e rules or not. Only older players care about that.

For the lapsed players, like me, it seems that the designers are back-tracking on the character classes to make them more appealing to us. Why didn’t they do that to begin with?

There are several possible reasons. We can only speculate, but a few examples:

1) Because the design they went to market with met their primary needs. Catching up some of the spillage may be a secondary priority, so they did it later.

2) Because they know more now than they did then. Apparently, they can (*gasp*) learn! Who'd have thought it?

3) They had these ideas all the time, but had to pick and choose because each book must be of finite size.

The list goes on.

To me, Essentials appears to be a desperate attempt to correct past mistakes.

This is a weak criticism. As a practical matter, it is unavoidable truth that there will be some mistakes - perfection is not available. Given that, you would prefer that they made no attempt at all to correct for mistakes?

And based on the controversy on the community forums, the same mistakes are being made all over again (i.e. alienating fans/customers).

I will entertain a slightly cynical suggestion - many of the fans/customers are probably alienating themselves. The internet is loaded with people who are just waiting for a reason to be offended. If WotC makes any change, they'll alienate someone. If they make no changes, they'll alienate someone.

Regarding the community discussions--there have been a couple of things that have piqued my interest. First, the 4E Monster Manual I is basically obsolete--apparently.

The community discussion is full of rumor and unfounded assertions. Don't believe everything you hear.

I’ve also read that there are no plans to reprint the core rulebooks because there is already a large supply of core rulebooks sitting on shelves somewhere. That makes me think that the core rulebooks aren’t selling well enough to warrant reprints.

We don't have enough information to make such a statement. We don't know, for example, that WotC expected to be reprinting at this time, do we? No? Then there may be no plans to reprint because everything's already going to plan!

If 4E was successful, why make so many changes?

#1 rule of business - relying on past success as a guarantee of future success is *stupid*. It may easily be that 4e was wildly successful, but WotC knows that it has largely saturated the market with 4e, so that it needs something else to continue revenue flow.

 

[Son_of_Thunder]

No, no it won't.

 

[Minicol]

No

No. Don't see any difference in the parts I don't like. And it is way too late.

 

[Sir Robilar]

Nah...

 

[BryonD]

No.

I like the nature of the changes themselves, but the core system is still far to gamist for it.

I've looked at what they've said so far, and it just isn't even close. Which is cool. I don't think they really can "tweak" 4E into a game that would appeal to my preferences. They would need to fire a lot of 4E fans to convert me, and that doesn't sound like a good plan.

So: No.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Possibly. I'll likely pick up Red Box, finances permitting, and I am curious to see how the new organization of the books plays out.

But until I'm actually in a 4e group, there's no real reason for me to go that route. PF/3.5e and B/X crumble my D&D cookie just fine for now.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

No.

However, if they had released this instead of 4e, I might have played it then.

For me the road has forked and I picked the pathfinder one. I'm enjoying it immensely.

4e remains too large a departure from what I consider D&D. If I want to play a "different" game, I'll pick up something totally, totally different (and have been) such as Paranoia, Chill, Call of Cthulhu, etc.

 

[Shazman]

No.

However, if they had released this instead of 4e, I might have played it then.

For me the road has forked and I picked the pathfinder one. I'm enjoying it immensely.

4e remains too large a departure from what I consider D&D. If I want to play a "different" game, I'll pick up something totally, totally different (and have been) such as Paranoia, Chill, Call of Cthulhu, etc.

Exactly, if I want to play D&D, I'll play Pathfinder or 3.5 (maybe even a retro clone). If I want to play a game that isn't D&D, I'll play a game that isn't D&D instead of a game that is pretending to be D&D.

 

[Ahzad]

no.

while i didn't mind playing it. I GM'ed it it up until paragon levels before i just couldn't do it anymore it's not the game system for me. which is a little sad for me since I've been with D&D for every edition.

i'll be sticking with my Fantasy Craft.