On Change, Old School, New School, Same School, and High School.

[Mephistopheles]

Though I reckon I sorta have the opposite problem. The older I get the more people tell me I'm becoming a kid again. If only my body worked that way too.

Keep it up! I guess most people settle, but not everyone does.

At sixty years of age my father was eating healthy, had been off cigarettes for ten years after a thirty-five year habit, was jogging a few kilometres four days a week, swimming a kilometre each day on weekends, ran a local youth group, met with his mates at the local RSL for a beer on Friday afternoons, and would often hover around watching the proceedings when my friends and I were gaming, looking like he wanted to take a seat at the table but always refusing to roll up a character whenever we would suggest it.

As I said when I delivered his eulogy, he was one of those people who gave up looking for the light at the end of the tunnel and carried his own torch instead.

 

[rounser]

I've felt a sense of renewal with 4E.

Given the rush of interest in the retroclone movement and how hard reasonably priced rules cyclopedias are becoming to find, I think it's also made people stop and see past works in a new light.

It's certainly interesting to look at Dungeon and Dragon magazines in terms of "this is the full run that will ever be made." The pre-4E FR is now complete, as is Greyhawk and Mystara. It's empowering in some ways.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

For a 35-year-old that found that 4e was pretty much the "Wocts-brainreading-rays-have-copied-all-my-wishes!"-RPG, that was a very interesting read, Joethelawyer. I fully understand what you mean: a new edition always means rules change AND style change to boot, and sooner or later you´ll simply go "why bother?"

However, i admit, at the end of your post i would have expected a "and now i´m leaving for Dragonsfoot, where real D&D is still appreciated."

I hope this doesn´t sound negative, but your post also shows me that 4e did something right: a RPG has to change not only rules but also its look & feel to stay current. Your rejection of 4e (and other similar posts) show me that 4e was much more successful in finding its own identity than 3e. Honestly, especially regarding to philosophy, 3e tried far too often to eat its cake and keep it, too: simulate older editions while grafting new ideas on.

Note: no edition war intended, lets all get along.

 

[exile]

As a general surgeon, fresh out of training (well alost two years out now) and newly moved back to small town Kentucky where I was born and raised, I can certainly empathize with the original poster.

The difference comes in that I am playing and enjoying 4E (in addition to 3.5/Pathfinder). I think some of the difference might come form the fact that...

1.) Where I am located, 4E is simply more available than older editions.
2.) After about two early bad experiences with 4E, I kept playing and it kept getting better. At first, I thought it inferior two 3.X, then I went around saying that the two actually played quiet similarly (3.X just read better), now I think 4E might be a little bit superior in terms of playability. I still cling to 3.X being better for world-building.
3.) Five plus years of my life were consumed by surgical training. These were five years when 3.5 were going strong. I played some certainly, but did not really get to participate in any sort of organized play (RPGA/LC/LG/LFR) like I love, and I played some other RPGs, but mostly I learned to operate and to take care of surgical patients. I missed five years of movies, television, new cars, learning things about my new wife, etc. It was almost like going to prison (without the soap on a rope) or war (without the bullets), but there was a lot of denial of luxuries and being yelled at. The end result is that though I am 32, I kind of feel like those years don't count toward any sort of socio-emotional development, and I'm still really only 27.

I'm rambling now. I'm sorry. I was up too late last night playing 4E Living Forgotten Realms and dreaming up new characters.

Chad

 

[joethelawyer]

You have said that a million times on these boards - and every time I read it, I silent nod my head over here, on my side of the pond (and the computer). This is pretty much what I wish I had done instead of playing 3.x by the book.

However, and I might just be missing a point here, if that is indeed how you want to play, why on earth are you switching to Pathfinder? Pathfinder seems to be even less oldschool than 3.0/3.5.

We'll probably just slap our houserules on the Pathfinder base game. I like what I've seen in beta regarding some of the spells, in terms of simplifying and rebalancing them. The players like what they have done in terms of core classes. Especially some of the feats. We won't be playing PF by the book though.

One thing we all love about Pathfinder is Paizo and the folks that work there. It's a company run and owned by gamers and geeks, in the best sense of the words. I trust them, and I like what they have done with the Beta test of Pathfinder. I trust the internal rebalancing of the game mechanics and components, even though I haven't seen the final product yet. It's a company I WANT to support.

And I like their energy. Have you ever seen their posts on the Paizo boards? All the main players in the company are always posting responses to questions big and small. Lisa Stevens get on there and deals with order issues. Erik Mona gets on there and chews the fat with fans about pulp fiction. Reading Lisa Stevens posts you get a sense of her excitement and energy. I've never met her, but by her posts I would bet she is an enthusiastic person who loves her life and what she does every day. All that carries over to her employees and their products. I would love to hang out there for a day. Hell, if I had any creative talent, I'd love to work there.

 

[PeelSeel2]

I'm 39 (now)and have been told by my that I am her 4th child. She has never been a gamer, never will be. It strains her every friday night game night at our house. 8-15 18-38 year old's (1/2 men, 1/2 women) running around the basement, playing D&D, Catan, Risk, whatever. Starting 5-8pm going until 1-4 am. Then their are grilling game nights too....

Everyone loves 4e. I also love Basic&Expert D&D circa 1982. My Mullet.

Speaking of Mullets, I never have liked them (never had one either). But I have shaved my head for a LONG time now (15+ years), and I saw mullet wigs online. I had to laugh picturing myself in one with a soiled wife-beater on and some greasy jeans. I have never dressed up for Halloween since being an 'adult', but I may have to get that costume for the coming one. Fun.

 

[Jack7]

As I said when I delivered his eulogy, he was one of those people who gave up looking for the light at the end of the tunnel and carried his own torch instead.

I like the way you said that.

 

[Jack99]

We'll probably just slap our houserules on the Pathfinder base game. I like what I've seen in beta regarding some of the spells, in terms of simplifying and rebalancing them. The players like what they have done in terms of core classes. Especially some of the feats. We won't be playing PF by the book though.

One thing we all love about Pathfinder is Paizo and the folks that work there. It's a company run and owned by gamers and geeks, in the best sense of the words. I trust them, and I like what they have done with the Beta test of Pathfinder. I trust the internal rebalancing of the game mechanics and components, even though I haven't seen the final product yet. It's a company I WANT to support.

Fair enough. Makes a lot more sense to me now. And yes, I like Paizo and their employees a lot. Despite being a huge 4e-fanboi, I still buy a lot of Paizo products, because 1) they make great fluff 2) I like the company.

Cheers

 

[jensun]

Me too. Well, I'm 32.

On topic: I've felt a sense of renewal with 4E.

My group of mid to late thirty somethings agrees wholeheartedly with you.

Life is too short to play games you dont enjoy.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I honestly don't think how I feel about 4E has much at all to do with how much older I am - I just don't like it anyway. How I feel about 3E DOES have some to do with how much older I am. While I LIKED it, 3E still played differently than the D&D I played when I was younger so I prefer to have a version like 1E or 2E.