One thing I'd like to thank 4th for

[Aramax]

I DMed 4th for 2-3 years,and when I got to the higher levels it was brutal.Balancing my min-maxed PCs at 27th was a chore.I spent a LOT more time prepping for games to get the balance right.I never quite achived this.

But now I am a much better DM for the experiance!

I'm now spending a lot of prep time that is making my games sweeter

Without 4th this never would have happened!!!!!!!4th DMG 2 is still one of my favorite RPG suppliments of all time.MM 3 has a lot of creative new monsters that I will adapt into the far future.At the time it was not so good.

But with the changes it put me through,has honed my craft and the further from it I am,the better it will be remembered.

So with no irony I say -Thank you 4th,you will be missed

 

[Aramax]

I DMed 4th for 2-3 years,and when I got to the higher levels it was brutal.Balancing my min-maxed PCs at 27th was a chore.I spent a LOT more time prepping for games to get the balance right.I never quite achived this.

But now I am a much better DM for the experiance!

I'm now spending a lot of prep time that is making my games sweeter

Without 4th this never would have happened!!!!!!!4th DMG 2 is still one of my favorite RPG suppliments of all time.MM 3 has a lot of creative new monsters that I will adapt into the far future.At the time it was not so good.

But with the changes it put me through,has honed my craft and the further from it I am,the better it will be remembered.

So with no irony I say -Thank you 4th,you will be missed

huh?

 

[FireLance]

huh?

Had to be said twice.

You kind of stole a march on me, but never mind. I don't have a monopoly on being thankful for 4e.

 

[delericho]

I DMed 4th for 2-3 years,and when I got to the higher levels it was brutal.Balancing my min-maxed PCs at 27th was a chore.I spent a LOT more time prepping for games to get the balance right.I never quite achived this.

But now I am a much better DM for the experiance!

I had a very similar experience with high-level 3e, specifically in the "Shackled City" campaign - that system also gets to a point of vastly diminishing returns as the levels go up, but actually going through the experience taught me a huge amount about the way the system worked, how to construct a good high-level play experience, and so forth.

I don't have anywhere near the experience with 4e that you do. Still, your post is a good one - even the weaker bits of a system can make for extremely useful learning experiences.

 

[Raith5]

I am thankful for 4th because I run the whole game from my character sheet - I only read the books when I level up. I think it cut down prep time for players as well as DMs. But I am not going to miss it because my campaign still has a year or two to go.