So, how many are avoiding Essentials?

[Katana_Geldar]

I've noticed all the Essentials threads on here and I am wondering how many of us are still playing ordinary 4th Ed with no intention of going over.

I don't, and no one in my group does. We came to 4E from SW saga, a natural step. We've also invested quite a bit of time and $$$$ in 4E, and see no reason not to continue with things as they are. And we're also in the middle of a big campaign, why change horses midstream?

4E is not something we are completely satisfied with, particularly those of us who have played older editions, so all these changes seem a little...much.

 

[Neverfate]

Nearly everyone in my next campaign will be using Essentials in some shape or form and I love it. It's a great direction due to it just being cleaner, which gives us more options for customization.

 

[Bold or Stupid]

Currently about half my players have "gone over" and are using options from the essentials books, a couple are even playing an essentials class! I see no problem with treating essentials as a new set of option rather than a half edition, once the options hit the CB I see no reason for any group to disallow/ignore them.

 

[whearp]

I for one switched over completely to essentials for my newest campaign. I have been playing and loving 4e since release, and have happily embraced the new essentials stuff. I was worried at first, but the more I read about the new materials, the more I got excited. I have to say, I'm absolutely satisfied.

 

[Mad Hamish]

It's not a replacement, it's an addition.
I haven't had a huge look at essentials yet but I've got the first 'Heroes of...' and the second one and the Monster Vault are about to be shipped from Amazon.

I see the Monster Vault as providing better monster designs than the original monster manual and the Essentials players books giving different options that I might want to use at some stage (and improved feats, some of which I have already picked up)

 

[the Jester]

Asking "Who is switching to/avoiding switching to Essentials?" is about the same as asking, "Who is switching to/not switching to Martial Power?"

 

[BobTheNob]

My tenure as DM is coming to a close (at last...I have been DM'ing since 4e came out!) and we are strongly considering a essentials only changeover when the new DM steps in.

Essentials just appeals.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Nearly everyone in my next campaign will be using Essentials in some shape or form and I love it. It's a great direction due to it just being cleaner, which gives us more options for customization.

This is not an attack in any way, but what do you mean by "customization" here? Do you mean inside the rules or outside them, in the areas of fluff/backstoreis/gameplay?

To me the classes, with only one PP per build and only one ED in the whole first book, offer far less customization than classic 4E. Fluff/backstoreis/gameplay seem to be the same to me.

My group has decided not to do essentials at all. There are some nice options, and some AMAZING feats, but it is not what we want to do and does not fit with our playstyle, which is a gestalt-type way of making characters.

So we decided to not go that route and hope WOTC goes back to classic 4E stuff soon.

 

[Aegeri]

I have no issues with essentials and actually don't view it as terribly different to anything else in 4E. The main problems I have with the current direction is I hate the new book format (all my essentials books are damaged/falling apart already - unimpressed) and the fact it looks like there is a massive heroic focus. That of course means the tiers of play I like most, paragon and epic are going to be ignored for a long time. Nothing in the stuff upcoming list of books gives me any indication that is changing either.

That's all that annoys me, but essentials stuff won't be banned or barred from my games any more than I would throw out Martial Power or Psionic Power.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Asking "Who is switching to/avoiding switching to Essentials?" is about the same as asking, "Who is switching to/not switching to Martial Power?"

I do not agree in any way with this.

Essentials is a far bigger change than Martial power was.