D&D 4E Why has 4E become the D&D zeitgeist?

[Jemal]

My interest in 4th edition stems from my anticipation of a mini-centric or online-centric DnD, which would upset me. If I expected 4th edition to be a purely tabletop reinvention of DnD, I'd be in the optimistic camp instead of the pessimistic camp.

Bingo, that's it for me. I've played minis games, I've played online games, and I don't want D&D to be either of those.
Granted, the chances of that are no more than they are for anything else, but..

I mean, if they make a new expansion, are people going to come to your house/gaming store/storm drain and ticket you for playing an outdated edition? No, you keep doing what you're doing. I know plenty of people who still play AD&D even after 3rd Edition came out. There's a googleplex of material out there, and if people are afraid that suddenly WotC won't make an official "Mostest Completest Warlock II" book under the current rules, then frankly there's just no pleasing them.

4E, *IF* it ever happens, will be the same thing 3E was. A new game that in no way negates the old one or can lessen your enjoyment of it.

True, but If you'll recall what happened when 3.0 came out (And again with 3.5).
Within a few months, the old stuff was just that... OLD. nobody was playing/using it, and if you wanted to, you had to find those rare people who, like yourselves, wanted to play the older stuff. Heck, look at our own gaming boards (Which i frequent daily). You know how many 1e/2e/3e games get played? I've spent a lot of money and time on 3.5, and I LIKE it. I actually really like it and don't want it to just 'stop' b/c the sheep are herding in a different direction.
I see 4e (WHEN it comes out, not IF. they have to evolve eventually, the only other option is that they'll just shut down new production completely) being the same. For the first few months (maybe a year), there's resistance, people doing both the new and the old stuff, then as WOTC manages to phase out the old stuff from the public eye, everyone ponies up for the new stuff to see what it's like. Then, of course you can't NOT play something you've paid for, so it starts, and eventually anyone who wants to game has to game 4e.

 

[Remathilis]

I think its the concept of invalidating lots of purchased materials that will see little or no use again that upsets me (looks at 2e collection on wall and sighs).

However, I'm looking forward to SAGA and the changes it will spell for d20 in general.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

For me, it's the feeling of mounting dread as each rules edition subsequent to the first drifts further away from what I want it to do, places additional emphasis on character design, takes more time to generate each character and to resolve each combat round, adds further unnecessary and expensive rules-bloat, etc. etc.

I have this horrible idea that in 4e, creating a character will become an actual sub-game of its own. And may be more fun than actually playing the game...

I suppose I watch the prospects for 4e the same way I would watch a large, misshapen and angry wasp buzzing around the room -- with a kind of slightly horrified fascination.

 

[Jemal]

I have this horrible idea that in 4e, creating a character will become an actual sub-game of its own. And may be more fun than actually playing the game...

Is it sad that that's how I view most games with detailed character creation allready? I love the customization in EVE (an MMORPG), i love creating characters + Concepts for 3.5, and I buy most of the new Wrestling Games for my cube more for the character creation than the actual gameplay...

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing D&D, have since 2nd ed, and I doubt I'll ever stop, but there's nothing wrong with detailed character creation IMO.

 

[Lanefan]

Is it sad that that's how I view most games with detailed character creation allready? I love the customization in EVE (an MMORPG), i love creating characters + Concepts for 3.5, and I buy most of the new Wrestling Games for my cube more for the character creation than the actual gameplay...

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing D&D, have since 2nd ed, and I doubt I'll ever stop, but there's nothing wrong with detailed character creation IMO.

No, there isn't, for them's as likes it..sometimes I get carried away with detailing a character too...but the default ought to be *less* detailed, as it's always possible to add in details later. If the system requires so much fussing that I can't bang out a functional character on the fly during a session to replace my last one that just died, it fails the test.

Lanefan

 

[Ds Da Man]

Detail should come from imagination. When it's just a rule from a book, everyone could do it. Less detailed generation, more imagination is better in my book.