D&D 4E Should I play 4e?

MechaPilot · Jun 5, 2019

MrDM69 said:
I've heard that 4e is pretty good, but I want some more opinions before I start playing.

4e is my favorite edition of D&D (followed by 5e then AD&D 2e). So, naturally, I'd recommend it. I do agree with other posters that people should try most editions of D&D. I've played BECMI, AD&D 2e, 3e, 4e and 5e; each one has their own quirks and foibles that contribute to creating a different play experience. This means each one excels at certain things and comparatively falls behind in others.

4e has, to my experience, been the easiest edition to DM. The combat is dynamic, the characters feel like heroes straight out of the gate (but are still very much at risk if they charge in recklessly; don't let the higher HP totals fool you), the overnight full-healing reduces the amount of time the PCs spend recovering from combat and increases the amount of time they can spend adventuring, the at-will abilities means your characters always have something heroic and class-themed they can do (no wizards relying on crossbows because they have no at-will spells), and the roles are a great way to illustrate what a class' specialty is at a glance.

Immortal Sun · Jun 5, 2019

I mean, I really like 4E and it gets a really bad rap. So yeah I think everyone should give it an open-minded shot.

Umbran · Jun 5, 2019

Hey, folks, just a note: We haven't had to moderate folks for edition warring for a long time. But if you are going to be a jerk about editions, we will deal with you.

Moreover, consider, for a moment, how not-fun all that was for moderators. And how much we will (not) thank you for bringing us back to that again.

So - you are allowed to like a thing, or not, and say so. But treat each other with respect. And don't pay the pain of the past forward. Continuing blood feuds over how we pretend to be elves forward is... dumb. Okay? Any questions - take them to PM or e-mail, please and thank you.

Zardnaar · Jun 5, 2019

I wouldn't go out of my way now to get it, but if an established group offers a game sure try it out.

ad_hoc · Jun 5, 2019

1. It's probably going to be hard to get a group.
2. It has a much higher barrier to entry than 5e so introducing new players will be more difficult.

Regardless of whether you like it, if you like 5e then I think it is wise to continue playing it for the above reasons.

There are millions and millions of people playing 5e now, most of whom are new to hobby gaming.

I think the worst case scenario is to introduce a new player to a game like 3e or 4e and have them turned off of RPGs when they may have liked 5e.

HJFudge · Jun 5, 2019

ad_hoc said:
1. It's probably going to be hard to get a group.
2. It has a much higher barrier to entry than 5e so introducing new players will be more difficult.

Regardless of whether you like it, if you like 5e then I think it is wise to continue playing it for the above reasons.

There are millions and millions of people playing 5e now, most of whom are new to hobby gaming.

I think the worst case scenario is to introduce a new player to a game like 3e or 4e and have them turned off of RPGs when they may have liked 5e.

This is a thing that could happen regardless of edition. You can't really know what a person will like until they try it, after all. Maybe they'd bounce off 5e but love 2e or 3e. You've no way to really know!

ad_hoc · Jun 5, 2019

HJFudge said:
This is a thing that could happen regardless of edition. You can't really know what a person will like until they try it, after all. Maybe they'd bounce off 5e but love 2e or 3e. You've no way to really know!

We have the evidence though.

We know that new people have really taken to the game and those people have introduced more people and so on.

5e does really well with non-hobby gamers (and hobby gamers too for that matter).

5e is by far the biggest RPG ever. 4e was, not.

Immortal Sun · Jun 5, 2019

ad_hoc said:
We have the evidence though.

We know that new people have really taken to the game and those people have introduced more people and so on.

5e does really well with non-hobby gamers (and hobby gamers too for that matter).

5e is by far the biggest RPG ever. 4e was, not.

So? Something being "not the biggest" doesn't mean *random person* won't like it. I mean by your argument we oughtnt to teach anyone any game other than 5E, since all RPGs are less popular than 5E!

HJFudge · Jun 5, 2019

Immortal Sun said:
So? Something being "not the biggest" doesn't mean *random person* won't like it. I mean by your argument we oughtnt to teach anyone any game other than 5E, since all RPGs are less popular than 5E!

Also the only books in the library should be Twilight and Harry Potter.

Garthanos · Jun 5, 2019

4e is the most balanced version of D&D they have yet designed even with none of the patches applied that WOTC made themselves. (Heck some of the patches arent needed for 99.99 percent of games.

And you can play some of the biggest damn action adventure heros out of the box as any version.

The monsters are the most interesting to battle

And skills are as valuable as rituals.

This is a great synopsis of many many things loved by 4e fans

https://4thmaster.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/why-4e-fans-love-4e/

And to me it let me play archetypes that were part of the original DNA of D&D that never quite made it to the table prior the Tactical Genius or Wise/perceptive Defender or Inspirational Leader. I have to scrounge and fudge to try and build some of them in 5e.