So. 3E/3.5E, is it still D&D to you?

[Son_of_Thunder]

Thanks for the reply Henry!

Sticking my nose in where it wasn't asked...

In my opinion, part of it is the DM's perogative (about 60%, actually). If the DM works on being smooth with combat, giving good descriptions,

<cut for space consideration>

Sometimes, people have to see how they can be less stiff and more confident, and more entertaining; sometimes, it takes practice, for some it takes a different RPG system. But the DM can more often than not choose the tone and direction of a game for the players.

Thanks Henry,

I appreciate the reply. I believe I see what you mean. My enthusiasm for DMing was low, but the main reason was because the players just didn't seem to get into the game as much as myself. And so the vicious cycle continued.

Son of Thunder

 

[FireLance]

It's Still D&D To Me
(with apologies to Billy Joel)

What's the matter with the sword I'm swinging?
Can't you tell that it's too mundane?
Maybe I should buy some leather armor.
How much gold don't you have, anyway?
Where have you been hidin' out lately, honey?
You can't fight monsters 'til you spend a lot of money.
Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new game
Funny, but it's still D&D to me.

What's the matter with the horse I'm riding?
Can't you tell that it's out of style?
Should I try to raise a baby griffon?
Yes you can, but it'll take a while.
Nowadays you can't be too sentimental,
Your best bet's a half-dragon half-elemental.
Pokemount, riding dog, half-celestial dire frog,
It's still D&D to me.

Oh, it doesn't matter what they say in the papers,
'Cause it's always been the same old scene.
There's a new game in town but you can't get the sound
From a story in a magazine
Aimed at your average teen.

How about a suite of stat boosting items
And a keen holy flaming burst lance?
You could be a really great hero baby,
If you just give it half a chance.
Don't waste your money on a rod of negation,
You get more mileage from a ring of protection.
Heavy shield, animated, heavy fort, mithril plate,
It's still D&D to me.

What's the matter with the class I'm playing?
Don't you know that it got the shaft?
Should I try to play a cleric/wizard?
If you do then you must be daft.
Don't you know about the new options honey?
You get to stack your saves and your base attack bonii.
It's the next phase, new wave, balanced play, anyways,
It's still D&D to me.
Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new game
Funny, but it's still D&D to me.

 

[SemperJase]

It's Still D&D To Me
(with apologies to Billy Joel)

Now THAT is comedy.

 

[FireLance]

Now that I've got that out of the way, the difference to me between 3.5e and previous versions is like the difference between my brand new pentium laptop and my old 286 desktop. It works much better, and is very much improved, but it's still essentially the same thing.

 

[d4]

awesome, FireLance.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

It's Still D&D To Me
(with apologies to Billy Joel)

COMEDY GOLD!!

 

[DClingman]

3.5e is definitely a different experience, but imo, it's alot better. You always have the ability to lose the long drawn out combats if you feel that story is more your thing, but to those who crave it, the detail is there. D&D is a great games, produced by people who respect it's legacy and know how important it is to them as well as the fans.

Dustin

 

[Qualir]

I started playing D&D with AD&D 1E. I loved the game, maybe even as much as Diaglo. I enjoyed 2E, but I didn't see any logic behind many changes it introduced (They blew up Greyhawk?) With 3(.5)E I can actually see the logic in many, if not most, of the changes. It is like 1E was a confident and exciting child. During 2E, that child hit puberty (admittedly a little late) and was as exasperating as every other teenager. 3(.5)E finally sees the child maturing into a stable and coherent adult. Every edition was D&D. Every edition had/has its problems.

Hopefully future editions will skip mid-life crisis and never go senile.

 

[Nifelhein]

The many incarnatiosn D&D had since this day have been all quite different, D&D 3.X is not an exeption. That given I still feel like each incarnation is a whole different game, they all are D&D to me, for D&D is something more than merely a ruleset, you could play a fighter in each incanation and it would be D&D...

I don't know, it is the feel, that has not changed for me...

 

[teitan]

For me, it feels more like my early days playing AD&D in 1987, something that 2E couldn't do... it just feels right whereas 2E felt wrong.

Jason