Has 4e caused a great rift between gamers?

[Ulrick]

I can't help but notice, both on and offline, the controversy that 4e has caused. I don't remember the same thing happening when 3e came out, nor does it compare to the grumbling when 3.5e emerged. For many, it seems, 4e is the last straw. Other have embraced 4e. While others have gone on to Pathfinder or still play rules-lite games like C&C.

Yes, like many, I'm annoyed with WotC for various reasons (like their marketing strategy, 22 pages of errata for the new PHB, etc).I do, however, like 4e so far. It is what I'm looking for in a game that 3/3.5e did not provide. Aside from that, my main concern is that 4e has caused a rift within the gaming community.

I'm wondering if the rift really exists and to what extent. Is the market of D&D gamers breaking into smaller bits based on what form of D&D they play? Will this mean that gaming companies will find it more difficult to sell their form of D&D to these smaller gaming markets?

On a personal level, I see in the gaming club I belong to, a notice that some people are refusing to even try 4e, while others are refusing to even try Pathfinder. I'm concerned, because I'm going to be starting a 4e campaign in a couple weeks, and I hope that 4e doesn't turn people away from playing the game simply because its 4e? Has anybody else encountered this?

Has 4e caused a rift between gamers?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Rifts using MDC. What else need be said eh? D&D, any edition, has a long way to go to catch up.

 

[Khairn]

I have an interesting story to share on this topic. I'm part of a group of gamers who are looking to start a new campaign. There are a couple of players who don't just believe that 3E is an entirely broken system, they make certain to share that opinion whenever the opportunity arises. There are a couple more players who profess to hate the uniformity and lack of depth of 4E and won't play it. (even after a playtest) Then we have a couple of players who don't care either way. So what system are we going to play for this new campaign? Something other than D&D is the consensus. Games being considered include Runequest, Savage Tales and Artesia (Fuzion).

So in my opinion, yes there is now a rather significant rift amongst D&D players, but not all gamers. I don't know how long the animosity will last, but it is driving some groups apart or forcing them to look at other games.

Luckily there are some great games available that can be enjoyed as a very satisfying alternative.

 

[Mark Hope]

Interesting poll, but I think "gamers" is too general as to be meaningful. Going by teh intarwebs, sure, there seems to be a split regarding what people are playing. But going by our four local groups (which share members to one degree or another), no, there's no rift. We're carrying on playing 3e/PFRPG. Does that constitute a rift in the larger sense? Not from where we're standing. Depends on your perspective, I guess .

 

[blargney the second]

I can only speak for myself. I'm completely unrifted.
-blarg

 

[BluSponge]

I think your poll is a bit myopic. There's been no rift in my group. We've been happily playing anything BUT DnD for years now (L5R, Mechwarrior, Castle Falkenstein, Savage Worlds). The lack of interest in DnD has a lot more to do with 3e/3.5 than 4e. Did 3e cause the rift?

There are plenty of gaming groups, I imagine, that are in exactly the same boat.

Tom

 

[Semah G Noj]

I don't remember the same thing happening when 3e came out

I do.

 

[Nifft]

I have to guess how "most people" feel to answer your poll?

I can talk about my group, but not most people.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Asmor]

I don't remember the same thing happening when 3e came out

I do. You must have blocked it out.

I'd always been interested in D&D, but never got a chance to try it. I was actually a bit intimidated by the perceived difficulty, and didn't have many friends to try it with anyways. 3e came out early in my high school career, and I followed it very closely, including getting in on the ground floor here at Eric Noah's site, so I got a front row seat for all the grognards bashing it.

 

[Darrin Drader]

I'd say that yes, there is a rift caused by 4E. There is no rift in my group, however, as we have all agreed to support Pathfinder as our new game of choice. In fact, we'll be making new characters tomorrow night using the Beta and starting the new campaign next month.