First review of the new Red Box

[AllisterH]

A video review no less....


Looks like you get a lot in the box...

 

[Maggan]

Interesting. Some observations:

1. These guys are great representatives of gamers who think D&D BECM is hard core old school.

2. Their reactions to the concept of a Basic Set is quite funny, IMO, for those who have previously experienced the 70's and the 80's iterations of the game.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

3. The rules booklets seem flimsy.

4. They say it covers levels 1 to 3.

Interesting, and it'll be interesting to follow their progress with the game.

EDIT: oh and their video skills are a lot better than most other video blogs I've watched.

/M

 

[DaveMage]

Thanks for the link.

About what I expected.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Already up, and in the correct sub forum

http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-discussion/286859-red-box-essentials-unboxing-video.html

 

[Ed_Laprade]

The review starts halfway through the video. These guys are very enthusiastic about it. But its pretty clear that its really for beginers who've never played before. Not something I'd buy, but it does look great for what it is, a Starter kit.

 

[jonesy]

3. The rules booklets seem flimsy.

More like leaflets. And not just them. The tokens, the cards, the box. They all look really fragile.

I went and dug out my old red box basic rules and read through them. I have to say, as low as my expectations were, I was still dissappointed by what I saw in the video. I guess the hyped 'innovation' now means going back to the 80's. I loved the old red box. I still do. But this feels like a bad joke. Sorry for being so negative.

 

[TarionzCousin]

For the video-challenged, what is the gist of the review?

 

[jonesy]

For the video-challenged, what is the gist of the review?

They open the box, look at what's in the box, and read through the introductory adventure/character creation. Which is pretty much the introduction from the original version turned into a 'go to page 21' adventure. For graphics, just imagine the original red box.

 

[Klaus]

For the video-challenged, what is the gist of the review?

In addition to opening the box and showing the contents (dice, dungeon map, two booklets, a sheet of tokens, character sheets), they start reading the "Read Me First!" book (yes, that's on the cover).

The Read Me First opens with a sort of "Choose Your Own Adventure" chapter. You are on a cart with a merchant when goblins attack. By choosing what you'd like to do, you make the choices that create your first character.

"Pick up a weapon and leap down to fight the goblins?" = Fighter
"Cast a spell at the goblins" = Wizard
"Pick up a dagger and use the cart for cover as you try to sneak around the goblins and pick them off" = Rogue
"Tend to the merchant's wounds, perhaps saying a prayer to the gods" = Cleric

So the guy chooses Rogue, and is directed to the section that explains the Rogue and tells that, if the character is a human, elf or halfling, his Dex is 18, if it's dwarf or eladrin, it's 16. This also tells what the modifier is for the Dex, the attack bonus for the dagger, and tells the player to roll a d20 and add the total modifier (+7 or +6, depending on race).

This is great for beginners because you *are already playing*, you don't have to decide what to make and learn to build a character first.

 

[John Quixote]

So the guy chooses Rogue, and is directed to the section that explains the Rogue and tells that, if the character is a human, elf or halfling, his Dex is 18, if it's dwarf or eladrin, it's 16.

This was the moment in the video that turned me right off the Red Box for good. Now I'm sure that even if I do buy this box, I'll never play 4th edition. I mean, holy cow, talk about stat inflation! What's so special anymore about having an eighteen ability score if every character just automatically gets one? Not In My Game, thank you very much. Where I come from, the chance of rolling an 18 on 3d6 is a mere one in two-hundred sixteen (and, although it shouldn't warrant pointing out, players have the same chance of rolling a 3).