Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
What themes did 4e excise, exactly?
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- Thread starter darjr
- Start date
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
Is that what they’re saying? I’m pretty sure they’re saying “remember how 4e was actually written clearly? Why doesn't WotC do that anynore???"
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
I chose poorly my wording on this. 4E definitely has theme, its a little too particular into the game aspect. Especially the tactical combat and powers. It is difficult (for me) to imagine the adventuring aspect of the game because of this focus. There isnt much there about the exploration or social pillar of the game. So, its not an excise of theme, but a hyper focus at the cost of general themes. They simply get lost in the background.
Medic
Neutral Evil
I am obligated to post this again to remind everyone that Monopoly is supposed to make a statement about Gilded Age oligarchic plutonomy.
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
4e is a game about encounters, which includes encounters of non-combat varieties. But if you’re looking to it for exploration-based play, where simply navigating an adventure location and managing resources is a core part of the challenge, you’re likely to be disappointed. This is why I do ultimately prefer 5e myself. But I don’t think a lack of focus on that type of gameplay is a good critique of 4e’s writing, because that sort of play isn’t something 4e ever really intended to focus on.
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
Perhaps you are correct. I think the design rhetoric and layout are what I have issue with and not so much the actual writing.
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
Eh, The Landlord’s Game was political commentary. Monopoly was just an attempt (a highly successful attempt) to capitalize on the popularity of the game by slapping some branding on a very similar ruleset.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
I mean, the big hint that it is about format and styling is...5E is written by 4E designers! It's the same people, at least at the start, but approaching the writing differently after lessons were learned
That's what they think they are saying, but I'm translating for clarity.
4E's writing issues come before any gameplay considerations, because first one has to get through the writing to even consider the game elements.
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
It’s really, incredibly impolite to put words into people’s mouths under the pretense that you understand their meaning better than they do, especially when what you’re saying is exactly the opposite of what they said. You didn’t care for 4e’s writing, and that’s fine. But I would hope you could understand and respect that others did like it.
