3e, 4e, and Group Schisms

[Khairn]

Of the now 4 D&D groups that I play with on a regular / semi-regular, basis only one was willing to stay with 4E. All 4 groups have ...

-read the 4E books
-played in or play-tested some games
-came to the same consensus without too much fighting, gnashing of teeth or bloodshed.

Now before they all play-tested the game, there was a significant schism with some players really wanting to give the new edition a shot. But after they did, only one (Ebon Shar is our GM) is willing to stick with 4E.

 

[frankthedm]

This is a funny topic to me because I can't imagine not getting together with friends and having fun because of a rule set. 4E isn't my favorite, so what? Is that worth not sitting around the table with buddies of 10 to 20 years, rolling dice and munching on junk food?

If I feel the very rules system insults my intelligence, then yes, I might very well go do something else. As it happens I am used to turning my brain off thanks to being a fan of monster/horror movies.

I tolerate and want to play at least some 4E because it piles the bodies high and encourages players to fight lots of monsters. In 3E it behooved the players to seek out classed NPCs as foes. They were far easier than most monsters of the same CR and had lots of phat lewt. And if they were not loaded with gear, then they were even easier.

I also love the new grappling rules since this has always suppossed to have been a game of Spells, swords and shields. It is called Dungeons & Dragons, not Gropers and Grabasses.

 

[Edgewood]

Gropers and Grabasses.

Which was the title TSR was going to go with originally until market research revealed that it would make gamers seem like pervets and would ruin their chances of getting dates. Thank god we all dodged that bullet!!

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

Well 3e for my group was welcomes with open arms.
While Im living in a new state now and have had to rebuild a group, both my new and old group after reviewing 4e have decided to reject it, and there was no Schism.
Should I get more people or decide to join a new group I would reject play of 4e.

 

[Remathilis]

There has been deep seated animosity in my group(s) since 2e/3e. I knew two DMs that didn't convert to 3e until 3.5 came out! I also knew players that didn't want to play 3e and left because of it. Some of that is returning now in my 4e groups (several luke-warm responses, one DM who refuses to convert (and yes, he's one of the 3e holdouts) and a player who has left because of 4e).

I guess edition changes have really rocked out groups heavily. Cept for Star Wars Revised/SAGA, THAT was welcomed!

 

[yesnomu]

I play in two groups, they reacted differently to the switch. Group 1 (besides me) hates 4e, especially since after I ran KotS for them. But they didn't exactly ever have an open mind about it. We mostly play Shadowrun anyway, the only guy who'll DM 3.5 is never around.

My second group didn't seem all that interested either when the game was first announced (lots of "it's becoming WoW" comments), but gradually got turned around by the previews. I ran an epic 4e campaign this summer alongside a 3.5 campaign my friends co-DMed, and I think I was the only one who liked the 3.5 game anywhere near as much as the 4e one. (I was playing an awesome gnoll wizard//warblade gestalt, so that might account for it) Anyway, they seem pretty set for 4e now.

No schisms in either, since the majority swung one way for each and I'm flexible enough to play whatever everyone else is.

 

[EricNoah]

Groups I was in jumped very eagerly from 2E to 3E.

Groups I am currently in have shown no interest in moving to 4E. There is tentative interest in bringing over some 4E innovations, however.

One of the groups I am in is, I think, going to abandon D&D altogether -- DM wants to try his own homebrewed gaming system at some point.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Switching from 2E to 3E was no big deal for the group I had at the time since 3E was very much an outgrowth of the same system we'd been playing for years. It was a good switch because the options they had been asking for since day 1 were supported by official rules.

Switching to 4E is simply not desired because of the massive changes from traditional D&D to this new game. No change (or, more correctly, moderate change to Pathfinder) = no group schism.

 

[Baron Opal]

My group thought 3rd edition was great and bought in wholesale. For 4th edition we are excited about trying it out but are wrapping up our current campaign first.

I've never lost a friendship over a game system.

 

[Aus_Snow]

3e was the great uniter, not any kind of divider, for the floating, intersecting groups 'structure' around here.

4e, on the other hand, is not even a blip on the radar.