3e, 4e, and Group Schisms

[Henry]

Our group has schismed many times, but not over a game; more often, the cause has been changing life schedules.

We changed pretty seamlessly to 3e from 2e; the group was looking forward to it, at the time.

Currently, of the group, 3 are familiar with older editions, and 4 were brought in with 3rd edition. Of the 4 "new guys", 2 love 4e, 1 likes 4e but is happy with either/or, and 1 started out HATING 4e, but has gone to "grudging neutrality." He has found some things he enjoyed with it, and actually quit another social engagement (actually, a weekend at the beach) to come game 4e with us! Amazingly, the world didn't end, but we were fearful.

so, 3e didn't schism us, and 4e didn't, but we aren't "switched to 4e" the way we were from 2e to 3e; we're alternating between a 3.5 game run by one group member, and the 4e game that I'm running, to keep everyone happy. The biggest thing is for us spending time goofing off together, regardless of game system; we switch around game systems so that everyone gets a taste of their favorite poison frequently.

 

[Dragonbait]

"#ed sucks. There are so many confusing bits and our characters are breaking the system because we are using all the suppliments."
"Hey, there is a new edition of D&D coming out!"
"What?! I spent all that money on books for #ed. <D&D's owner company> is just a bunch of money-grubbing devils!"
"I just got the three core."
"Hrm, let's see. Aw, there are not as many options as the #ed. I refuse to play."
"I'm going to do a game."
"Okay, I'm a fighter."
"Well, after the initial cluster f- of getting used to the rules in combat, this runs really well."
"Yeah. I just bought 3 suppliments on Amazon."

-4 to 6 years down the line-

"#ed sucks. There are so many confusing bits and our characters are breaking the system because we are using all the suppliments."
"Hey, there is a new edition of D&D coming out!"
"What?! I spent all that money on books for #ed. <D&D's owner company> is just a bunch of money-grubbing devils!"
"I just got the three core."

-ad nauseum-

My group(s) moved from 2ed->3ed->3.5ed->4ed and its the same thing every time (granted, I presented an exaggerated version). We might look back to the last edition with some nostalgia but play the current edition. No schism.

 

[brehobit]

The move from 1e to 2e was easy for us: everyone was happy with it. 2e to 3e I didn't have a group but I knew people who wouldn't change. 3e to 4e has gone well for us, as we were finding 3.5 to be too complex. But 4e is a very very different game from 1e-3e. I have seen many people who really hate those changes.

I keep saying "it's a good wargame". In fact, it's a very good wargame. As an RPG? eh.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

We converted to 4E the day it came out and have been happy with it since.

Now FR, that might cause a schism.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

The switch to 2e was beyond easy. 3e in many ways all but saved the group I was in at the time; 2e was a horrible mess by the time it ended, and I think many people were actively looking forward to the next edition.

We all flipped through 4e, and color us disinterested. No breaking there; we collective agreed to shrug. If someone really wants to play 4e, we'll do a game for him, but I don't think it'll really be happening.

 

[Mark]

Which one of those options is for someone who has tried 4E, but doesn't regularly play 4E, yet DMs a 3.5/d20 game, and one player trying to get into a 1E game while another 2 of 5 players regularly play in another game which is 4E, one of whom also DMs a 3.5E game and the other of whom plays in yet a third game which is 3.5E?

 

[Henry]

"Other."

 

[Allister]

My group is kind of weird.

I've been the DM for the group for a while now, and like Rechan, I'm what you would call a total 4E fanboy.

However, my group still wants to play 3.x (and I don't have a problem playing it myself), but I don't want to DM it at all after running 4E for a while....

 

[Wombat]

When we became bored with 3e, we switched to other systems.

When we tried 4e, we realized that we liked it less than 3e and vowed never to go back to it.

Now we are happily playing NWoD and Ars Magica.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I converted my game from 2E to 3E about 2 months after 3E came out. The "switch" to 3.5 was barely noticeable to us. I bought the core books and picked up some DM only type books and we played from there. When my two 3.5E games ended one started another 3.5 game (rather half heartedly on my part as the Age of Worms game I finished with this group just about killed any interest I had in running 3.5 past 10th level ever again) and the other group jumped into 4E. Now the 3.5 game has converted to 4E and we are all having fun with the new edition.

I will note that people in my groups were much more enthusiastic about buying the new 4E PHB than they were the 3.5 PHB. Most say it is because the change from 3E to 3.5 was barely worth the effort of new books while the 3.5 to 4E is a huge change and is a brand new game system.