Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="ImperialParadox" data-source="post: 4684492" data-attributes="member: 45495">I see intra-party dependacy as a feature of 4th edition that I welcome with open arms. In my 3rd ed games, it seems that more often than not the players opted to create power houses of self-sufficiency - impressive characters, but characters who didn't always seem to need or even want the company of each other. They often had a gimmick which would make them powerful in combat and would frequently try to 'one-up' each other. While fun, this often led to the party splitting up, each player wanting to pursue his idea because he was fairly confident he could accomplish his goal by himself. While often times this was true, it would make the game an exercise of solo play sessions with the DM, with the uninvolved players sitting around bored waiting for their chance to do their own thing. Even worse, due to the nature of the party easily fragmenting, anyone actually making a team-oriented character would often find themselves alone, and in serious trouble. 4th ed seems to embrace the idea of the adventuring party, and it's a welcome change. I've noticed that in 4th ed it is very hard to make a solo artist, and many classes rely on having support from their teamates. As a DM this pleases me, it gives incentive for the party to stay together and makes running the game easier. There are still plenty of oppurtunities for individual players to shine, but the spotlight seems to be a shared thing now, and no single player has the capability to derail the story with their solo exploits. To those wanting more individual-themed play, I can see how this would be frustrating, but honestly I think the solo artist is running against the grain of the game. With a lot of work this style of play can be pulled off, but I ask those seeking this style of game to sit back and ask the other players what kind of game they prefer. Often times D&D is a group hobby, and despite forced courtesy I don't know many players who enjoy spending long stretches of time watching a solo artist dominate the DM's time. Games with a lot of solo play should be just that - games between a DM and a lone player. Trying to force a lone wolf style into a group-oriented game often has disastrous results.</blockquote>

Verification