D&D 4E 4E: Manufactured Excitement

There are a whole host of reasons why I'm looking forward to 4E.

For one, I've seen and run Star Wars Saga, and I think it's the best implementation of the D20 rules yet. I really like it.

When word of the Saga edition first came out, we had a lot of responses very similar to what we're seeing now for 4E and one of the designers (Rodney?) posted about it and basically told everyone to chill: he loved the game, he loved Star Wars, and he was going to make the best Star Wars game he could. That's pretty much the same thing that the current designers have said, so I'm going to trust them as well.

Next, the things they are talking about changing make sense are are a good idea to me. In many ways, it seems like D&D is taking some of the good game elements from other systems, and incorporating them at last. Let's face it, most RPGs, especially fantasy RPGs were created in response to D&D. Many of them have some excellent ideas behind them, and it is well past time that those ideas came home to D&D.

Encounter based resources? I LIKE that. That's the way the Hero system has done things for over 20 years, and the combats I've had in Hero have been just as interesting as any I've ever had with D&D.

Changing the cosmology and getting rid of the Great Wheel? Great. I have never liked the Great Wheel, and never actually used it in any of my campaigns. Won't miss it at all.

Talent Trees for characters? Great idea. Loved it in D20 Modern, look forward to it here.

Less reliance on magic items? Also a great idea. I don't like the notion that high level characters are seen as useless without a huge compilation of magic items, hopefully this will be addressed.

...and it goes on. I have really liked just about everything that has been released about the new edition, other than the DI, and I plan on skipping out on that entirely.

Finally, I think it was time to reset some of the complexities of the game. With the latest batch of splat books, it has become very difficult to properly judge the power levels of characters created for the system. A core rules character is at a significant disadvantage over one built with all the bells and whistles available at present, which is hardly surprising. What annoys me is that the combinations of all of those sources make for some unintended consequences that throw balance waaaay out of whack. Designing the new edition to be better able to accommodate growth and the splats seems like a good idea to me.

So that's the gist of it as far as I'm concerned.

--Steve
 

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Gwathlas said:
So being a wotc pawn is a good thing? wotc won't be making any profit off of me or my gaming group. Not only are they writing a new set of rules most of us did not ask for but they are changing settings just so you fan boys and girls will need to buy all new books.

wotc means Greed.

Who's "most of us"? Does that mean you and your gaming group?

And please, could you be a little more hostile next time? Please?

Oh yeah, NOW playing with the new rules makes you a wotc pawn? And playing 3.x makes you a...what? Playing Paizo/Goodman/Green Ronin/homebrew/etc makes you a free thinkin' man who don't bow to no-one-no-how? Please.

The boards are loaded with rebel-ninja-samurai today, all wound up and ready to fight the man. It's funny because I see the same stuff directed against Blizzard (by guys who still play the game...just like here).
 

two said:
ISo, honestly, why is everyone getting so excited/crazy about this?

I take it you never get excited about a new book or movie. After all, its often created for dirty mercenary purposes!

Isn't it, well, more normal to, well, you know, actually view a new product with a modicum of skepticism, educate yourself about it (after it is released), and only then - if what you see matches your expectations - get excited about it and buy it?

We like the designers past work? The tidbits we do get often address our problems with the current system? Some of us arent pessimistic trolls? Take your pick!

Honestly, why is this forumcrap not locked?
 


Some agreement with "two"...

I'm sure I'll hear it from some of the masses, but there is a string of truth in what "two" is saying.

As a person with experience in advertising, it is a FACT that numerous companies hire people to go online and hit blogs, web sites, threads like this one, etc., in order to drum up excitment about new products by having them play the "interested consumer" and letting you know tidbits or little pieces of information to get people talking. This is a prevalent tactic in todays electronic world to give new products (especially products that are a 1/2 year or so away) some limelight and to get an idea of what their audience has to say about it.

I can promise you, there are employees of Hasbro reading these threads, even if some small amount, to obtain product analysis and to see what we think about their new product, whether pro or con. Is this a bad thing....of course not! They would be foolish not to! But don't think for a moment that Hasbro does not have a hand in some of these threads in some fashion or another...

No, I'm not paranoid or think there is some conspiracy going on, it's just plan simple marketing.
 

two said:
The trouble is, you never know when "all else [is] equal."

Is there anything more depressing than a blind optimist, striding confidently into doom? I am thinking of those poor early Western explorers who packed up their bags, set out for Kansas, and (in the fact of their own inexperience and the advice of friends) managed to freeze to death during the winter, both husband, wife, and three children. Go West, my Son, and be Optimistic. Just have your eyes open, eh?

Wait, you mean not EVERYONE who moved out west had a happy ending?!?!?

POH NOES!!!!!!! You just shattered my whole, lemming-like optmistic world view!!!!!!!!!

Here's the thing skippy, lots and lots of optimistic lemmings went west.

And ya know something? Most of them did prosper, or else the west wouldn't be teeming with folks right now.

Did that optimism mean they had no idea of the hardships that awaited them? That it was all wine and roses? Milk and honey?

In most cases no.

So why did they go?

Maybe because it sucked in the east too? Maybe because taking a risk for a chance for something better is worth it?

And in my case, since I'll be risking about $100 bucks, your example seems... poor.

Why not stop flinging insults and just accept that your opinions aren't universal.

Maybe people are excited for something you don't like because you're not always right.

Disagreeing with you doesn't make someone stupid, or a sheep, or a lemming.

YOU might be the one that's wrong.

I know, dude.

I apologize for that last part. No way YOU could be the one that's wrong!
 

Gallo22 said:
But don't think for a moment that Hasbro does not have a hand in some of these threads in some fashion or another...

Ah, so those of us who are enthusiastic about 4e might not be sheep and lemmings, but paid plants?
 




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