D&D 4E 4E: What 3.x problem did it fix for you?
- Thread starter joela
- Start date
That One Guy
First Post
Well... no one's responding so I'll give it a whirl.
First though, I gotta' say the wording to your question, "what issue did it solve that was a problem in 3.x?" sounds vaguely like a trap. I blame the internet, though.
For me, 3.x is a lot of fun if it's house-ruled to the point where it is very dissimilar to 3.x. I don't know if this is a problem or not. A lot of the house rules I instituted were fun, but fairly broken in favour of the PCs and myself having a good time (most of these rules were in regards to combat). I continually tried to unbreak these house rules and slowly got closer and closer to something that was fun and not... so unstable. I was going to run another game of D&D (which would be another experiment in house rules) when I was linked by a friend to 4e info. It really seemed like a lot of what I was trying to accomplish, but hardcoded into the rules combatwise.
After playing the demo, I really felt that I wouldn't have to tweak and bend into really weird ways these rules to make a game with consistently fun combat.
Skill challenges solve a problem I was blind to. When I first read about them, I thought, "Those sound dumb. I'll probably never use them. They sound like a tool for teaching new players how to role-play. Cool idea, but probably not for me." ...I was partially correct. The main problem skill challenges 'solve' is giving players a tool to roleplay in a plot effective way using a combination of their own ingenuity, character skill, and luck. The system may not be the most perfect, but it (was for me) a really fun step in the right direction. I had always thought that traps and puzzles worked in such a way that the rogue and spell caster w/ useful knowledge were the only (I'm being super general here, I know) characters who could contribute to certain puzzles and traps. Skill challenges 'solve' this problem by making it a fallacy. Every party member can be viable in role-play scenarios and contribute to the team's efforts. That sounds good to me.
Also, the demo changed my view of defenders. They're hardcore. Not that they weren't before, and not that any other position is lame, but I think defenders are better equipped featurewise to be nifty.
I know that that is all opinion and very much focal to my experiences. I hope it somehow helped you with what you wanted to know.
First though, I gotta' say the wording to your question, "what issue did it solve that was a problem in 3.x?" sounds vaguely like a trap. I blame the internet, though.
For me, 3.x is a lot of fun if it's house-ruled to the point where it is very dissimilar to 3.x. I don't know if this is a problem or not. A lot of the house rules I instituted were fun, but fairly broken in favour of the PCs and myself having a good time (most of these rules were in regards to combat). I continually tried to unbreak these house rules and slowly got closer and closer to something that was fun and not... so unstable. I was going to run another game of D&D (which would be another experiment in house rules) when I was linked by a friend to 4e info. It really seemed like a lot of what I was trying to accomplish, but hardcoded into the rules combatwise.
After playing the demo, I really felt that I wouldn't have to tweak and bend into really weird ways these rules to make a game with consistently fun combat.
Skill challenges solve a problem I was blind to. When I first read about them, I thought, "Those sound dumb. I'll probably never use them. They sound like a tool for teaching new players how to role-play. Cool idea, but probably not for me." ...I was partially correct. The main problem skill challenges 'solve' is giving players a tool to roleplay in a plot effective way using a combination of their own ingenuity, character skill, and luck. The system may not be the most perfect, but it (was for me) a really fun step in the right direction. I had always thought that traps and puzzles worked in such a way that the rogue and spell caster w/ useful knowledge were the only (I'm being super general here, I know) characters who could contribute to certain puzzles and traps. Skill challenges 'solve' this problem by making it a fallacy. Every party member can be viable in role-play scenarios and contribute to the team's efforts. That sounds good to me.
Also, the demo changed my view of defenders. They're hardcore. Not that they weren't before, and not that any other position is lame, but I think defenders are better equipped featurewise to be nifty.
I know that that is all opinion and very much focal to my experiences. I hope it somehow helped you with what you wanted to know.
trap?
Trap? Nope. Just honest curiosity. For me, for example, I like the simplified, more unified mechanics like using the Saving Throws like AC. And having wizards rely on crossbows when out of spells. Yeah, yeah, I could use houserules (and I do: I heart houserules
!) but now I don't have to worry to much about scaring my players when I say, "check your e-mail to download the latest ruling on metamagic. Again. (Though to be fair, it's usually in their favor. What can I say? I'm a softy. Besides, I have an unlimited number of monsters to throw at them. Then there's Pun-Pun.... 
)
That One Guy said:
Trap? Nope. Just honest curiosity. For me, for example, I like the simplified, more unified mechanics like using the Saving Throws like AC. And having wizards rely on crossbows when out of spells. Yeah, yeah, I could use houserules (and I do: I heart houserules
!) but now I don't have to worry to much about scaring my players when I say, "check your e-mail to download the latest ruling on metamagic. Again. (Though to be fair, it's usually in their favor. What can I say? I'm a softy. Besides, I have an unlimited number of monsters to throw at them. Then there's Pun-Pun.... )
Falling Icicle
Adventurer
Well, one big issue for me was how much more fun it is to play 1st level characters. We always started at 3rd+ level before because 1st level characters in 3e are boring, die in one hit, and just aren't fun to play.
Pistonrager
First Post
combat is faster, funner, and engaging.
less obvious power discrepancy between casters and fighters
first level is not a bad place to start, as barely better than a peasant.
more encounters a day
less obvious power discrepancy between casters and fighters
first level is not a bad place to start, as barely better than a peasant.
more encounters a day
Olfactatron
Explorer
Trap that are usable. And pit traps that aren't worth more than the things they're defending.
shadowguidex
First Post
1) Non-spellcaster's entire round being relegated to dice rolls with no substance.
2) Spellcaster's magic system being non-intuitive and a monster unto itself.
3) Creating unique new monsters from your imagination took far too long from conception to completion.
4) Skill system created a problem whereby most characters at higher level either automatically pass, or automatically fail.
5) Instant Death magic. It's dead, thank goodness.
6) Character races being unimportant past level 5, unless they are ridiculous monsters.
7) The 5-minute adventuring day is now remedied. Characters can actually progress through a dungeon without resting for 8 hours after every fight.
8) Exceptions based monster design allows the DM to create what he feels the monster needs in terms of abilities, instead of what the numbers force upon you.
9) Magic items will now accentuate your character, rather than being all important.
10) The 4 defenses is a vastly superior concept to saving throws, which although 3.0 made them better compared to 2.0, they were still a problem in application in 3.0.
11) The variety of playstyles. 3.0 allowed little variety beyond your decision of what race and class until you take on a prestige class, and prestige classes became a nightmare unto themselves with each book trying to outdo the others, and your character losing touch with what they originally were. 4.0 will introduce customizable syles right at level 1 which gives you the option to play different types of each class.
12) The complete overhaul of the planes will finally create a standard cosmology that feels like it isnt contrived and forced.
13) The elimination of iterative attacks, critical hit confirmations, special case rules such as grapple, and the overall streamlining of combat will make combat flow more quickly and immerse everyone in the action better than 3.0.
14) 10 Extra core levels to draw out the adventuring process and allow characters to be fully immersed in all three tiers of play.
15) The elimination and/or retooling of game breaking powers that have been exploited to maximum effect, such as Fly, Teleport, Scrying, Wish, etc.
16) Healing/Leadership system is much more flexible and fun than in 3.0.
17) Scared cows have died that have lived too long.
2) Spellcaster's magic system being non-intuitive and a monster unto itself.
3) Creating unique new monsters from your imagination took far too long from conception to completion.
4) Skill system created a problem whereby most characters at higher level either automatically pass, or automatically fail.
5) Instant Death magic. It's dead, thank goodness.
6) Character races being unimportant past level 5, unless they are ridiculous monsters.
7) The 5-minute adventuring day is now remedied. Characters can actually progress through a dungeon without resting for 8 hours after every fight.
8) Exceptions based monster design allows the DM to create what he feels the monster needs in terms of abilities, instead of what the numbers force upon you.
9) Magic items will now accentuate your character, rather than being all important.
10) The 4 defenses is a vastly superior concept to saving throws, which although 3.0 made them better compared to 2.0, they were still a problem in application in 3.0.
11) The variety of playstyles. 3.0 allowed little variety beyond your decision of what race and class until you take on a prestige class, and prestige classes became a nightmare unto themselves with each book trying to outdo the others, and your character losing touch with what they originally were. 4.0 will introduce customizable syles right at level 1 which gives you the option to play different types of each class.
12) The complete overhaul of the planes will finally create a standard cosmology that feels like it isnt contrived and forced.
13) The elimination of iterative attacks, critical hit confirmations, special case rules such as grapple, and the overall streamlining of combat will make combat flow more quickly and immerse everyone in the action better than 3.0.
14) 10 Extra core levels to draw out the adventuring process and allow characters to be fully immersed in all three tiers of play.
15) The elimination and/or retooling of game breaking powers that have been exploited to maximum effect, such as Fly, Teleport, Scrying, Wish, etc.
16) Healing/Leadership system is much more flexible and fun than in 3.0.
17) Scared cows have died that have lived too long.
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