pawsplay
Hero
At first, I was annoyed. The 4e annoucement came a year too early, just in time to crush my plans to run my own d20 publication business. I didn't have any particular emotional responses to the idea itself, as I was not emotionally attached to 3.5 and I always knew 4e would arrive someday. Then we begin to get more information. At that point, I became somewhat sour. To be frank, I am not a big fan of Races of Destiny, the Book of Nine Swords, or the Complete Scoundrel, nor do I consider the Warlock to be a "fix" for the sorcerer. But then I heard some design innovations coming from SW Saga, and I thought, "Hey, that's a cute little game, it could teach D&D tricks." Then I learned they were cribbing the most problematic parts of SW Saga along with some of its innovations, and leaving in latter-edition D&D problems in, like too many exception based powers and huge alpha strikes.
Eventually, I became Zen. 3.5 could be 3.5 and 4e would be 4e. I could like or dislike 4e separately from 3.5, and like or dislike 3.5 separately from its publication support. I decided I would take 4e on its own terms, and even resolved to pre-order the core books to save a few books, figuring I could sell them at no loss later if I chose to.
Then, I started getting the real bad news. Tieflings everywhere! Gnomes weren't in the PHB, frost giants not in the MM. Rogues were flipping over people and stabbing them in the back! Wizards would zot people all day long. All those really specific magic items from the MIC I hated? Those would be the new gold standard. Game world logic? Goodbye, here comes fast play logic.
At some point, 4e became a bad joke to me. I tried not to take it personally. Other people are free to like what they like. But despite my best efforts, I did take it personally. I ended up feeling affronted that I was no longer in the target demographic. Too old, too much time behind the GM screen, too stingy about buying new sourcebooks, too sedate in my tastes. But eventually, I got over that. When I learned the OGL/d20 experiment was basically over, I just rolled my eyes. The GSL seems like a thinly disguised attempt to blackmail third party publishers; give us $5000 or get out of the business, or we might sue you, whether we have a good case based in IP law or not.
I noticed recently it had been a couple of weeks since I had visited EnWorld. I guess I just dropped in to say it will probably be another couple of weeks before I drop in again.
I still have a shelf full of 3.5 stuff. There's a lot of problems with 3.5, but it took years to really bring some of them out in play. I suspect there's some tinkering that could be done to make it work. Right now, I just want to sit out the storm. Play some WFRP, some GURPS, some HERO. Think. Write.
Some day, maybe I'll play 4e. I ended up playing AD&D 2e in college, even though I didn't like AD&D, so anything is possible. Most likely, when I get the itch, it will be something else. Warhammer, GURPS, houseruled 3.5, something else... can't be sure.
But it sure won't be dwarven rogues flipping over minotaurs and stabbing them with ki-enfused punch daggers.
Eventually, I became Zen. 3.5 could be 3.5 and 4e would be 4e. I could like or dislike 4e separately from 3.5, and like or dislike 3.5 separately from its publication support. I decided I would take 4e on its own terms, and even resolved to pre-order the core books to save a few books, figuring I could sell them at no loss later if I chose to.
Then, I started getting the real bad news. Tieflings everywhere! Gnomes weren't in the PHB, frost giants not in the MM. Rogues were flipping over people and stabbing them in the back! Wizards would zot people all day long. All those really specific magic items from the MIC I hated? Those would be the new gold standard. Game world logic? Goodbye, here comes fast play logic.
At some point, 4e became a bad joke to me. I tried not to take it personally. Other people are free to like what they like. But despite my best efforts, I did take it personally. I ended up feeling affronted that I was no longer in the target demographic. Too old, too much time behind the GM screen, too stingy about buying new sourcebooks, too sedate in my tastes. But eventually, I got over that. When I learned the OGL/d20 experiment was basically over, I just rolled my eyes. The GSL seems like a thinly disguised attempt to blackmail third party publishers; give us $5000 or get out of the business, or we might sue you, whether we have a good case based in IP law or not.
I noticed recently it had been a couple of weeks since I had visited EnWorld. I guess I just dropped in to say it will probably be another couple of weeks before I drop in again.
I still have a shelf full of 3.5 stuff. There's a lot of problems with 3.5, but it took years to really bring some of them out in play. I suspect there's some tinkering that could be done to make it work. Right now, I just want to sit out the storm. Play some WFRP, some GURPS, some HERO. Think. Write.
Some day, maybe I'll play 4e. I ended up playing AD&D 2e in college, even though I didn't like AD&D, so anything is possible. Most likely, when I get the itch, it will be something else. Warhammer, GURPS, houseruled 3.5, something else... can't be sure.
But it sure won't be dwarven rogues flipping over minotaurs and stabbing them with ki-enfused punch daggers.
Thanks for reading. 
