innerdude
Legend
Okay, so what I'm about to say probably doesn't apply to those who play and enjoy 4e, but for those of us who stayed with 3.x or switched to Pathfinder, there's some real meat to this tongue-in-cheek analogy. 
(see? tongue in cheek?)
So you've been dating this girl for years (D&D), and for the most part, she's great. She makes you happy, you've had tons of great times together, she's helped you make new friends, and things have generally been good.
Oh sure, you've had the odd quibble here and there. You really wish she'd clean up the mess in the back room (profession skills and the world economy), and her brother can be a bit of an attention hog every now and then (all things related to drow and Drizzt). She can be a bit scatter-brained in the way she approaches her life (too many splat books and campaign settings), and her dad is a bit too meddlesome at times (Hasbro).
But all in all, it's been a great relationship, and you've been looking forward to continuing your life with her.
But then, one day it happens--she says she's breaking up with you. Oh, you know the old drill, "It's not you, it's me," claiming she needs a fresh start, wants to expand her horizons, try something she's never done before (4e). At first you're very upset. What did you ever do for her but support her through thick and thin, through ridicule and bad hair days? What does she mean she wants "change?" What was so wrong with what you already had?
But her position is intractable. And because you love her, and want her to be happy, with a tearful goodbye you wish her on her way.
A year, maybe 18 months goes by, and you've sort of stopped thinking about her all the time. Yeah, she still comes up in conversation, but it's more the wistful, "Yeah, those were great times!" than sheer bitterness (there are obviously exceptions to this).
You've started seeing other women (rules systems), and things are actually going pretty good. You feel healthy, invigorated even.
But then one day you hear a few rumors, through the grapevine. She's not as happy where she's at that she thought she would be. Her new boyfriend is younger and "shinier," but more demanding. Takes more work for the relationship to thrive. She met lots of what she thought were new, interesting people at first, but a lot of those relationships haven't lasted.
Some of your friends who still see her come back and say, "Yeah, she's still alive and kicking, but she just doesn't seem the same. It's like she's lost her way, looking for something that she didn't know she had until she lost it."
And you start to think--Could I go back to her?
The thought is both invigorating, and terrifying. You have so much history with her, you almost can't help wanting to get back with her. You know the way she thinks, the way she moves....
But then you remember that her new lifestyle isn't quite what you remember. She's changed. And you've changed too. Maybe what you had before won't ever really be the same.
But then again, you still rationalize that "Maybe this time it will be better (5e). Maybe she's learned, maybe this will be the thing that really works out."
And so you keep hoping, and dreaming, maybe even fantasizing a little bit about what this glorious reunion might look like. It'd be like coming home to the thing you've always known and loved.
But what if she can't change? What if she's so stuck now in her current ways that there's no going back?
But you keep hoping anyway.....
That, ladies and gentlemen, is 5e in a nutshell.
(see? tongue in cheek?) So you've been dating this girl for years (D&D), and for the most part, she's great. She makes you happy, you've had tons of great times together, she's helped you make new friends, and things have generally been good.
Oh sure, you've had the odd quibble here and there. You really wish she'd clean up the mess in the back room (profession skills and the world economy), and her brother can be a bit of an attention hog every now and then (all things related to drow and Drizzt). She can be a bit scatter-brained in the way she approaches her life (too many splat books and campaign settings), and her dad is a bit too meddlesome at times (Hasbro).
But all in all, it's been a great relationship, and you've been looking forward to continuing your life with her.
But then, one day it happens--she says she's breaking up with you. Oh, you know the old drill, "It's not you, it's me," claiming she needs a fresh start, wants to expand her horizons, try something she's never done before (4e). At first you're very upset. What did you ever do for her but support her through thick and thin, through ridicule and bad hair days? What does she mean she wants "change?" What was so wrong with what you already had?
But her position is intractable. And because you love her, and want her to be happy, with a tearful goodbye you wish her on her way.
A year, maybe 18 months goes by, and you've sort of stopped thinking about her all the time. Yeah, she still comes up in conversation, but it's more the wistful, "Yeah, those were great times!" than sheer bitterness (there are obviously exceptions to this
). You've started seeing other women (rules systems), and things are actually going pretty good. You feel healthy, invigorated even.
But then one day you hear a few rumors, through the grapevine. She's not as happy where she's at that she thought she would be. Her new boyfriend is younger and "shinier," but more demanding. Takes more work for the relationship to thrive. She met lots of what she thought were new, interesting people at first, but a lot of those relationships haven't lasted.
Some of your friends who still see her come back and say, "Yeah, she's still alive and kicking, but she just doesn't seem the same. It's like she's lost her way, looking for something that she didn't know she had until she lost it."
And you start to think--Could I go back to her?
The thought is both invigorating, and terrifying. You have so much history with her, you almost can't help wanting to get back with her. You know the way she thinks, the way she moves....
But then you remember that her new lifestyle isn't quite what you remember. She's changed. And you've changed too. Maybe what you had before won't ever really be the same.
But then again, you still rationalize that "Maybe this time it will be better (5e). Maybe she's learned, maybe this will be the thing that really works out."
And so you keep hoping, and dreaming, maybe even fantasizing a little bit about what this glorious reunion might look like. It'd be like coming home to the thing you've always known and loved.
But what if she can't change? What if she's so stuck now in her current ways that there's no going back?
But you keep hoping anyway.....
That, ladies and gentlemen, is 5e in a nutshell.
)
