Well, like others, I've decided to post a bit of observations from my Monday playtest.
4 Players, all who play 3e/pathfinder (although we're currently in a Call of Cthulhu game)
I can't speak for their observations, but as the DM, here's what I felt.
D&D Feel: Yes, it did 'feel' like D&D, but I grew up on B2 so I don't know how much of that was just residual memory and how much was playtest. They might have been better served by using a new experience rather than one in which people already have visceral memories (or at least some of us do).
Edition Feel. The game felt like a cross between 1e, 2e, 3e, and 4e but I don't think it felt like it took the best bits from each edition.
How it felt
Characters - 4e and 2e
Monsters - 3e
Core Rules - 1e
I'd have rather seen this
Characters - 2e and 3e
Monsters - 4e
Core Rules - 1e
I feel they didn't play on 4e's or 3e's strengths. Which kept messing with my feel for the game. Players were using 4e type abilities against 3e type monsters. I'd have rather the reverse. I like the 2e kit type integration and think it should definitely remain a part of the game. And I enjoyed the 1e feel of the core rules (with the exception of advantage/disadvantage, which continually took me out of the feel of the game and required too much d20 rolling). I'd kill for good mob rules when 5 orcs surrounding a character only require one roll, rather than 5 with the possibility of 10 if they advantage or disadvantage. Perhaps scale damage instead. A DM should roll less dice not more.
I appreciate the opportunity to playtest the game and plan on being involved in another playtest, this time as a player to get a fuller experience. However, I'm much more interested in a fuller ruleset, including more 3e/4e combat mechanics. Perhaps with the next playtest. But unless they tone back the advantage/disadvantage mechanic, I'm not sure the game will end up one I want to continue with. I want less rolling, not more. I wouldn't mind the mechanic staying if it was seriously limited to only a few abilities or situations and kept out of the reach of monsters. I don't have much confidence that it won't get out of hand with each supplement and MM. It's just not fun for me.
4 Players, all who play 3e/pathfinder (although we're currently in a Call of Cthulhu game)
I can't speak for their observations, but as the DM, here's what I felt.
D&D Feel: Yes, it did 'feel' like D&D, but I grew up on B2 so I don't know how much of that was just residual memory and how much was playtest. They might have been better served by using a new experience rather than one in which people already have visceral memories (or at least some of us do).
Edition Feel. The game felt like a cross between 1e, 2e, 3e, and 4e but I don't think it felt like it took the best bits from each edition.
How it felt
Characters - 4e and 2e
Monsters - 3e
Core Rules - 1e
I'd have rather seen this
Characters - 2e and 3e
Monsters - 4e
Core Rules - 1e
I feel they didn't play on 4e's or 3e's strengths. Which kept messing with my feel for the game. Players were using 4e type abilities against 3e type monsters. I'd have rather the reverse. I like the 2e kit type integration and think it should definitely remain a part of the game. And I enjoyed the 1e feel of the core rules (with the exception of advantage/disadvantage, which continually took me out of the feel of the game and required too much d20 rolling). I'd kill for good mob rules when 5 orcs surrounding a character only require one roll, rather than 5 with the possibility of 10 if they advantage or disadvantage. Perhaps scale damage instead. A DM should roll less dice not more.
I appreciate the opportunity to playtest the game and plan on being involved in another playtest, this time as a player to get a fuller experience. However, I'm much more interested in a fuller ruleset, including more 3e/4e combat mechanics. Perhaps with the next playtest. But unless they tone back the advantage/disadvantage mechanic, I'm not sure the game will end up one I want to continue with. I want less rolling, not more. I wouldn't mind the mechanic staying if it was seriously limited to only a few abilities or situations and kept out of the reach of monsters. I don't have much confidence that it won't get out of hand with each supplement and MM. It's just not fun for me.
