A Eulogy for 3e

[Thorntangle]

Goodbye 3e, we barely knew you. You stormed into our lives with your bold, brassy new look and attitude only to leave us 3 years later. Before you were born, a community of fantasy gaming aficionados gathered to speculate about you thanks to a man known only as Eric Noah. When you arrived, you and your rhinestone-studded cover seduced me back into gaming after a long, long abstinence.

With news of your imminent passing we gathered again, not that we ever really separated due to the strong bonds you formed. We came first to mourn you in our own special way, by both casting scorn on your replacement and by reaffirming that parts of you were indeed broken, unbalanced, lacking, defective. But defective in your own endearing way.

Then we came again to speculate about your heir apparent, 3.5, the thoroughbred with all of your best traits and, supposedly, all your flaws removed. 3.5 would be the product of a crack team of RPG scientists working with your genetic material and millions of man-hours of test data. A replacement on our tables, but not in our hearts.

Yes, you will live on for a time in our hearts and at our tables, but you will fade like an aging heavyweight, just like your predecessor. 3.5 is your child and it's your child's time in the sun.

I raise my glass in honor of you, 3e. You will be forever in my heart and on my shelf.

Prost!


Will someone else say a few words for the departed?

 

[Henry]

Before you put the nails in the lid, can I grab a couple of things first?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

:: SNIFF ::

somebody hold me

 

[EricNoah]

No, no, no, no, no. 3.0's not dead. She just had some plastic surgery! See, if you look really close you can see bits of the old nose, the chin. 3.5's the same old gal, just spruced up a bit. She's gained in a few places and lost in a few others, but her heart and spirit are the same.


...or something...

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Before you put the nails in the lid, can I grab a couple of things first?

You can always count on a gamer to want to search the corpses for loot.

 

[Henry]

You can always count on a gamer to want to search the corpses for loot.

True story - we had to bury our cat about 7 years ago. My wife, being very sentimental in these situations, wrapped him in pretty linens and put his favorite toys with him.

Our little puppy (now 9 years old) was pawing at the wrappings of his favorite little buddy on the way to bury him.

My wife was moved to tears at the scene of the little guy trying to get his feline friend to move again...

...until he stole the cat's toys and started to play with them.

So everything I know in this area, I learned from my dog.

 

[Henry]

I raise my glass in honor of you, 3e. You will be forever in my heart and on my shelf.

Prost!


Will someone else say a few words for the departed?

I don't think the old gilr's dead. She might be in a nursing home soon, along with her sisters 1E and 2E and OD&D (We just call her "odie"), but she's still kicking quite well.

 

[Remathilis]

Hmm... I'd like to think of 3.5 less as a child and more of a reincarnation. Luckily, we got a decent roll on the table. Else, we'd all be playing Flowergardens and Flumphs, and no one would like that.

 

[Thorntangle]

Re: Re: A Eulogy for 3e

I don't think the old gilr's dead. She might be in a nursing home soon, along with her sisters 1E and 2E and OD&D (We just call her "odie"), but she's still kicking quite well.

My metaphor is a little more heartless. 3.0 is dead alright. Dead, dead, dead. Like Elvis, somewhat popular, but deceased. People still listen to his songs and dress like him. But he is still dead. I know what some are going to say, but no, he is wormfood. Pushing up daisies. Taking the big dirt nap. Really.

 

[TalonComics]

Being the comic geek that I am I see the transition between editions much like the evolution of the Iron Man armor.

In the beginning it was clunky and crude but over the years it evolved into a strong, stream-lined, powerful tool.

3rd Edition isn't dead or missing, it's just evolving like software. That's why it's 3.5 instead of 4th Edition.

~D