A Wrought Iron Fence Made of Tigers

[ShadowDenizen]

Personally, the greatest disservice WotC gave its customer base was going back and remove the fluff around the rules.

I think you summed up my thoughts as well.

To me, 4E is the first edition of D+D that feels like they established the mechanics first and built a setting around it.

All the previous editions (IMO) felt like they took the fantasy mileu first and built rules around it.

 

[malraux]

I think you summed up my thoughts as well.

To me, 4E is the first edition of D+D that feels like they established the mechanics first and built a setting around it.

All the previous editions (IMO) felt like they took the fantasy mileu first and built rules around it.

I dunno, the impression I get from Worlds and Monsters was that they built both, roughly simultaneously. Then sometime between R&C and W&M and the PHB, they pulled out all the detailed setting info.

 

[Toras]

I will certainly agree with KM about flavor and mechanics needing to function as a single unit. I think the problem is not so much that you can replace the flavor with what you want. I could have done that to anything.

My problem is that the 4e flavor doesn't do anything for me. Its like you got caught have way between D&D and Generic. Which is like adding salt to my soda. Going one way or the other would have preferable.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I dunno, the impression I get from Worlds and Monsters was that they built both, roughly simultaneously. Then sometime between R&C and W&M and the PHB, they pulled out all the detailed setting info.

Which while very fun to read, I am glad they did. I would personally prefer them to release specifically "fluff" books, or Dragon articles (like they have been doing).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I'll give you warlocks, but dragonborn and ESPECIALLY Tieflings were both radically different. Tieflings share close to zero similarities, save their name.

Close to zero? The fundamental concept of a "fiendish" race are in both. The rest is just one particular variation. If I'd wanted, I could use the 4E flavor text on 3E Tieflings and vice versa.

Standard D&D never assumed cannibalistic Halflings. Dark Sun does. I'd like to say that Dark Sun probably changes the image of Halflings far more then 4E changes the image of Tiefling.