I have no idea what most 4E D&D players are really into, which may be absent from previous editions.
So far I've only DM'd 4E with an additional duty of playing an NPC wizard in my present game, since none of the other players were interested in playing a wizard or any other controller type character. Other than the at-will combat spells, the wizard doesn't seem to be that drastically different from previous editions, besides having less spells. I haven't really played the other classes that extensively.
Are there some 4E fans who are fascinated by the character powers being more powerful, than the simple use of a sword or bow & arrow in the combat of previous editions?
ggroy, let me give you a small list of what we 4E fans are into, which may be absent from previous editions:
1.- Class and Race balance (the Wizard does not overpower the Fighter, at any level)
2.- The
At-Will/Encounter/Daily power mechanics allow everybody to have interesting things to do on each round, not just the spellcasters.
3.- DMs can make
NPCs and Monsters with any abilities demanded by the story, not with those demanded by the character creation rules.
4.- Class and Race balance (the Bard is a useful character to have, not the comic relief)
5.- Healing Surge mechanics model the "action movie" paradigm and eliminate the need for someone to play a "healbot" character or for the party to carry tons of potions or wands
6.- Level based
encounter creation rules allow DMs to create interesting combat encounters quickly (useful for those times when the players go somewhere not originally intended)
7.- Class and Race balance (no CoDzilla and the Paladin is still interesting at level 10)
8.- DMG Page 42 allows DMs to
"say yes" to stunts and manoeuvres, above and beyond what's on the players list of powers
9.- Movement is a much bigger part of combat now and shifting, running, pushing, pulling and sliding are all more interesting than just standing there and stabbing the bad guy.
10.- Did I mention
Class and Race balance?
These are some of the reasons why some of us find the idea of "Pathfinder as 5E" as a very bad step backwards.