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D&D Older Editions
Anyone playing 4e at the moment?
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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8175076" data-attributes="member: 82106"><p>You know, Mike Mearls seems like a pretty intelligent guy, with a wide background in game design, and should clearly understand the concepts and techniques which drive 'Story Now' play. Yet he displayed a desire to build these very classic setpiece static encounter filled adventures for 4e. So, either somehow he missed what it was all about, simply wasn't able to deliver, or really dislikes the concept and decided to try to reframe the game in classic Gygaxian D&D terms. Obviously Bill Slavicsek, James Wyatt, Collins, Heinsoo, et al were all in the mix, certainly in the first couple of years, too. So, perhaps we can speculate that 4e's overall course is a muddle between a 'classic D&D faction' and a 'D&D as Story Game' faction.</p><p></p><p>Inarguably the 'save' that Essentials was supposed to be was a flop. I mean, I don't really hate the material, I just think it was a waste of time and energy that could have been spent better on other things. There were a LOT of areas where 4e, pre-Essentials, had mapped out some area to explore, but then simply left it fallow. I feel like overall there was weak leadership throughout. A failure of the team to coalesce around a single vision, identify the most productive approaches, prune away dead wood before it got into publication, and just basically steer the ship in a good direction. So, yeah, Mike was not doing the 'right' thing, OTOH the problems started much earlier. </p><p></p><p>I think 3e was a smaller core team that was more focused. 1e was simply Gygax says it shall be this way. Other editions have tended to lose their way. 2e wandered off into 'GM Storyteller' and a rat maze of unstructured player options. 4e just couldn't bring itself to focus on what was best about itself. 5e at least I can give them credit for, so far, not getting too lost in the woods. I don't really like it, but it mostly sticks to doing what it does consistently.</p><p></p><p>So, for me, 4e means doubling down on the Story Now aspect and just running with it. When I run 4e it is about "what direction do the players want to go in" and making the world really seriously 'magical' and 'mythic' in feel. It isn't about plodding around counting torches, rations, and gold pieces. It is about being that guy who stands between the darkness and the only bit of civilization you are sure still exists. And the monsters are out there, and if you will all survive, your going to have to do some impossible stuff! But you're up for it, because YOU are a hero. Death awaits perhaps, but it will be no ordinary death. You will risk it all and either win big or die trying.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8175076, member: 82106"] You know, Mike Mearls seems like a pretty intelligent guy, with a wide background in game design, and should clearly understand the concepts and techniques which drive 'Story Now' play. Yet he displayed a desire to build these very classic setpiece static encounter filled adventures for 4e. So, either somehow he missed what it was all about, simply wasn't able to deliver, or really dislikes the concept and decided to try to reframe the game in classic Gygaxian D&D terms. Obviously Bill Slavicsek, James Wyatt, Collins, Heinsoo, et al were all in the mix, certainly in the first couple of years, too. So, perhaps we can speculate that 4e's overall course is a muddle between a 'classic D&D faction' and a 'D&D as Story Game' faction. Inarguably the 'save' that Essentials was supposed to be was a flop. I mean, I don't really hate the material, I just think it was a waste of time and energy that could have been spent better on other things. There were a LOT of areas where 4e, pre-Essentials, had mapped out some area to explore, but then simply left it fallow. I feel like overall there was weak leadership throughout. A failure of the team to coalesce around a single vision, identify the most productive approaches, prune away dead wood before it got into publication, and just basically steer the ship in a good direction. So, yeah, Mike was not doing the 'right' thing, OTOH the problems started much earlier. I think 3e was a smaller core team that was more focused. 1e was simply Gygax says it shall be this way. Other editions have tended to lose their way. 2e wandered off into 'GM Storyteller' and a rat maze of unstructured player options. 4e just couldn't bring itself to focus on what was best about itself. 5e at least I can give them credit for, so far, not getting too lost in the woods. I don't really like it, but it mostly sticks to doing what it does consistently. So, for me, 4e means doubling down on the Story Now aspect and just running with it. When I run 4e it is about "what direction do the players want to go in" and making the world really seriously 'magical' and 'mythic' in feel. It isn't about plodding around counting torches, rations, and gold pieces. It is about being that guy who stands between the darkness and the only bit of civilization you are sure still exists. And the monsters are out there, and if you will all survive, your going to have to do some impossible stuff! But you're up for it, because YOU are a hero. Death awaits perhaps, but it will be no ordinary death. You will risk it all and either win big or die trying. [/QUOTE]
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