Are you SWAT or NOT?

[Desdichado]

?!

The entirety of the first post, including the thread title, is completely incomprehensible to me. I can recognize isolated words of course but their combination is complete nonsense.

Can someone let me in on the joke?

 

[the Jester]

What the hell are you talking about, please?

 

[helium3]

I think he's saying that 4E encourages the players to think about combat encounters like they're part of a swat team.

Basically, they need to use squad tactics and the like if they want to have a chance of living.

Apparently, 3E encouraged combat encounters that were more like a Bruce Lee fight.

In other words:

In 3E: M1 vs. P1 + P2 + P3 + P4
In 4E: M1*M2*M3*M4*M5 vs. P1*P2*P3*P4*P5

I know that in the 10th level Black Dragon fights (I did a second one a few days later) I ran, the party was vastly more effective when they started working together rather than acting like a bunch of individuals who all happened to be in the same room fighting the same monster.

What'll be interesting to see is if the player in our group who likes to think of himself as the "tactics guy" and who most actively advocated for switching will be able to put his money where his mouth his. He's also the group's biggest showboater when I'm not playing.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm not entirely sure what the raving lunatic who started this thread means, it's not even internet-speak, I speak internet-speak, this something wierder.

I think what he's trying to say is, do your players play like it's a tactical wargame or do they do whatever they want. I'm honestly not sure I believe anyone who claims their players are entirely one thing or another, though, so I don't think anyone is genuinely "SWAT or NOT".

My main group of players in 2E/3E very pretty planning-oriented, coming up with elaborate and horrific plans any time they got the drop on the enemy. In combat, and when surprised, they tended more towards the swashbuckling, "tricks and stunts"-side of thing (which 4E actually supports decently imho).

In 4E, the stuff I've run so far hasn't really allowed for that. I guess they're mostly like "Action Movie SWAT" than "serious SWAT".

 

[blargney the second]

BTW, I gather that Family isn't just one person - there are several people who post here using the same account. So far I think I've seen Momma Badger, Poppa Badger, and I think this is one of the pups. Play nice, guys.