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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Windjammer" data-source="post: 5643443" data-attributes="member: 60075">But 4E is slightly different, in that the emphasis both in the pre-release marketing and the end product itself was very heavily on 'we are going to fix the math'. That's the eminent design goal, I'd say. It's certainly very mechanis oriented edition. I could also throw in Wolfgang Baur's remark (a propos his review of PHB 2), "Ah, well, flavor is not a 4E strong point, but we’re heading into the realm of comedy this time out." I agree with this - flavour was never a forte or selling point of most of 4E. Streamlined gameplay was. And if we are to reduce D&D combat to a D&D Miniatures engine, then we might as well critique a) whether that reduction produced more interesting gameplay and b) whether the execution of that reduction was well done.See, I'm not even jumping on a), which has caused way way way more edition wars. I'm just pointing out b), that a major selling point of 4E didn't come to pass and was not fixed by any of the people officially working on 4E for three years now. Actually makes me wonder what 4E's selling point will be once it's a legacy edition. 1E has the old school vibe, 2E has the most interesting settings, 3E has a rule for everything and very good OGL support, 4E ... well 4E is the game where it's about dynamic combat, yes? Only time can tell. Personally I see my group playing and enjoying 4E many years beyond its expiry date, because the modules and PC powers just cry out for <a href="http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=136647&sid=57155b70a73d55523e7d4fcc68af3950#136647" target="_blank">slapstick parody</a> and goofy fantasy Vietnam, the type of gamestyle which works well for my current group, and which, to me at least, actually comes quite close to what you see portrayed in 'The Gamers' film. So when Wolfgang Baur said that 4E's PHB 2 "heads into the realm of comedy", I see that as one of 4E's strongest selling points. 4e is so hilarious in its language, so over the top in its portrayal of coolness, that once you stop to take it seriously it's a heck of a enjoyable game. You know, like that Kung Fu Panda opening sequence* with the quote, 'He's so awesome, his enemies went blind due to exposure to his awesomeness'. That wouldn't at all look out of place in a 4E splat, and I wouldn't put it beyond WotC' free lancers & co. to write these things with something other than a straight face.* Link: [ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk2dYOFZPt4[/ame][ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxLeh_HSEDY"][/ame]</blockquote>

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