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<blockquote data-quote="DMZ2112" data-source="post: 6256494" data-attributes="member: 78752">I feel like these traits have been present in every edition of D&amp;D -- I would agree that D&amp;D3.5 was the biggest example of both cases, however.These are commonalities between D&amp;D3 and D&amp;D4.These are commonalities between D&amp;D3 and the previous editions of D&amp;D and AD&amp;D.This is, in my opinion, the defining characteristic of the D20/SRD/OGL continuum of RPGs.&nbsp; If I had to sum up that generation in one word, I'd pick &quot;feat.&quot;I think the defining characteristic of D&amp;D4 is interaction with the environment, whether that environment is terrain, enemies, or even party members.&nbsp; &quot;Synergy&quot; might be a good word.&nbsp; Character design is all about maximizing cooperation and group efficiency, combat is all about using terrain and battlefield-changing powers to your advantage, and NPCs are unique set pieces presenting individual challenges to be overcome with the right combination of approaches. AD&amp;D2, for me, is all about story.&nbsp; Character customizability did not become a real thing until very late in the edition -- kits were more about being able to say &quot;my fighter is an X&quot; than they were about actually changing the way a character was played.&nbsp; Non-weapon proficiencies might as well have been adhesive stickers for all their mechanical impact.&nbsp; Even priests of different gods were mostly differentiated by their choice of weapon, of all things.&nbsp; Combined with the heretofore unmatched deluge of setting detail that was published in the '90s, AD&amp;D2 was more about the plot I was progressing and the people whom my player characters were than the number of encounters I had planned and whether or not they were &quot;balanced.&quot;If D&amp;D5 does only /one thing/, I want that feeling back.AD&amp;D1 I need to think about.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="DMZ2112, post: 6256494, member: 78752"] I feel like these traits have been present in every edition of D&D -- I would agree that D&D3.5 was the biggest example of both cases, however. These are commonalities between D&D3 and D&D4. These are commonalities between D&D3 and the previous editions of D&D and AD&D. This is, in my opinion, the defining characteristic of the D20/SRD/OGL continuum of RPGs. If I had to sum up that generation in one word, I'd pick "feat." I think the defining characteristic of D&D4 is interaction with the environment, whether that environment is terrain, enemies, or even party members. "Synergy" might be a good word. Character design is all about maximizing cooperation and group efficiency, combat is all about using terrain and battlefield-changing powers to your advantage, and NPCs are unique set pieces presenting individual challenges to be overcome with the right combination of approaches. AD&D2, for me, is all about story. Character customizability did not become a real thing until very late in the edition -- kits were more about being able to say "my fighter is an X" than they were about actually changing the way a character was played. Non-weapon proficiencies might as well have been adhesive stickers for all their mechanical impact. Even priests of different gods were mostly differentiated by their choice of weapon, of all things. Combined with the heretofore unmatched deluge of setting detail that was published in the '90s, AD&D2 was more about the plot I was progressing and the people whom my player characters were than the number of encounters I had planned and whether or not they were "balanced." If D&D5 does only /one thing/, I want that feeling back. AD&D1 I need to think about. [/QUOTE]

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