Edition Idol

[rounser]

The editions I've never played are potentially D&D, but don't count unless I kill an orc with it.

Your thesis is that if the game can run the adventure "Orc and Pie", it is D&D?

Hmmm.

The thought occurs: What if it lacks rules for pies?

 

[Charwoman Gene]

The thought occurs: What if it lacks rules for pies?

Most editions of D&D have no rules for pie.

 

[Oni]

Pie abides by no rules! It is yummy, and that is all you need to know.

 

[Remathilis]

Your thesis is that if the game can run the adventure "Orc and Pie", it is D&D?

Hmmm.

The thought occurs: What if it lacks rules for pies?

Pretty much.

D&D = Orc & Pie.

Next question.

 

[RFisher]

I know you're being facetious, but I can understand Betote - and it's how I voted. The original D&D hadn't accumulated a lot of what makes D&D distinctive, and 3E and 4E culled a lot of that accumulated material. 3.5 didn't change "D&D" beyond the changes already made for 3.0, it just tweaked the rule system.

Also, I suspect a lot of people abstained voting for editions they have little or no personal experience with. Which seems perfectly reasonable to me.

 

[darjr]

I still think it's like I said before:

• Pro-4E folks are voting for 4E AND previous editions.
• Anti-4E folks are voting for previous editions, but NOT 4E.

I think this is likely as well. How do we find out? What kind of poll or other thingamajig might make it evident? Or not, as the case may be.

 

[doctorhook]

I think this is likely as well. How do we find out? What kind of poll or other thingamajig might make it evident? Or not, as the case may be.

It would have to be an "either/or" question, rather than a "choose all that apply" question. The question itself would be a Yes/No question, something like, "Do you consider 4E to be D&D?" Unfortunately, there's no way to phrase that question without leaving it a little bit loaded, thanks to the strong feelings about 4E.

It's also worth mentioning that at least one poll pretty much exactly as I described has already been done on these boards not so long ago. (Such things almost always turn into flamewars, of course.) Still, if you're feeling curious and brave, darjr, feel free to start a new poll! And don't forget to set the poll to close after a week or so; you'll get better data that way, than if you just leave it open.

EDIT: Thinking about it, there might be an even better way to do this. Something like the following:

Which of the following best describes your feelings about 4E and D&D? Choose only ONE answer:

• Previous editions are "D&D", but 4E is NOT "D&D".
• 4E is "D&D", but previous editions are NOT "D&D".
• I consider BOTH 4E and previous editions to be "D&D".
• I don't consider previous editions OR 4E to be "D&D".

(And then you define "previous editions", for those who aren't sure.)

This might give you a clearer look at exactly what you're wondering about.

 

[CleverNickName]

EDIT: Thinking about it, there might be an even better way to do this. Something like the following:
(snip)
This might give you a clearer look at exactly what you're wondering about.

This would give a more accurate result...but I think you might be missing the point of this thread. Charwoman Gene put this together as a tongue-in-cheek parody (or outright mockery?) of all of these "serious" edition wars. Because honestly: does a game have to be "real D&D" in order for it to be enjoyable?

The only true way to determine whether or not 4E is "real D&D," is to play the damn thing and decide for yourself. Nobody is going to change their opinion of (or stop arguing about) 4E because of a poll, no matter how brilliantly it is written.

 

[doctorhook]

This would give a more accurate result...but I think you might be missing the point of this thread. Charwoman Gene put this together as a tongue-in-cheek parody (or outright mockery?) of all of these "serious" edition wars. Because honestly: does a game have to be "real D&D" in order for it to be enjoyable?

The only true way to determine whether or not 4E is "real D&D," is to play the damn thing and decide for yourself. Nobody is going to change their opinion of (or stop arguing about) 4E because of a poll, no matter how brilliantly it is written.

Don't fret, CNN, I do get the point of it. Mostly though, the results of Charwoman Gene's unique poll has made me intensely curious about whether or not 4E players think of previous editions as D&D. Personally, I have already made up my mind about 4E, and I know that most other have too.

That said, the more curious I get, the more data I want to collect about the Zeitgeist here at ENWorld. Call it the social scientist in me.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

It's Ha-Ha Only Serious. I's NOT scientifically accurate. I'm curious as to why 4e has continued to drop. I don't think it is the most likely scenario, but it wouldn't be out of character for the anti-4e crowd to be creating new logins just to "prove" less than half of ENworlders think 4E is D&D. But that is a little paranoid.

CNN has the right of the serous side, and frankly, if 4e isn't D&D to you, go play what you think it is.