Encounters- Essentials Only, Moving Forward...

[keterys]

For me, I have many experienced players at my Encounters games. I will allow non-Essentials characters at my games. I will also have pre made Essential characters for new players. Ultimately I want to keep my players happy and coming back each week.

I have far more sympathy for those who disliked Dark Sun Encounters because it was pregens only, and they couldn't make their own character. That's an essential RP experience.

But I think you're probably doing a disservice to your encounters players, especially new ones, by allowing non-Essentials characters.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

Translation: I have nothing to contribute... Does that about sum it up, because I haven't seen anyone claim anything close to "the sky is falling"... In fact what I've seen is people post opinions and views in a pretty rational manner... but thanks for the hyperbole.

Whoosh.

 

[LuckyAdrastus]

I just can't figure how this could seem alarming?

Encounters isn't home-games. It isn't LFR. It's a ~six month old, 1-hour-a-week (max!) advertising and recruiting program which has two tasks: advertise new products, and recruit new players.

How does limiting this advertising and recruiting program to Essentials (assuming they are even doing that) have any effect on the whole rest of the game?

It's like complaining that a law in Western Mongolia, which says you can't eat apples in Western Mongolia, is going to prevent you from having your apple pie in Dubuque.

 

[Imaro]

I just can't figure how this could seem alarming?

Encounters isn't home-games. It isn't LFR. It's a ~six month old, 1-hour-a-week (max!) advertising and recruiting program which has two tasks: advertise new products, and recruit new players.

How does limiting this advertising and recruiting program to Essentials (assuming they are even doing that) have any effect on the whole rest of the game?

It's like complaining that a law in Western Mongolia, which says you can't eat apples in Western Mongolia, is going to prevent you from having your apple pie in Dubuque.

I don't think too many people, if any, are alarmed. I think some are dissapointed that the onset of Essentials has made alot of the options they were allowed to play with before in encounters, unavailable. As I said in my earlier post, I can see both sides...

I realize a ton of options is harder for a DM to monitor and control, and that Encounters is an avenue for them to promote new stuff... that said, I also realize that this is (until they're new program is unveiled) the main way for many to get their D&D fix and being told that previous options won't be available going forward is dissapointing.

I do wish that just because someone feels a WotC decision is negative for them... it wasn't painted by the ususal brigade as "the sky is falling", unfounded alarmist reaction... just because they don't agree with said opinion.

 

[Scribble]

I don't think too many people, if any, are alarmed. I think some are dissapointed that the onset of Essentials has made alot of the options they were allowed to play with before in encounters, unavailable. As I said in my earlier post, I can see both sides...

I realize a ton of options is harder for a DM to monitor and control, and that Encounters is an avenue for them to promote new stuff... that said, I also realize that this is (until they're new program is unveiled) the main way for many to get their D&D fix and being told that previous options won't be available going forward is dissapointing.

I understand what you're saying, but I think ultimately it will be better for the hobby.

One of the biggest concerns people have with gaming is how confusing it is for new players to get started. Which is part of what they said Essentials is designed to help alleviate.

It sounds like encounters is being geared up to be the "Try it to see what it's all about" program- A new player can join an encounters game- try out the game, and then find the evergreen essentials products he's been using there on the shelves ready to take home if he or she likes it.

Once they get up and running with the game, they can start learning about all the other options available, but by that time they'll understand the game enough to understand how the myriad of options works. Now it will be a boon instead of just a confusing nightmare.

Yes- for some it's become their main way to get their D&D fix... But that's not what encounters is designed to be. It's just that people are using it in absence of anything else.

WoTC needs (or at least it would be a good public relations move IMO) to build a good program to solve THAT need separately; and it sounds like they at least have SOMETHING in the works.

I do wish that just because someone feels a WotC decision is negative for them... it wasn't painted by the ususal brigade as "the sky is falling", unfounded alarmist reaction... just because they don't agree with said opinion.

I think a lot of it just has to do with there being a lot of threads where people DO just spout the worst possible scenario as if it's true... Gets people on alert.

Also- I'm glad people do get protective of the game... Shows people care about it. If they didn't get protective, that would be a really bad sign.

 

[MrMyth]

In my area, Encounters is the regular public play. For me, it's the only regular play. (I DM two irregular games.) we don't have LFR. I want to buy the red box for my eight-year-old for Christmas, not for me now. I have 30 hardcovers, I don't need the box.

I hated the pregens in season 2 and was thrilled when Chapter 3 allowed me to bring MY character. But now I guess I don't get to. Unless I stick with one of those eight character concepts. Or I skip for five months.

Its true. But keep in mind - someone could make a near identical complaint about Season 2, if they wanted regular D&D play but didn't want to play Dark Sun. Same thing if LFR was all that happened in their area and they didn't like Forgotten Realms.

That's the downside of a public game - it has certain assumptions and rules that need to be followed to play. There will be a new season after this one, though, that may be more ideal for you - and it did sound like other programs may be getting rolled out as well, specifically to address your concerns.

 

[giant.robot]

Its true. But keep in mind - someone could make a near identical complaint about Season 2, if they wanted regular D&D play but didn't want to play Dark Sun. Same thing if LFR was all that happened in their area and they didn't like Forgotten Realms.

That's the downside of a public game - it has certain assumptions and rules that need to be followed to play. There will be a new season after this one, though, that may be more ideal for you - and it did sound like other programs may be getting rolled out as well, specifically to address your concerns.

On Wednesday with the allowance of home made characters a guy showed up with a Shardmind sorcerer. I don't have any problem with him wanting to play that character and since he was the same level as everyone else it was pretty balanced. However at that point in the DDE campaign the number of survival days the characters had was becoming an actual issue. If you were running your own Dark Sun campaign you would need to be really careful allowing Shardmind and Warforged characters because the survival day mechanic doesn't really affect them.

These kind of things don't break the game or cause people not to have fun but they do kind of break the module. In Encounters if the module is broken by some subtle combination of optional powers players bring to the table that affects everyone playing. The DM either has to rebalance things on the fly which not all DMs do even if they know how or let it slide and everyone just walks through the module with little threat of failure. I've enjoyed the fact the Dark Sun Encounters' characters are not as optimal as you could possibly make them as it makes the module overall fairly challenging.

Some of the Essentials builds are not as heavy hitting as ones from the Core books. They're easier to play and understand but don't necessarily hit as hard. In an encounter balanced around Essentials classes and powers someone rolling in with a character decked out with every option possible might completely destroy the challenge of that encounter and potentially the entire module. The big danger there isn't so much someone hurts the module writer's feelings but that whirling Dervish player intimidates a new player sitting with their pregen hand-out character. The new player might not feel like they can contribute if the person sitting next to them is munchkining the game. If the DM and the munchkin player don't realize and appreciate this that new player probably won't come back the following week. Having everyone try to make due with the same level of characters I think makes for a more involving game.

 

[TirionAnthion]

With regards to the required boosters for gamma world, the boosters are not required to play the game but they are required for the game day. WotC wants to people to be exposed to the card mechanic so they are requiring them for the game day. I don't think this is indicative of the boosters being required for play.

As for the comments that I am doing new players a disservice by allowing non Essentials character, I think the damage is minimal. The majority of our players are not new, and if we force Essentials, we would see a significant drop in attendance, probably about 50%. I try to keep the new and experienced players somewhat seperated so that the new players have more room to stretch their wings.

If it seems like a problem is developing, I may take steps to restrict the characters for the Encounters. Until I see a problem, I will err on the side of choice over restriction.

That is just my opinion, your mileage may vary. Although I appreciate everyone's opinion on the issue and many of you have raised some valid points.

 

[Jhaelen]

My expectation is that the Encounter program is going to show off the newest books. It did so for Season 1 (Psionics in PHB3), Season 2 (Dark Sun) and Season 3 (Essentials).

This. After reading the recent announcement I immediately though: Ah, so that's how they plan to sell their Essentials stuff!

Wanna play D&D Encounters? Go buy Essentials!

By making a new product a prerequisite for playing, they get guaranteed sales, which is good for both the FLGS and WOTC.

I think this also mirrors what they've been doing with their Magic program: To play in the event, you need to buy boosters from the most recent set. Makes sense from a business viewpoint.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Of course, you don't /have/ to buy Dark Sun to play in the current round of Encounters, you just have to keep playing one of the pregens. (And people wonder why the pregens seem so sub-optimal?)

Actually, I haven't been too impressed with Dark Sun, so I didn't pick it up. But, I do like the (sub-optimal, but still kinda fun) Brawling Fighter pregen I'm playing, so I will finally get around to picking up MP2...

The point is, there's no requirement to buy to play Encounters. Just if you want to play a remotely optmized character.

OTOH, Gamma World Game Day wants to require you to buy boosters - like it was a magic tournament or something. I have a feeling that's not going to fly...

The local shop I've been going to for Encounters - Illusive Comics and Games - is fairly new to hosting games, and they had a sudden rush of players, from one or two tables up to four, when another store in the same county started chaging 3 bucks to play Encounters.

Three lousy bucks.

I'm a big fan of Gamma World, always have been since the first ed, and I'm afraid it's going to see another dismal performance, not because the game isn't cool, but because - once again - it's being hitched to another games wagon.

This is the 7th ed of Gamma World. The 6th used d20 Modern. The 5th Alternity. And the third MSH. All of those eds did /very/ badly. 1, 2 & 4, OTOH, were actually /just/ Gamma World, and did fine.