Essentials doing what it was supposed to do?

[samursus]

I don't know if it is just me, but I have noticed quite a few posts from new 4e players in the last month or so. Not just here but on the WotC forums as well (granted I rarely go there).

I know this is only an anecdotal experience, but looking at the forums as a sample of the larger non-forum using RPG players/newbies, it would seem like Essentials is doing what it is supposed to be doing: bringing in a lot of new players.

I know its a bit of a leap, but I honestly can't remember seeing this many new accounts/newbie threads in such a short period of time.

Some of these new users have even specifically stated they were brought into 4e by the "old-school" aesthetics of Essentials and the Red Box.

Anyone else seeing what I am? Or am I seeing more than is there?

 

[fanboy2000]

Maybe. While optimistic, I can't say for certain.

Anecdotally, I seem to be seeing the same new player creation rate I've been seeing since I started DMing my first 3e campaign back in the early 2000s.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Interestingly, I noticed more complete newbies showing up when Essentials was hardly even a rumor. Not sure what that means. At our Encounters table, we had two completely new and several returning (not previously having played 4e) players durring the Dark Sun season. So far in the Essentials Season we've had one new-to-4e player - and he's playing a 4e character, not an Essentials character. It's even a Fighter, whose dailies are supposed to make newbies heads explode, as I understand it. :shrug:

I think the extra attention Essentials has garnered, and the statement that it's /intended/ to bring in new players, has brought in new players. The Red Box has certainly attracted the attention of lapsed players.

The fact that the game is in flux due to the incompatibilities and changes in direction between 4e and Essentials, though, may just drive them away again.

 

[Arlough]

My group has been fairly limited (about 10 at any given time, with people coming and going) but Essentials actually drove us away.
Basically, the mucking around with the rules so-as to accommodate essentials irritated the experienced players so much, that we chose to freeze the rules at Psionic Power and then house-rule to adjust any remaining failings of the system.
And with the experienced players not adopting it, the new players don't because they would rather learn the system with someone than strike out on their own.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I am not sure about new players, but my experience with expereinced players is dislike. The characters really do not fit in with standard 4E well, and there is jsut not enough vareity to feel that Bob1 is different from Bob2.

But some people enjoy it and that is great. I would have preferred limited versions of the existing characters under very similar ruels.

But ahh well, save money this winter.

 

[UHF]

I'm noticing quite a bit on the WOTC forums. Like 1 or 2 per day. And yep.. many are either 4e haters or even 1e or 2e DM\Players.

Daily Powers really upset these guys. At least that subject comes up a lot.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I'm noticing quite a bit on the WOTC forums. Like 1 or 2 per day. And yep.. many are either 4e haters or even 1e or 2e DMPlayers.

Daily Powers really upset these guys. At least that subject comes up a lot.

Yeah, a bunch of my friends(including my brother) who used to play D&D when we played 3e have resisted every attempt to get them to play 4e. They've claimed that they got together and played a test session amongst themselves(none of whom were optimistic about 4e, even the DM) and that the entire concept of a Fighter with daily powers was so stupid that they all spent their test session making fun of it and making jokes like "I'd like to hit really hard again...oops, seems I've forgotten how to do that!"

I have a feeling that if we played an Essentials ONLY game with them, they might come around. But I'd have to point out how different it was from normal 4e before I'd have any hope of getting them to try it.

I think Essentials would make a good fit for them.

 

[Odhanan]

Well, I did start re-examining 4e rules slightly before Essentials' release, but as far as I am concerned, it does its intended job in that it makes me want to run the game, where I would not have run the game after reading the original 4e books. So I guess it's working for me.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Interestingly, I noticed more complete newbies showing up when Essentials was hardly even a rumor. Not sure what that means. At our Encounters table, we had two completely new and several returning (not previously having played 4e) players durring the Dark Sun season. So far in the Essentials Season we've had one new-to-4e player - and he's playing a 4e character, not an Essentials character. It's even a Fighter, whose dailies are supposed to make newbies heads explode, as I understand it. :shrug:

In my experience genuine newbies are absolutely fine with the idea of daily powers for fighters. The people who aren't are experienced D&D players who've never played any type of narrative RPG.

I think the extra attention Essentials has garnered, and the statement that it's /intended/ to bring in new players, has brought in new players. The Red Box has certainly attracted the attention of lapsed players.

The fact that the game is in flux due to the incompatibilities and changes in direction between 4e and Essentials, though, may just drive them away again.

They really aren't very different. The Essentials Assassin even has daily powers. And you can use Essentials classes with 4e ones without trouble.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I think the extra attention Essentials has garnered, and the statement that it's /intended/ to bring in new players, has brought in new players. The Red Box has certainly attracted the attention of lapsed players.

I'm fairly certain that despite WOTC saying otherwise, Essentials is not designed to bring in "new" players. It appears to be squarely aimed at lapsed players from any of the previous editions. Which is a pretty big market. It also is slightly simpler, so it might make it a little easier for completely new players, but I think this is a happy side effect rather than the goal.

The fact that the game is in flux due to the incompatibilities and changes in direction between 4e and Essentials, though, may just drive them away again.

Well, I think, once again despite WOTC saying otherwise, that Essentials isn't really MEANT to be combined with pre-essentials D&D. It can be, and once again, that's a happy side effect but not the goal.

It works best when running ONLY Essentials stuff. Which is why non-essentials stuff is not allowed in the current season of Encounters. WOTC wants new players to see how the game works without any of the complications of the old books or the incompatibilities between old material and new material.

Not that there are many incompatibilities. We've had some Essentials characters added to our home game for a while now without noticing any problems at all. Really it's just a change in..."feeling" more than an incompatibility.