Focusing on the Positive

[Kzach]

It's possible this thread has been done before and even recently. If it has, then I apologise but I haven't been paying attention to the boards of late and can't be bothered Google searching threads.

Anyway, I'd like to, for just the briefest of moments, focus on all the POSITIVE things about 4e. Everybody gets so caught up in the minutia of WotC's comings, goings and leavings, that I think many people forget all the good stuff. I know I, for one, am recently guilty of this. I was so caught up in how much I hated even the IDEA of an in-browser Silverlight Character Builder, that I lost focus on all the reasons why I liked 4e.

What recently made me stand back and think about this was when a person asked, "So, what's 4e like?" After describing to them all the good and the bad, in all its glorious detail, I suddenly realised that there is a HELL of a lot more good than bad. And what is bad, is... well... I don't know, now I'm starting to think it's a bit of spilt milk, really, especially in comparison to all the good stuff.

So, with that said, I'd like (and genuinely hope) for people to tell us about all the good things about 4e; what you like and love and the reasons why you still play it and enjoy it. For those who are a bit bitter about all the bad things, I'd ask and recommend taking a step back for a moment and having a genuine look at the pros and cons; I think many people will find that if they honestly evaluate the benefits against the drawbacks, they'll come away realising just how awesome 4e is, and yes I'm an unapologetic fan: since when is that a bad thing?

Haters can make their own threads, please.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

In a nutshell (because I only have a moment) 4e -- as well as 3e before it -- lets me make characters that match the concepts in my head, in a way that 2e and earlier versions never did.

 

[fba827]

* modularity -- subunits can be added/removed without breaking other things
* standardization -- things like keywords, etc so things can be handled under a single set of rules rather than learning 3 different rules for tree different spells that functionally are similar (i'm looking at you polymorph spells of the past!)
* simplified monster design -- design and stats based on level rather than "built" from the ground up with feats etc. you can take a generic monster of any level and flavor to taste on the fly and players might never notice
* rules transperency -- the fact that the monster build chart is available as well as page 42 of the DMG, etc. it adds to ease for DMs
* balance -- (to me!) classes feel more balanced than previous editions. mind you, i'm not talking about everything such as some feats which i'm not convinced are as balanced as they should be, but just talking about classes here
* "non empty levels" of PC progression -- you get something every level, you don't have a level without some sort of gain
* .....
there's more but i have to go feed some kids now or else they'll start chewing on plates.

 

[Verys Arkon]

4E has, and still does, get my friends together around a table for fun, fellowship, and food.

The rest is gravy.

Verys

 

[Shawn_Kehoe]

1) The continuing redemption of the cleric! In AD&D the cleric had to use most of his slots to store healing spells. In 3rd edition the cleric could now memorize whatever spell he wanted, but after the first few rounds of combat he was probably burning them off to heal allies. Now, the 4th Edition cleric can heal allies AND participate in combat in the same turn! It's a beautiful thing.

2) Rituals. I applaud the decoupling of plot-centric, utilitarian spells from combat spells.

3) Tiers: I like the delineations between Heroic, Paragon and Epic tier.

 

[Cyronax]

As a DM:

Monster/NPC Design.

Hands down the best part of 4e. I don't think I'd enjoy DMing 4e if it weren't for my ability to understand the math behind monsters. 4e's design philosophy also explicitly says that there is no need to make it too complicated!

I too like the p. 42 elements, even though the DC's have been errata'd twice since publish.

All of the published books are internally consistent with the core rules paradigm at the time of release (obviously things evolved with Essentials). That means that the awful broken power creep of 3.x isn't returning. As a DM I am finally able to say all WotC published material (with a little wriggle room for campaign flavor) is now okay for PC's. (I still am leery of giving a carte blanche for Dragon Mag material.)


As a Player:

Character durability -- you actually feel tough in the game. You can screw around a little and still survive long enough to realize that you're trying to overcome a challenge the wrong way.

I hated 3.5 prestige classes because they caused so many arguments about suitability. Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies are nothing like that.

 

[Vartan]

4E boasts a clear and robust rules system.

Every class is combat-effective in a variety of ways.

PCs are highly customizable and their design opens up a multitude of role-playing interpretations.

4E boasts a clear and robust rules system.

Monster powers provide an imaginative and functional rules expression of the fiction that underlies them (e.g., kobolds are described as "shifty" and they have powers which explicitly reinforce that quality).

The game is well-supported, particularly through DDI. Character creation and encounter design are well aided by software and unbalanced game elements are "patched" without the release of a new edition.

The game books provide an abundance of practical role-playing and design advice for players and DMs alike. The DMGs are textbooks of game mastering that I appreciate all the more for having come of age as a GM prior to the advent of the internet.

Did I mention that the rules system is clear and robust?

 

[Vartan]

In a nutshell (because I only have a moment) 4e -- as well as 3e before it -- lets me make characters that match the concepts in my head, in a way that 2e and earlier versions never did.

What about 2E kits?

Seriously, good observation about 3E/4E.

 

[Mentat55]

My personal faves:

1. Fighters are AWESOME, perhaps even more awesome than wizards and clerics. I have been waiting for this for decades.

2. Being able to play a battlefield tactician, a.k.a., the tactical warlord.

3. Paragon paths: I echo Cyronax's sentiments about 3.5E prestige classes. Great idea, often poor execution. Paragon paths add customization in your character without replacing your primary class.

4. Epic destinies: Perhaps not appropriate for every campaign, but the idea of your character having this huge, world-changing role is really cool. They still have a ways to go balancing the roleplaying with the mechanical aspects (often hard not to pick Demigod), but I really like the idea.

5. Rituals: I still don't see them used enough, both for their inherent benefits as well as for their story possibilities, but I really, really like them.

6. Monster/NPC design: A thing of beauty. Being a nuts and bolts game mechanics guy, I always advanced monsters and made NPCs in 3.5e. It was so much work for 3 rounds and dead. Now the design is much simpler.

7. Companion characters: I really like this little add-on for making cohorts and party-joining NPCs.

8. Themes: A lot like paragon paths and epic destinies, it remains to be seen how extensive the implementation will be, but what already exists in Dark Sun has me sold.

9. Monks, Psionics, and Essentials: These three things, to ever-increasing degrees, are showing off how much you can mess with the 4e power structure and still have interesting, well-differentiated, and relatively balanced classes.

 

[FireLance]

3E brought us standardized conditions, but 4E simplified them.

Strength damage (3E) vs. the weakened condition (4E) is probably one of the biggest contrasts in terms of how easy it is to work out how the condition affects a character on the fly.