Getting Overwhelmed by "Everything is Core"

[Lhorgrim]

So I tried 4E when it released, and my experiences weren't great.

I don't plame the sytem for the results because there were several factors that made the game fall flat. I was trying to DM with a new system after a long hiatus, the group was a mix of veteran 3.X gamers and absolute beginners to RPGs, and the game was played in the FLGS instead of my home. All of these things combined to achieve a pretty unsatisfying game, and I put the 4E books away after around half a year of trying to keep my game alive and failing. I like 4E, I just haven't been able to put together a cohesive campaign/gaming group yet.

I've gotten in the mood to try to get "back on the horse", but I'm a little intimidated by the number of rule books that have continued to be released. I kept up through the PHB2 and the DMG2, but now I see there will be a Martial Power 2 and a PHB3? I can't afford to keep up with that kind of release schedule. I got a one year subscription to the DDI (mostly for the CB) and the Compendium was a great substitute for getting the extended rulebooks, but I had to let the subscription lapse because I couldn't justify another $70 around Christmas time. I loved the CB and Compendium, but Dungeon and Dragon just weren't enough of a sell for me to spend the money.

In previous editions I bought the core books and whatever expansions I felt like using. Now I feel like I'm falling behind the curve because it appears each new iteration of releases introduces new concepts beyond the first three books.

I may not even be able to get a cohesive gaming group together, so I hate to buy into the DDI if I'm not going to get to use it enough to justify the expense.

If I didn't have a limited budget, I would happily buy all the 4E books they could release and keep the DDI subscription on autorenew but that just isn't the reality.

So are there other impovrished gamers (or Luddites) that have been able to put together healthy games without the DDI or using all of the latest rulebooks?

Should I just suck it up and sell some plasma to get my DDI subscription back, or can I live a semi-normal life without it?

 

[Crothian]

We only use the books the DM has. DDI is nice but it isn't just about the wealth of material or the cost; there is a time issue. The DM doesn't have the time to know and read through everything even if he had all the books. Players get to concentrate on just thier character so it is much easier for them.

 

[Holy Bovine]

So I tried 4E when it released, and my experiences weren't great.

I don't plame the sytem for the results because there were several factors that made the game fall flat. I was trying to DM with a new system after a long hiatus, the group was a mix of veteran 3.X gamers and absolute beginners to RPGs, and the game was played in the FLGS instead of my home. All of these things combined to achieve a pretty unsatisfying game, and I put the 4E books away after around half a year of trying to keep my game alive and failing. I like 4E, I just haven't been able to put together a cohesive campaign/gaming group yet.

I've gotten in the mood to try to get "back on the horse", but I'm a little intimidated by the number of rule books that have continued to be released. I kept up through the PHB2 and the DMG2, but now I see there will be a Martial Power 2 and a PHB3? I can't afford to keep up with that kind of release schedule. I got a one year subscription to the DDI (mostly for the CB) and the Compendium was a great substitute for getting the extended rulebooks, but I had to let the subscription lapse because I couldn't justify another $70 around Christmas time. I loved the CB and Compendium, but Dungeon and Dragon just weren't enough of a sell for me to spend the money.

In previous editions I bought the core books and whatever expansions I felt like using. Now I feel like I'm falling behind the curve because it appears each new iteration of releases introduces new concepts beyond the first three books.

I may not even be able to get a cohesive gaming group together, so I hate to buy into the DDI if I'm not going to get to use it enough to justify the expense.

If I didn't have a limited budget, I would happily buy all the 4E books they could release and keep the DDI subscription on autorenew but that just isn't the reality.

So are there other impovrished gamers (or Luddites) that have been able to put together healthy games without the DDI or using all of the latest rulebooks?

Should I just suck it up and sell some plasma to get my DDI subscription back, or can I live a semi-normal life without it?

Contrary to what you may have heard your CB and AT will continue to operate after your DDI subscription lapses. You do lose out on the Compendium but that is more of a convenience than a need. I would just try to get a group together and say 'You can use anything up to books 'X' but nothing beyond that.' This whole 'everything is core' is just WotC trying to sell more books. It isn't Holy Writ or anything - play with what you have!

 

[Woas]

My question is, how does Lhorgrim have a custom title but is not (from what I can see) a Community Supporter with a green box?

 

[samursus]

Just like any previous edition, you only NEED the books you have. Although the new books are cool and offer more options, I think its DESIRE that causes you to lament

What did you do in previous editions when there were all the splatbooks out and you couldn't afford them? And if you could afford them, then only YOUR financial situation has changed, and I can only commiserate with you as I too wish I could buy them all. Fortunately, I bought 2 years of DDI to take advantage of the beta pricing and I can at least have the bulk of the crunch...

Interestingly enough I was in the same situation as you, almost exactly. Came to 4e after a long hiatus; started with a group of hardcore 3.5 players and 1 newbie. Most of the 3.5 ers hated 4e (although they hated it before they even gave it a chance)... and because of my rusty DM skills I don't think any game I ran at the time would have been very good. The game died...

Flash forward to now. Started up with some new people about a month ago; DM'ed for the first time since the beginning of 4e on Sat. The game ROCKED!!! The time I spent recharging my imagination helped a ton, plus the fact I was actually playing in a game and saw what I needed to do to bring back the ol' magic.

I barely use the books I have... relying mostly on CB and the module I am running... mostly using PHB1 classes and races.... trust me... I LOVE all the books, but you don't need them.


PS: All the 4e haters from before are almost begging to get into my group, system notwithstanding... they just want to play. A good DM can make any system shine. And since I refuse to DM 3.5...

 

[Morrus]

Now I feel like I'm falling behind the curve because it appears each new iteration of releases introduces new concepts beyond the first three books.

You're not on a curve; neither are you in competition with other D&D players around the world. Just buy what you need and simply don't worry about it. I haven't got all the books, and my game is running just fine - better than fine, in fact: it's damn good game!

 

[JiffyPopTart]

As a player...you really don't need to ever purchase a book as long as your (or someone in your group) have access to the character builder.

There really isn't much of a delay at all between the release of the book and the release of the data.

DS

 

[samursus]

My question is, how does Lhorgrim have a custom title but is not (from what I can see) a Community Supporter with a green box?

I think (but am not positive) one can turn off the green box.

 

[Lhorgrim]

My question is, how does Lhorgrim have a custom title but is not (from what I can see) a Community Supporter with a green box?

I don't know for sure.

Back in the olden days when I had more disposable income I was a community supporter, and when my subscription/account expired the custom title never went away.

 

[fanboy2000]

YMMV

So, I've been running a 4e game since October 2008. Player books wise, I'm behind. I also don't read through all the new classes that get put-up in Dragon. Last weekend, I decided to run the Village of Homlet adventure as updated for 4e. (It was a lot of fun.) It was a one-shot ran outside the usual time we play.

One of my regulars comes to me and says that he's playing a level 4 Ardent. I ask him what an Ardent is, explaining to him that I'm behind on my PHB3 classes reading. He tells me it's a Psionic Warden. Works for me. We played and, even though I was unfamiliar with the class, it worked out really well. It "felt" like he was playing a Psion, and it felt like he was playing a leader.

My point, and I do have one, is that allowing all the various classes in the game rarely impedes my enjoyment as a DM. It helps that the CB prints out the text of the power so I can look at it if I need to.

<tangent>
This same regular was dealing a beat-down on one of my monsters this past Saturday. I jokingly called him a cheater and asked to see his character sheet so I could look at the power he was using. When he handed it to me (after protesting his innocence) I saw that the power he used was handwritten! Of course, he wasn't a cheater, he was just using a power that wasn't going into the the CB until the next update. But it was funny nonetheless.
</tangent>