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<blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 6272440" data-attributes="member: 7635"><p>Emphasis mine. At the risk of coming this side of edition-warring:</p><p></p><p>I've had a horrible sinking theory since 2008 that 4e was a reaction to trying to close the barn doors that the OGL left wide open. So much of the game seemed different-for-differents-sake that it felt like someone overlooking things kept telling people to "change it up" and re-invent the wheel. Look at just some of the things we saw change:</p><p></p><p>1.) <strong>Alignment.</strong> While early O/BD&D did use the three-alignment system, most of D&D 1977-2007 used the nine-alignment grid that was common parlance among gamers. We might debate the finer points of what Lawful Good behavior IS, but no one could ignore the fact LG was recognizable. Changing that robbed its special symmetry. </p><p>2.) <strong>The Planes</strong>. I admit, I like 4e's cosmology, esp the feywild. However, The Great Wheel was again 30 years old at that time and had survived rebranding (Baator, Mechanus, Arborea) before. 4e's cosmology tossed much of that into the dumpster, only to slowly bring it back anyway in the form of Astral Realms anyway. </p><p>3.) <strong>Monster naming</strong>: Many monsters got descriptive adjectives added to them. Mostly, this was to distinguish them from monsters of the same type but different level/stats, but it also did create non-OGL variants of rather mundane monsters, like giant scorpions, wights, or kobolds. </p><p>4.) <strong>Tightening of Equipment to Archetype:</strong> In 2008-9, rogue were pretty much limited short blades and crossbows with leather armor by their powers, creating a distinct "image" of a D&D rogue. That makes it easy to produce art, minis, etc when you know a rogue is going to have a crossbow and daggers, a ranger has a longbow and two swords, a paladin wears plate while a fighter is in scale, a wizard has an orb or a staff, etc. </p><p>5.) <strong>Initial Offerings</strong>: 4e was the first edition of D&D since Basic that didn't begin with a druid, bard, or gnome in the PHB. It instead added the IP-locked Warlord and Warlock, as well as the Dragonborn and Eladrin (both not in the 3e SRD) to the mix. Even tieflings (OGL thanks to the Monster Manual) got a revised origin, abilities, and unified look (easier to make minis, art, etc). </p><p>6.) <strong>Power Names</strong>: Yeah, a few iconics (Magic Missile, Fireball, Sleep, Cure Light Wounds) reappeared in the PHB as selectable powers, but a goodly chunk of powers were new names. Some of this was necessity (rogues and fighters didn't have powers, new names were required) but due to the nature of the power system and siloing of spells into rituals, it was very common to see wizards and clerics (not to mention druids, sorcerers, and bards) never learn-nor-cast a single "spell" from 3e in favor of all new powers, spells, and variants. </p><p></p><p>I used to say 4e didn't feel like D&D, but I sometimes think that was an intended effect. It wasn't supposed to feel like 1e/2e/3e, it was just borrowing some of its concepts and dressing. I think part of it was designed to create a "new" D&D that wasn't open like 3e's OGL. (Indeed, the 4e license shows how much they wanted to keep it in house). Doing that would require new races, classes, spells, monsters, places and terminology. So 4e went back and reinvented the wheel on things to create the "new stories" that Paizo, Goodman, or anyone else couldn't recreate with the SRD. </p><p></p><p>Incidentally, when Essentials came out I think the tide had shifted and they had opted to "embrace" the traditions of old rather than continue building new (or rebuilding). Tonally, it shares more in common with Next's "Old with a modern twist" than 4e's "Rebuilt from the Ground Up" approach.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Remathilis, post: 6272440, member: 7635"] Emphasis mine. At the risk of coming this side of edition-warring: I've had a horrible sinking theory since 2008 that 4e was a reaction to trying to close the barn doors that the OGL left wide open. So much of the game seemed different-for-differents-sake that it felt like someone overlooking things kept telling people to "change it up" and re-invent the wheel. Look at just some of the things we saw change: 1.) [B]Alignment.[/B] While early O/BD&D did use the three-alignment system, most of D&D 1977-2007 used the nine-alignment grid that was common parlance among gamers. We might debate the finer points of what Lawful Good behavior IS, but no one could ignore the fact LG was recognizable. Changing that robbed its special symmetry. 2.) [B]The Planes[/B]. I admit, I like 4e's cosmology, esp the feywild. However, The Great Wheel was again 30 years old at that time and had survived rebranding (Baator, Mechanus, Arborea) before. 4e's cosmology tossed much of that into the dumpster, only to slowly bring it back anyway in the form of Astral Realms anyway. 3.) [B]Monster naming[/B]: Many monsters got descriptive adjectives added to them. Mostly, this was to distinguish them from monsters of the same type but different level/stats, but it also did create non-OGL variants of rather mundane monsters, like giant scorpions, wights, or kobolds. 4.) [B]Tightening of Equipment to Archetype:[/B] In 2008-9, rogue were pretty much limited short blades and crossbows with leather armor by their powers, creating a distinct "image" of a D&D rogue. That makes it easy to produce art, minis, etc when you know a rogue is going to have a crossbow and daggers, a ranger has a longbow and two swords, a paladin wears plate while a fighter is in scale, a wizard has an orb or a staff, etc. 5.) [B]Initial Offerings[/B]: 4e was the first edition of D&D since Basic that didn't begin with a druid, bard, or gnome in the PHB. It instead added the IP-locked Warlord and Warlock, as well as the Dragonborn and Eladrin (both not in the 3e SRD) to the mix. Even tieflings (OGL thanks to the Monster Manual) got a revised origin, abilities, and unified look (easier to make minis, art, etc). 6.) [B]Power Names[/B]: Yeah, a few iconics (Magic Missile, Fireball, Sleep, Cure Light Wounds) reappeared in the PHB as selectable powers, but a goodly chunk of powers were new names. Some of this was necessity (rogues and fighters didn't have powers, new names were required) but due to the nature of the power system and siloing of spells into rituals, it was very common to see wizards and clerics (not to mention druids, sorcerers, and bards) never learn-nor-cast a single "spell" from 3e in favor of all new powers, spells, and variants. I used to say 4e didn't feel like D&D, but I sometimes think that was an intended effect. It wasn't supposed to feel like 1e/2e/3e, it was just borrowing some of its concepts and dressing. I think part of it was designed to create a "new" D&D that wasn't open like 3e's OGL. (Indeed, the 4e license shows how much they wanted to keep it in house). Doing that would require new races, classes, spells, monsters, places and terminology. So 4e went back and reinvented the wheel on things to create the "new stories" that Paizo, Goodman, or anyone else couldn't recreate with the SRD. Incidentally, when Essentials came out I think the tide had shifted and they had opted to "embrace" the traditions of old rather than continue building new (or rebuilding). Tonally, it shares more in common with Next's "Old with a modern twist" than 4e's "Rebuilt from the Ground Up" approach. [/QUOTE]
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