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Message: <blockquote data-quote="justrob" data-source="post: 5372366" data-attributes="member: 90783">Wow, wasn't expecting so many responses so quickly. I had an amazingly long reply typed up, hitting on every single one of you with an individual reply...and then the power went out. Yep. Wiped the whole damn thing. Spent over two hours typing it all up. Sucks. However, it did give me a little perspective on what I'd said. I've revised my thoughts on the time bubble thing. I originally meant it as equating to the jarring change as in video games when your party encounters an enemy, and it changes over to a combat screen and the whole game stops while you grind away...Yeah, that sounds as stupid to me after writing it as it does to you guys. It boils down to the transition from narrative to combat is just more jarring, to me, than in previous editions. Combat is simplified yes, streamlined etc, but it's so much more WORK at the table. That's something I need to wrap my head around and find a new system for. Same issue with the status effects. It's just always been something I find as more work than fun. I need to find some sort of system for managing them on the fly and that issue will be gone.The minis issue. Well, I think that's just me whining. We rarely used minis when I played previous editions, except for 3.5. It's a big mindset change from using them for pretty much just relative positioning, to the main tool of running combats.Now, let me clarify about the things I DO like about 4e. First, I LOVE how it's a refinement of the d20 system. Like Tikk said, anything someone wants to do, make them roll a 20 and modify it by blah blah. It's simple and elegant. Good things add to your chances, bad things take away. The only other system I've ever found to be as simple was Shadowrun's d6 system, albeit way more involved. Stat bonuses are simplified, Skills are ridiculously simplified. A FAR cry from the non-weapon proficiencies I grew up with. I still think feats can be improved, but I see them more as character flavor than a real mechanics enhancing part of the rules. Defenses are a godsend vs saving throws. I like how combat powers are based on [w] for base damage and not some arbitrary damage scale of their own. I think the healing system is pure cheese. Yes yes, cinematic and all, but pure cheese. Taking a breather after watching the last bad guy fall dead is not a good explanation for instant healing or refreshing, even considering the vitality vs wounds perspective.I still don't "get" rituals, but I think I just need to read more.Oh, PoL as the base "known world" is really really boring. This one is just a nit, we all use our own settings or more fleshed out packaged ones anyway. Chzbro, you actually provided exactly what I was looking for...perspective. I think I just needed to bounce my views on the system off of people to let me see them from the outside. This is how stupid opinions and flame wars start, people don't ask for critique on their views, they just spit out what they see as gospel and that's it.Thanks guys. Keep it coming if you have more.My NEXT question...Should I look at essentials as an errata printing of the core books? I have the 3 PHBs and DMGs and MMs. Is essentials...essential as an errata reprint of the books, or can I ignore changes and just keep using the books as printed?</blockquote>

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