History repeats itself

[vagabundo]

QFT. Like it or not, I think companies who don't eventually transition to 4e will be left in the dust.

I think there will be a nice little market for 3.75e material. Or we might get rules suppliments compatible with both.

 

[Celebrim]

Is this one of those threads where I can use thinly-veiled sarcasm to disparage those that disagree with me? I love those.

No, this is one of those threads were the OP makes thinly-veiled disparaging comments about the mental state of a whole class of people, and then begs the board to validate his opinion.

 

[grimslade]

I'd say you need a few ranks in Sense Motive, but, this being a 4e board, I guess you need to make it a Trained Skill.

You might also wish to take "Detect Self Mockery" as an at-will spell.

Alas, it is only a per encounter power. There is a feat to give a refresh but it is only available to tieflings as a racial feat. ;>P

I, for one, appreciate the dry wit of your subtle sarcasm and award you an intangible cookie.

 

[Set]

I remember when D&D 3E was first announced - and what happened on RPG-related online forums.

And I am incredibly amused how history repeats itself. Today we are seeing the same hysteria, the same rumors, the same denouncement of any changes (regardless of whether these changes have actually been confirmed), the same endless debates which are only based on hearsay instead of factual confirmation.

OK, some of the details have changed. But the way gamers are reacting to the edition change is exactly the same as it was eight years ago.

Who else finds this amusing?

Back when 3E was being showcased in two page mini-articles in the Dragon, I remember a lot of enthusiasm, actually. The Dragon articles had our group chomping at the bit to see the new Fighter, for example, a class we traditionally shunned. Perhaps, eight years ago, there were a lot of people screaming that the sky was falling, but I didn't know any of them, and the message boards I frequented didn't seem to have many of them. Some people said that they preferred 2E or didn't want to buy new books, and quite a few fans of Greyhawk were concerned that the setting was being put out to pasture, but there seemed to be a lot less name-calling.

The 3.5 announcement was less well-received by my group, because of some really lousy descriptions from the designers (the dude who was supposed to 'sell' the Damage Reduction change, for instance, insisted that it was to eliminate 'golf bag syndrome' where a fighter would have to carry around a bunch of different swords, *which didn't exist* under the +X or better system of 3.0, and became a real issue when DR changed to cold iron, silver, epic, good, lawful, peanut butter, left-handed podiatrists). But seeing the changes to the Ranger and Monk in particular (opening those classes up to be less one-trick) and the Animal Companion system replacing the old Animal Friendship 'travelling zoo' notion, we liked the 3.5 updates. (We just didn't use the DR changes.)

The 4.0 announcements, automatically handicapped by the bone-headed decision to cancel Dragon a few months ahead of time and shutting themselves out of the perfect advertising platform, have been uneven, and if not for sites like this one, helpfully compiling the random dregs of information trickling out of WotC, much of which is 'reverse-engineered' to try and figure stuff out, just leaves people arguing over what they are doing. Whether concerned or enthusiastic, we are all just sniffing fumes here, with no real knowledge of what's cooking.

Some like the smell, some wrinkle their noses, but not a soul among us has a freaking clue if it's gonna be edible....

I guess one could find the persecution complex coming from the people doing the name-calling 'funny,' if it wasn't so darned annoying. The game is coming out. End of story. Calling people 'haters' or 'grognards' or 'fanatics' because they don't like this or that announced or suggested feature only makes the supporters look obnoxious. It sure isn't likely to convince anyone to buy 4E who has a qualm, so apparently the only purpose in it is to be obnoxious for obnoxiousness sake, since it isn't a 'winnable' argument. It's already been 'won.' 4E is inevitable.

A couple of people in my gaming group ended up buying multiple copies of the 3.0 PHB, because of the revisions that would occur between printings, so if (when?) we eventually get around to upgrading, it will be a year or two down the road, and after our current 3.5 and M&M campaigns end. No reason to buy the same book multiple times, again. It's a rule (not just of D&D, but pretty much everything); Early adopters get burned.

 

[Wolfspider]

Well, that certainly is one way of looking at it.

*snort!*

 

[Wolfspider]

I don't remember any of the hysteria over the release of 3rd edition.

Most posts I read about it were excited about the proposed changes. Second edition had essentially been dead for a while now, and with all the problems TSR had, I think a lot of people were just happy that there was going to be another edition of the game.

 

[Wolfspider]

And I am incredibly amused how history repeats itself. Today we are seeing the same hysteria, the same rumors, the same denouncement of any changes (regardless of whether these changes have actually been confirmed), the same endless debates which are only based on hearsay instead of factual confirmation.

*yawns*

I've heard this one before. Do you know any other tunes?

 

[Wormwood]

History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
- Mark Twain.​

 

[Wolfspider]

History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
- Mark Twain.​

Oooh. Good quote.

 

[Wormwood]

I don't remember any of the hysteria over the release of 3rd edition.

Nor do I, frankly.

3.5, on the other hand....