D&D 5E How are people currently feeling about 5e?

[Stoat]

Moderately pessimistic.

I think WotC's goal of uniting the fan base is laudable but practically impossible. I'm concerned that they'll try to please everybody and wind up pleasing nobody.

I also have concerns about the modular nature of the new edition. I'm curious which modules will be available at launch, and slightly concerned that important modules won't be ready then. I'm curious how much content will be in whatever core books WotC sells versus how much will be sold a la carte in various splat books. I think it will be very difficult to balance the various modules against each other, and balance is important to me. I also think it likely that WotC will provide extensive support to some modules while essentially ignoring others.

 

[Dark Mistress]

Don't really have strong feelings one way or the other. I like some of what I have read about it and some I have not. I have only be barely paying attention to it. I will check out the playtest and see what's what though.

 

[Fifth Element]

I have some very strong opinions about 5E. Who's with me?

 

[bloodtide]

I almost don't care about 5E. Sadly. I like D&D and have been gaming for years, but I feel that for the last couple of years the game has just gone in the wrong direction. 4E jumped the shark for me, and I never bought a 4E book. And with the 4E taint forever now on D&D, I can't see how they will do 5E right.

My three biggest complaints:

1.D&D has gotten more childish and kid friendly. I hate that. The idea that they are making a game that only talks to kids makes me not want to buy or play it at all. They seem to only want to target the ''I playz D in D cauzz I'med the koolzed kids in the wholeze world, Wooo Hooo!'' crowd. Or the even worse ''Well once a beat Modern Hackfest 7 video game, I'll play D&D for a while until Modern Hackfest 8 comes out'' crowd.

2.The tyranny of the minority. D&D is a great example of this liberal crap. A handful of vocal 'players' whine and cry like babies about something, so the makers of the game change everything to make and keep them happy. They care nothing about the huge bulk of gamers that are fine with things. But as long as there is one guy crying in a corner, the will change the whole game to fit him.

Admin here. Please avoid referencing politics here, and you need to phrase your opinion without insulting other people. - Piratecat

3.The whole idea that D&D needs to be safe and have rules that say 'you automatically win'. Part of the whole social crap of things like ''every time a point is scored BOTH teams get the point, so every game is automatically a tie and Everybody Wins''. It's a wonder why D&D even has hit points any more as character death is so rare.

And I don't really see 5E fixing the problems....just making them worse.

 

[Hank McCoy]

I am personally excited for D&DN/5E. My playgroup (wife and 4 children ages 10-16 - the children not the wife) is really jazzed about the fact that we are "playtesters" for the new version.

I have run my family through Red Book Basic up to 4E (just a little bit of that), and am looking forward to running this new and yet familiar version of the classic game.

 

[Otakkun]

I almost don't care about 5E. Sadly. I like D&D and have been gaming for years, but I feel that for the last couple of years the game has just gone in the wrong direction. 4E jumped the shark for me, and I never bought a 4E book. And with the 4E taint forever now on D&D, I can't see how they will do 5E right.

My three biggest complaints:

1.D&D has gotten more childish and kid friendly. I hate that. The idea that they are making a game that only talks to kids makes me not want to buy or play it at all. They seem to only want to target the ''I playz D in D cauzz I'med the koolzed kids in the wholeze world, Wooo Hooo!'' crowd. Or the even worse ''Well once a beat Modern Hackfest 7 video game, I'll play D&D for a while until Modern Hackfest 8 comes out'' crowd.

2.The tyranny of the minority. D&D is a great example of this liberal crap. A handful of vocal 'players' whine and cry like babies about something, so the makers of the game change everything to make and keep them happy. They care nothing about the huge bulk of gamers that are fine with things. But as long as there is one guy crying in a corner, the will change the whole game to fit him.

3.The whole idea that D&D needs to be safe and have rules that say 'you automatically win'. Part of the whole social crap of things like ''every time a point is scored BOTH teams get the point, so every game is automatically a tie and Everybody Wins''. It's a wonder why D&D even has hit points any more as character death is so rare.

And I don't really see 5E fixing the problems....just making them worse.

All of that.

Plus digital content. 4E promised heven & earth on that aspect, and started with the right foot with their CB.... and then failed to deliver everything else and ended taking away the CB as well ...

With that experience I can't but be wary of anything they say. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Elf Witch]

I go from being optimistic to being pessimistic depending on what I read.

I am keeping an open mind as best I can and will wait until the actual play tests start and we see more of what they are trying to do.

 

[Mallus]

1.D&D has gotten more childish and kid friendly.

You should have seen what my group did with our 4e campaign!

D&D is a great example of this liberal crap.

Bringing politics into gaming discussions is against the rules around here.

And I don't really see 5E fixing the problems....just making them worse.

Personally, I don't see the problems you listed as "existing".

edit: put we down as "still feeling good/optimistic/moderately excited", even though my AD&D campaign is still humming along quite nicely (despite the baby-hiatus we're likely to take because one player just became a first-time dad!)

 

[john112364]

Optimistic that I'll like the core game and overcome my own 'out of the box'ism and be willing to pick options, exclude options, and house rule new rules when necessary like we did with every previous version.

Pessistic on the niche hobby as a whole on the number of gamers who won't be happy unless the 'out of the box' core version matches their specific gaming practices, preferences, and principles despite it being a syncretic game.

If we tRend to be unwilling to modify, ignore, improvise, and add to the existing rules versions already in print for D&D (including every fantasy RPG with magic and dragons) which already appeal to different styles, I have little hope for the same people to suddenly 'get' the often repeated Rule 0 from each version of the game.


Syncretism
noun 1. the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion. ... Or roleplaying.

This echoes my thoughts as well. I've never played any edition (1e thru 4e) of DnD that has not been house ruled or modified in some way by whoever was dming. Im not sure where everyone suddenly got the idea that the game had to be a perfect fit for their style of play. It never has in the past so why expect it now. I believe even Gary Gygax, who wrote the game, house ruled his home game. So have I and so have everyone I've ever played with.

Btw. I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm really psyched to see the play test.

 

[nightwalker450]

I'm curious about 5e, and eager to look at the play test materials. Whatever comes out though the forums will be going up in flames. But at least then I'll have play test materials to look at instead of these...

These are painful, but not nearly as much as other forums.