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<blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 5069328" data-attributes="member: 80487">The prime thing is the field of battle. Even more than in 3.5, I think, the treatment of fights in 4E really cries out for care and creativity in designing the setup -- so I would hope to see a lot of helpful material coming from Wizards. One might put on a &quot;video game level designer hat&quot;.Thinking in three dimensions is too often neglected, unless it's to specify that apparent potential props are really just useless scenery. Places to go and things to move (or destroy) are assets on which not to skimp.Excitement tends IME to entail daring -- which is to say risk, uncertain outcomes riding on rolls of the dice. Ken St Andre long ago laid down a basic principle in Tunnels &amp; Trolls: one can get a chance to do unto others in exchange for a chance of it backfiring.A gamble is not rationally very appealing if one has an advantage that should tell in the long run. It's the fellow who's screwed except for outrageous fortune who is better off skipping the long run by betting everything (or just a lot) on one throw.The exception is when there's a keen element of time pressure. Maybe the players can count on winning a prolonged battle of attrition, but there's greater potential reward in the riskier but quicker approach.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ariosto, post: 5069328, member: 80487"] The prime thing is the field of battle. Even more than in 3.5, I think, the treatment of fights in 4E really cries out for care and creativity in designing the setup -- so I would hope to see a lot of helpful material coming from Wizards. One might put on a "video game level designer hat". Thinking in three dimensions is too often neglected, unless it's to specify that apparent potential props are really just useless scenery. Places to go and [i]things to move[/i] (or destroy) are assets on which not to skimp. Excitement tends IME to entail [b]daring[/b] -- which is to say risk, uncertain outcomes riding on rolls of the dice. Ken St Andre long ago laid down a basic principle in Tunnels & Trolls: one can get a chance to do unto others in exchange for a chance of it backfiring. A gamble is not rationally very appealing if one has an advantage that should tell in the long run. It's the fellow who's screwed [i]except for[/i] outrageous fortune who is better off skipping the long run by betting everything (or just a lot) on one throw. The exception is when there's a keen element of time pressure. Maybe the players can count on winning a prolonged battle of attrition, but there's greater potential reward in the riskier but quicker approach. [/QUOTE]

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