How has the 4e/3e schism affected you?

[Aus_Snow]

Do you have 3.x/4e arguments around your own gaming table? Are you currently experiencing adoption pains as your group decides what to play? Do the arguments get kind of nasty?

No, no arguments. Much discussion, but that's all. And generally not around the gaming table, but at other times, if there's free time and that's what we feel like talking about in the first place.

Any stories of actual gaming groups being split apart because of this?

I've heard of some. . . (heard about them online.) :\

Do you think that the schism you see online is reflected among the total gaming demographic? If not, why not?

No frigging idea. However, I wouldn't be too surprised, given that 3e is an excellent game (regardless of preferences, and I'm not claiming that it's perfect) - too good, perhaps. IOW, there might not be the same incentive this time around. Hey, it's just conjecture. Truly, I don't know the numbers.

Do you think the community will eventually heal itself? How long do you think it will take? What will be the result/general concensus?

Yeah, it'll heal. Main thing is, everyone's playing games they like. They don't have to be the same games. Besides, there's enough in common that those commonalities can frequently be discussed, which helps.

And as for past schisms, dunno. Wasn't paying too much attention, and was for the most part playing other games (other than D&D, that is.) And when some were playing AD&D (as some still are) the vast majority went with 3e. . . as they've continued to do, and are continuing to do. No-one is going 4e around here. So um, no schism IRL.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

This is exactly my experience.

I'd say no effect.

Though in some ways I've become a bit more re-energized for 3.5/Pathfinder. So I guess it has been good for me, all-in-all.

No schismn in my group either.
Everyone was willing to test out Pathfinder until 4E was out, and now everyone wants to play 4E (I fear my first regular session can only disappoint them, with so high expectation! I am just an average to bad DM! )

I think most people that have a stable group have found a group that shares similar tastes. If there wasn't a lot of friction in your group due to differing play styles before, 4E just won't change that.

But message boards are different. The members are diverse, they have different play styles.

 

[Korgoth]

I don't know a single gamer across 3 groups that plans on playing 4E.

No effect on me. Old school for life, dog.

 

[kiznit]

I don't know a single gamer across 3 groups that plans on playing 4E.

No effect on me. Old school for life, dog.

Sure sure, but I bet you keep a copy of the 4.0PHB behind the toilet for that special "alone time".

 

[SpydersWebbing]

It's had some effect on me.

Out of the three people I play with:
One is enthusiastic about it as much as I am. He's gotten tired of 3E's broken-ness, and wants fun higher level play too.
One was not an enthusiast but very quickly became one, but only because the combat's better.
And the last one......OY. That was not fun. He and I were in constant arguments over it for months.

His arguments:
"It's too much of a departure from 3.5, it's all much too much too fast"
"I was just getting the old rules"
"I don't like the idea of spending more money"

My arguments
"Your favorite book the Tome of Battle was a TESTING GROUND for 4th. These ideas are not new, and then the Tome of Mages (or whatever it was called) put the nails in the coffin for 3.5, along with the Book of Scoundrels"

"Tough."
"It's a good product, and I like to give people money for good products. If you don't wanna buy it, go ahead and don't. But I will."
"I'm DM, and the rest of the people wanna play 4th in our gaming group. You're outvoted."

He grumbled, and then aquieced. As I had predicted to him, he grew to love the system, although he won't admit it. He just doesn't like me being right. Again.


Yeah, it's affected our group, but not seriously.

 

[jdrakeh]

Sounds like something out of Knights of the Dinner Table.

Dude apparently had a lot of time tied up in Drow (this is why the 'roll eyes' smiley needs to come back).

 

[billd91]

No schism since most of the groups I participate are staying 3.5 (though all are willing to try a 4e games).
What I'm seeing are different groups drifting apart between 4e adopters and 3e holdouts. I wouldn't call it a serious schism, though.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Not much effect at all in my RPG group(s). All three of the campaigns I'm involved in are mid-level and going strong, so switching to 4E is a de facto non-starter. We have introduced another in-joke, though ... whenever we run into any odd corner-case rules issues in our 3.5 games, someone deadpans, "4E fixes that," and everybody laughs.

There was a related effect for me that's less good: the 4E rules basically drove me away from DDM, which was a hobby I'd really enjoyed. On the other hand, I've gone back to spending that hobby time in my local cardroom, which means that an income-negative activity (buying minis and playing in tournaments) has ceded ground to an income-positive activity (fleecing surrealistically horrible poker players).

Oh, and speaking of net financial gain: no more WotC books to buy. (Though it looks like I'll be spending nearly as much with Paizo, so we'll see.)

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I got my new 4e group together on the basis that I'd be running 4e.

In my experience, for most gamers, gaming (no matter what system) is better than not gaming.

We're learning the new rules together, but I've not had any pro-3e or anti-4e comments yet.

 

[Greg K]

My arguments
"Your favorite book the Tome of Battle was a TESTING GROUND for 4th. These ideas are not new, and then the Tome of Mages (or whatever it was called) put the.

See, one of my M&M players happens to play D&D with another group. He loves TOB. Out of everyone I know, he was the one person out of I thought would jump at 4e. However, he has no interest based on what he has seen or read.