Our group has a long D&D history, and we have been playing together on and off for about 18 years now with most of having 25+ years of D&D experience (I started with the Blackmoor books).
We started with 2nd Ed, onto 3rd, then 3.5. We were pretty happy with 3.5E (most of us owning the basic class splatbooks) and had been playing it for a number of years.
Our group comprises about 10 people all up, but not everyone turns up each session because of real life. When you have a bunch of tertiary educated 40 year olds with careers and family sometimes gaming takes a back seat.
The group has two DMs, and they typically swap each fortnight so that they can also get a game as a player. One DM runs a homebrew 3.5E campaign and characters have reached 15-16th level. The other DM has been taking us through the World's Largest Dungeon for the last four years - characters average about 9th level in that one.
Player availability tends to determine which campaign is played (some players can only make once per month whereas there is a core of us who play each fortnight) and we don't play if one of the DMs isn't available since the rest of us don't like them missing out on their fun as a player.
Anway, we had a period where a DM wasn't available for a few weeks, but nor were there sufficient players for the campaign of the DM that was available. But that DM did happen to to have bought the 4E introductory module - Keep on the Shadowfell.
So after having postponed a couple of times we decided to play KotS as a 'backup' campaign for instances such as this. After a quick 30 minutes of reading the intro ruleset we were into it. And we love it. Whoever turns up grabs a character and away we go.
After 4 or so sessions, the easy start characters have just reached 3rd level and one DM has bought the follow up modules.
The other DM has recommended abandoning the World's Largest Dungeon campaign as it has become clear to him that 4E is not only easier to run, but that combats are quicker and more fun, and preparation time for the DM is reduced - which is important to our group as time is precious. (DM last session had just worked 19 days straight without a break)
So, just like that, we've migrated to 4E, almost unintentionally! Now I've had to order the PHB
We started with 2nd Ed, onto 3rd, then 3.5. We were pretty happy with 3.5E (most of us owning the basic class splatbooks) and had been playing it for a number of years.
Our group comprises about 10 people all up, but not everyone turns up each session because of real life. When you have a bunch of tertiary educated 40 year olds with careers and family sometimes gaming takes a back seat.
The group has two DMs, and they typically swap each fortnight so that they can also get a game as a player. One DM runs a homebrew 3.5E campaign and characters have reached 15-16th level. The other DM has been taking us through the World's Largest Dungeon for the last four years - characters average about 9th level in that one.
Player availability tends to determine which campaign is played (some players can only make once per month whereas there is a core of us who play each fortnight) and we don't play if one of the DMs isn't available since the rest of us don't like them missing out on their fun as a player.
Anway, we had a period where a DM wasn't available for a few weeks, but nor were there sufficient players for the campaign of the DM that was available. But that DM did happen to to have bought the 4E introductory module - Keep on the Shadowfell.
So after having postponed a couple of times we decided to play KotS as a 'backup' campaign for instances such as this. After a quick 30 minutes of reading the intro ruleset we were into it. And we love it. Whoever turns up grabs a character and away we go.
After 4 or so sessions, the easy start characters have just reached 3rd level and one DM has bought the follow up modules.
The other DM has recommended abandoning the World's Largest Dungeon campaign as it has become clear to him that 4E is not only easier to run, but that combats are quicker and more fun, and preparation time for the DM is reduced - which is important to our group as time is precious. (DM last session had just worked 19 days straight without a break)
So, just like that, we've migrated to 4E, almost unintentionally! Now I've had to order the PHB
