I like 4e, but I miss... Forked Thread: I like 3E, but I miss...

[Aberzanzorax]

Forked from: I like 3E, but I miss...


As I said in the other thread, I came across it and it was a fun read. So fun for me, in fact, that I thought I'd bump it for others to take a gander.



Also, I liked the idea.

So, 4e fans, finish this sentence with something you miss from an earlier edition (3rd, 2nd, etc):

"I like 4e, but I miss...."

 

[Dragonbait]

I like 4E but miss

* the flavor and "voice" of the setting products of the 90's. Planescape, for instance. I used to enjoy reading setting books and game books because they were enjoyable. By 3E and definately, I liked the system but found I could no longer just sit down and read a game book. Everything became more technical and rules-oriented. There are a few exceptions, yeah, but most of the time it's from books that go out of their way to be about flavor. Not even the Planar books and setting books had that "voice" like the 2ed books.

Heck I found my old Palladium books and realized that I was reading the basic rules and was kept entertained by the conversational manner said books were written in.

 

[C_M2008]

Thaco.
10-15 minute combats.
Magic items with pizzaz (like 1/2e).
Playing more than 2 sessions in a row.

 

[wedgeski]

I like 4E but I miss the Skill selection of 3E.

Knowledge skills in particular... I often struggle to find the right skill for the right occasion.

 

[JeffB]

The only things I really miss

1) wealth of 3rd party support that 3E had
2) Shorter combats of pre 3E games (easily fixed, but..)
3) Dungeon & Dragon mags in paper format

 

[weem]

I also miss the skill selection. I think a Ranger should track better than a Cleric, even if their Nature skills are the same... so gimme a Tracking skill (which we would assume the Ranger would train, and the Cleric would not).

Of course I could add back in any skills I see fit, but I don't like tweaking systems for fear of messing up balance (I'm not great at foreseeing problems in balance).

 

[NewJeffCT]

The only things I really miss

1) wealth of 3rd party support that 3E had
2) Shorter combats of pre 3E games (easily fixed, but..)
3) Dungeon & Dragon mags in paper format

True, I do miss the shorter combats - or large scale gigantic combats that were easier to run in 2E days. I remember, we had 10 PCs (big group), 2 major NPCs and about 20 caravan guard types on our side, vs 80 lizardmen, a lizard shamen or two, giant dragonflies, a giant croc and snake, plus a summoned elmental from the shamen. All in one great session.

If I wanted to do that with 3E, it would take 5 sessions or more.

 

[Oryan77]

I miss the uniqueness and variety.

I prefer having lots of options, like spell selection & skill placement. There is only so much you can do to make one Rogue different from all the other Rogues. Spellcasters aren't much different either.

I'm playing 3e & 4e though, so really, I'm not missing much

 

[blargney the second]

I love 4e, but I miss 3.5 psionics. That was an amazing subsystem...

 

[Mallus]

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I miss the character building mini-game. It's clumsy compared to the chargen found in full point-buy systems like HERO or M&M, but it certainly was fun.

I don't miss the skills so much, frankly I like a small list of broadly-applicable skills. And mechanical character differentiation isn't that import to me. I'm fine w/differentiating my characters through characterization.