Inner Circle's review of 4e

[JVisgaitis]

I just finished a blog post on my thoughts on 4e. You can read it over on our blog, Arcane Sight.

Overall, I'm really happy with this edition thus far. A lot of my gripes might be a bit premature since I don't have the books yet or haven't spent a lot of time with them, but I still think its the best D&D I've ever played.

If anyone notices any glaring mistakes or has their own thoughts, let me know.

 

[DaveMage]

Reading your review makes me wonder: do you like 4E because of what it truly is, or simply because it's new? (You have far more negatives than positives in there.)

Would you like it if you were only able to play with the core rules (first three books) for the next 5 years?

 

[JVisgaitis]

Reading your review makes me wonder: do you like 4E because of what it truly is, or simply because it's new? (You have far more negatives than positives in there.)

Would you like it if you were only able to play with the core rules (first three books) for the next 5 years?

I definitely like it for what it is. Would I be happy with 3.5 for 5 more years? If there was nothing else, sure. Yeah, I did have a lot of negatives, but I don't have the rules either and I played only once. A lot of that will probably change with time and a better understanding of the game. I plan to revisit that review in about 6 months, but IMHO this is the best version of D&D ever.

 

[Wisdom Penalty]

I definitely like it for what it is. Would I be happy with 3.5 for 5 more years? If there was nothing else, sure. Yeah, I did have a lot of negatives, but I don't have the rules either and I played only once. A lot of that will probably change with time and a better understanding of the game. I plan to revisit that review in about 6 months, but IMHO this is the best version of D&D ever.

I think David meant: Would you still like 4e if you only have the first three 4e books over the next five years?

 

[DaveMage]

I think David meant: Would you still like 4e if you only have the first three 4e books over the next five years?

Yes - this.

Secondly - do you prefer a cinematic style in your gameplay?

 

[JVisgaitis]

Yes - this.

Sorry, my bad. That's what I get for reading quickly and responding at work. That's a tough question for me. I'm assuming that you mean just the original PHB, DMG, and MM and not the expanded core (PHB2, MM2, etc.) that WotC is pushing for 4e, correct?

Being a designer I'm more of a rules junky so I'm never really satisified with the main core books even going back through 3.5 and earlier editions. From what I've read I do feel that 4e is lacking material that I would want in my core game like several classes, a more expanded weapons and equipment list, gnomes, half-orcs, etc. So bearing that in mind I probably wouldn't be satisfied no, but that was the case with 3e too.

Secondly - do you prefer a cinematic style in your gameplay?

Cinematic in what way? No miniatures just description or something else?

 

[DaveMage]

Cinematic in what way? No miniatures just description or something else?

Cinematic in the sense that your combat scenes are similar to action films - like fast-paced martial arts-style movies, where your characters jump up to and hang from chandeliers while firing their hand crossbows into the fray, then jumping to safety on the high ledge, etc., etc....

 

[Pinotage]

Being a designer I'm more of a rules junky so I'm never really satisified with the main core books even going back through 3.5 and earlier editions. From what I've read I do feel that 4e is lacking material that I would want in my core game like several classes, a more expanded weapons and equipment list, gnomes, half-orcs, etc. So bearing that in mind I probably wouldn't be satisfied no, but that was the case with 3e too.

You mentioned this in your review, but I thought I'd ask for an expanded view if you have the time. Do you think 4e will be easier to design for? Classes are the obvious example of being really difficult to design for since you need to design scores of powers with them. Nothing in 3e, I think was ever that difficult. I guess I'm just after a designer's opinion of creating new material for 4e.

Pinotage

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Cinematic in the sense that your combat scenes are similar to action films - like fast-paced martial arts-style movies, where your characters jump up to and hang from chandeliers while firing their hand crossbows into the fray, then jumping to safety on the high ledge, etc., etc....

For me, No. This same cinematic feel is also what has kept me away from Eberon. Action Points just don't do it for me.

 

[Roxolan]

Do you think 4e will be easier to design for? Classes are the obvious example of being really difficult to design for since you need to design scores of powers with them.

I agree. In 3E, if you wanted a new class, you could design a very different system, like psionics or incarnum or Book of the Nine Swords. In 4E, most of what makes a class interesting is its powers, and there's only so much powers you can create without them becoming too similar to each other.
We'll have to wait for the first new official classes to have the answer, I guess.