Is 4e bringing new players to the game?

[Mercutio01]

Gabe at Penny Arcade started playing with 4E.

In my experience working in a Massachusetts high school, the MMO aspects which 4E haters bring up all the time were actually a selling point for a few of the kids who just started playing.

 

[GnomeWorks]

In my experience working in a Massachusetts high school, the MMO aspects which 4E haters bring up all the time were actually a selling point for a few of the kids who just started playing.

Could you be a bit more specific as to what they liked about it, if you can?

 

[darjr]

Around here, yes. I think a lot of it is because it's a new edition, but a lot of the sticking power is because it's 4e.

As a small example, in store/RPGA play was mainly at one FLGS. Now it's expanded to five of them and one not so local FGS.

 

[Shemeska]

Well if traffic trends on the WotC forums for the past year* are an indication, the number it's bringing into the game isn't enough to offset the numbers it turned off from the game.

*anecdotally related by someone formerly in a position to be aware of what those numbers were (which roughly correspond to the Alexa trends of the same time period for what it's worth). Trust me to trust that person I suppose for the accuracy of the claim.


Locally from what I've seen, 4e spiked and then crashed, with people going back to earlier editions, or more frequently trying other games and systems entirely. People get into D&D oftentimes because of people who are already gamers, and if a new edition sufficiently splits the market like 4e anecdotally has according to many, there are fewer people working to bring newbies into that new edition. I'm not seeing anything like the wave of new people coming into the game like I saw with 3e.

 

[avin]

Hey Shemeska, just out of curiosity, have you played GURPS already?

 

[morgul97]

Perhaps the more important question is not whether it is bringing new people in, it's whether it is bringing people back. I have been interested in RPGs since I was 5 years old (I'm 34 now). I haven't been part of a regular gaming group for years, if really ever. I bought a handful of books for 3.0 when it first came out and played a bit, but by the time 3.5 rolled out, I was way too busy with work and other stuff. Since 4e came out, I have joined a weekly Thursday night group, have purchased all 10 of the main books (core, Planes, Draconomicon, Martial Powers, Vault, FR books, Open Grave, and PHB2 on the way) and got a 3 mo. insider sub. If I'm even close to typical of lapsed D&D / RPGers then Wizards is probably doing quite well, despite those who stopped playing because of the switch.

 

[Rechan]

Locally from what I've seen, 4e spiked and then crashed, with people going back to earlier editions, or more frequently trying other games and systems entirely.

I actually find that a great boon. It doesn't help D&D to push people into new systems where they stay, but it:

1) helps D&D when those people eventually come back. They have different perspectives and new ideas, from mechanics to "how a story/game works from this system".

2) helps the RPG industry.

3) helps the RPG hobby itself.

 

[maddman75]

It brought me back. I'd fallen out of love as I saw 3e get too heavy and complex and moved to other simpler games. 4e's exception based design along with the power cards make it a game I want to play again.

There's also a thriving 4e community on RPGnet, which had traditionally been mostly anti-d20.

 

[Shemeska]

Hey Shemeska, just out of curiosity, have you played GURPS already?

Twice. I fell asleep during character creation both times.


At the moment I'm still playing in one 3e/3.5 FR game set during the Netherese era, and a Shadowrun (3e) game. My 3.something Planescape game is on hiatus till the FR game is finished up. Was in a oWoD Mage game but had to sadly drop out due to time constraints.

Would adore playing in either a Cthulhutech game or nWoD game (vampire or mage). Of course, once I'm finished with my campaign this year at some point, eventually I'll probably run a Golarion/Pathfinder game. Never gotten to play a deadlands game either.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Would adore playing in either a Cthulhutech game or nWoD game (vampire or mage). Of course, once I'm finished with my campaign this year at some point, eventually I'll probably run a Golarion/Pathfinder game. Never gotten to play a deadlands game either.

Same here, same here. Though I dunno what type to do, all types of games in Cthulhutech be fun be it Tagers, Engels, NEG troops/mecha, etc. Same with nWoD I want to start a new Promethean or start a new Changeling game.

Especially since I am currently DMing our 4e game, so want to be playing in a game as well (DMing is fun but nice to get a chance to play as well).