D&D 4E Is 4E doing it for you?

[wedgeski]

I'm greatly enjoying DM'ing the new edition, and still quite bemused by some of the criticisms levelled at it. No room for roleplaying? Less variety? Cookie-cutter PC's? It's like I'm not even playing the same game as some of my fellow gamers on this thread.

I have yet to play a PC (hopefully soon), but as a DM, it has been something of a revelation after 3.5.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I'm greatly enjoying DM'ing the new edition, and still quite bemused by some of the criticisms levelled at it. No room for roleplaying? Less variety? Cookie-cutter PC's? It's like I'm not even playing the same game as some of my fellow gamers on this thread.

I have yet to play a PC (hopefully soon), but as a DM, it has been something of a revelation after 3.5.

I suppose when we talk about different "play styles" and "player types", we don't really get how different they can be.

 

[brunswick]

My first bi-monthly 4th Edition game is coming up in a few weeks (with some newbies and one or two old friends as my "regular" Saturday Group players dont want to switch from 3.5). I'm pretty excited about the new edition (its different, I'll say that) and I hope the new group is too. I too am a tiny bit concerned about the classes having similar abilities/powers but if I know my friends then they'll invest a lot of time into background/personality and will gleefully "tweak" the flavour text to suit their concept, so hopefully that will make a difference. I will do the same so that individual powers suit the NPC/Monster as befits the situation/atmosphere I am trying to create. On the whole, the game looks easier to DM and that can only be a good thing for me, as 3.5 (much as I like it) requires way too much book-keeping, in my opinion.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

No. Boring. Shallow. Bland.

If I ever play D&D again it'll be 1E.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I've enjoyed it a lot. D&D 4E has a narrower focus than 3.X, but it excels at that focus. DMing has become much, much easier.

And skill challenges are a lot of fun - especially when the players have to come up with justifications for using their favorite skills...

 

[DeusExMachina]

Running 4E has been one of the best roleplay experiences in my life so far. It's easy, it's fun and I can focus my energy on making interesting stories and battles instead of on the endless details of 3.5...

Playing 4E I must admit I sometimes feel like my characaters are a bit restricted in their options. However I feel that when we get some splatbooks and the PHB2 this could change. Also I feel that altogether playing 4e is a better experience than playing 3.5 as we just have gotten thoroughly sick of that edition...

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Most fun I have had DM'ing since WHFRP 1. I have had only one session as a player so far did not get much done as another player went off on a long solo run that got him exiled from the town. Nearly finish Keep on the Shadowfell and looking for to not DMing for a while and playing in sessions being run by the other players.

 

[Starbuck_II]

f.a.t.a.l.?

What about Timecube (Hybrid RPG)?

DeusExMachina:

Running 4E has been one of the best roleplay experiences in my life so far. It's easy, it's fun and I can focus my energy on making interesting stories and battles instead of on the endless details of 3.5...

Playing 4E I must admit I sometimes feel like my characaters are a bit restricted in their options.

I agree. That is similar to my thoughts.
If only College didn't interfere in my being able to have time to run a game.


And 4th edition, knows how many licks to the center of a tootsie Roll Pop. Even Pun-Pun doesn't know that (the creator said so that he didn't).

 

[Grimstaff]

I'm currently in 3 groups. One I have been in since '86 and unfortunately this group just gave up on D&D entirely. 4E took away what they felt made D&D unique. Couple of POV's were once you took away the flavor text every attack is identical to the next, the versatility that Wizards once had is now gone. Yes I know they don't run out of spells now, but quantity does not equal quality. 3.5 I could have 3 human 1st lvl wizards that could still be completely different, in 4E that is not possible. Also the "forcing" of needing each role filled does suck. I am the only one of this group that is pro 4e but I can't change the level of disgust this group has for 4E (I was surprised at the amount).

Ironically, 4E got my Thursday night group (which disbanded in August of last year due to 3.5 rules glut burnout) back together!

So, no, we don't share that experience.

Also, I've seen four very different wizards in play since May, not sure why you think the versatility is gone? Maybe you guys are just too burned out on gaming in general to try?

Not sure what you mean by "forced roles" either? As in strongly defined character classes? Lots of us see that as a feature, not a problem.

Why not just play 3.5 if that was so much better for your group?

 

[Grimstaff]

I play Old School D&D. I am playing in a Mentzer campaign and running an Empire of the Petal Throne (from 1975... still in print!... basically OD&D) campaign.

This is simply awesome...!

I wish I could find B/X or 1E players in my area (beyond the occasional one-off) by they appear to have gone the way of the Dodo...