D&D 4E Is 4E winning you or losing you?

[Lonely Tylenol]

I was not happy about the announcement of 4th edition. I don't plan on abandoning my 3rd edition books, and I had plans to keep playing Pathfinder and Savage Tide for the next couple of years, before grudgingly converting. I've spent a ton on my 3rd edition books, and I don't like the idea of them becoming obsolete, especially when I haven't tried out all the fun stuff in them yet.

However, 4th edition is growing on me. I like a lot of what I'm seeing, and I think that many of the changes are going to fix a lot of the problems I have running and playing 3rd edition. I'm being dragged against my will into the "looking forward to 4E" camp.

I've noticed too that some posters are going in the other direction. From initial optimism, many of the changes they're seeing are driving them toward a gloomy outlook. They don't like the new fluff, many of the rules changes are just weird or dismember the system in uncomfortable ways, sacred cows are being burned by the herd.

So, who started off hating the idea but has come to welcome our new 4verlords? Who started off as a 4E fan from the get-go but now are dreading the coming storm?

 

[Mercule]

I started out psyched, moved to really unhappy, and am currently cautiously optomistic.

 

[MerricB]

I began in surprised, moved to shocked, and have generally regained my optimistic outlook.

Cheers!

 

[Lancelot]

Started off mildly excited, as I was still on a high from Star Wars Saga edition.

Got very excited as news came out regarding streamlining, improved playability, etc.

Veered momentarily into concerned alarm as some of the dramatic fluff items were revealed.

...and have finally settled back into eager anticipation. I just have to keep reminding myself that I should give these very experienced designers (who are also gamers, like me) the opportunity to reveal the final product before I make a snap judgment on diabolic succubi or Helm-vs-Tyr or revamping the Elemental Planes...

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I started off a little sad that they're making 4e stuff. I've stayed in the camp of looking forward to sticking with 3.5.

But, I'll add to it that I parted ways with WotC publishing just after Dragon Magic and Complete Mage. Complete Scoundrel and the published books that came after it just didn't have the kind of gaming experience I was looking for. The more WotC provided supplemental rules, the more I wanted my 3.5 + Draconomicon + Unearthed Arcana + 4 first Complete Books + XPH. The last 6 months before the announcement I was really learning to be content with what I had up until then. The 4e announcement just solidified what I was already thinking.

Having said that, I might also be primed for 4e. Haven decided a while back to stop progressing with 3.5 supplements, 4e might be enough of a "new" game for me to look at it fresh. We'll see.

Things I'm not approving of: (Understanding that we don't know the details)
Potential changes to planar systems
Potential changes to demons and devils
Making Eladrins a PHB race and potentially tying them to elves
Potentially making Tieflings a PHB race without Aasimar
Skill rank changes
Mike Mearl's opinions that monster generation should be different than PC generation
Strengthening magic by having the right "tool" {Wand, staff, crystal ball, whatever}

Things I think are potentially cool: (Understanding that we don't know the details)
Folding some skills in with others
Potentially stremlining combat
Fixing grappling, AoO, and the like
Minimizing the impact that magic items have on a game


There are good and bad. We'll see.

 

[freyar]

Cautiously optimistic about the rules, though I imagine that (1) I'll take a while to switch because I've got a lot of use to get out of my 3e stuff still and (2) I'll probably use a hybrid system anyway at least regarding monsters. We'll see.

Pretty unhappy about the fluff changes. Won't say things I could.

 

[breschau]

As long as the wizard traditions fluff is easily changed out, I'm chomping at the bit to get me some 4th Edition.

 

[Shemeska]

I started out cautiously optimistic, but I've moved towards grossly underwhelmed since then. The planar changes, and the rationale behind them aren't flying with me, or my players at this point. I'm not impressed so far.

My gaming $'s are being lost at this point (probably to Shadowrun and White Wolf's benefit).

 

[grimslade]

4E had me at Hello

Other than the new Pathfinder stuff from Paizo, my interest in 3.5 D&D has dropped to nil. The things that are being leaked have me excited to play D&D again.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, I was fairly ambivalent at the announcement at GenCon, but ever since the seminar the following day, I've been majorly psyched. So far, almost everything I've heard is either positive or, at worst, comfortably neutral. There have indeed been a few things I dislike, but they account for only about 5% of the previewed material, if even that.