D&D 5E Is 5e really that different?

[Shardstone]

I think the discourse around 5th Edition is made a lot muddier by people who both get too defensive or, on the other hand, too aggressive in the conversation. Some people legitimately will go out of their way to try and devalue your opinion and end the conversion on the defensive spectrum. Some on the aggressive spectrum either don't have the skill needed to give good critique or are so absorbed with their idea of TTRPG that they can't actually have a real conversation about it.

However, 5th Edition is a pretty good game. I don't enjoy it as much as I used too, and I find myself having to design a lot of things for it, but the most important thing is that it is stimulating to play. Getting levels, killing monsters, and interacting with weird, funny, scary, or moving NPCs taps some important areas in my brain, and I think in the consciousness of the global mainstream too.

While ultimately 5th Edition is a lot different from 4th, the differences are born from a return to 3.5 ideals mixed with a smattering of 4th and a smattering of AD&D and before. It is very easy to grok the basic ideas of the game, and for those willing to work through the half-dozen or so actual flaws, there probably won't be another game as good out there unless you have specific tastes (such as wanting a loooot more Thespian roleplay, and so playing something like Burning Wheel, Monsterhearts, etc).

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The last new version I learned to run was 4e. I wasn't bad, thought I still prefer earlier editions. Why does 5e make so many people upset?

l don't think it makes many people really upset.

4e is my favorite edition. 5e moved away from it in a lot of ways, which didn't make me happy. It means I won't run it because:
1. It's less balanced numerically. I hate the saving throw system, although the save DC determination is pretty good (compared to 3e).
2. The non-legendary monsters are far less interesting (and as a GM, I want to have fun running monsters instead of X hit points and X number of attacks per round).

This doesn't mean I hate it. I will happily play any edition from 3e to 5e. There's little about 5e that is "offensive" (at least in the mechanical sense). The design obviously included being rules light (compared to 3e and 4e) but still crunchy enough to keep the attention of many gamers such as myself. I played a battlemaster as my last 5e character because it wasn't as boring as the more "standard" fighter.) 4e is my favorite but it moved further away from other editions of D&D (and had very bad advertising) so it drew more anger.

Are you referring to the 5e/Doctor Who controversy?

 

[Yora]

First time I am hearing about 5th edition making anyone upset.

 

[Morrus]

The last new version I learned to run was 4e. I wasn't bad, thought I still prefer earlier editions. Why does 5e make so many people upset?

I mean, compared to 4E? It's incredibly well received.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

First time I am hearing about 5th edition making anyone upset.

I am pretty that someone is really upset by 5e but are not likely to found posting here.

 

[Umbran]

Why does 5e make so many people upset?

Given that you are posting in a section of the site dedicated to 5e, the vast majority of the folks who might read this thread play and enjoy 5e. Not many here will be upset by it.

Really, you should first establish that the edition does make "so many people" upset. Broadly speaking, it doesn't. In fact, it seems to sell better than any other edition, ever, including the peak of the 80s.

 

[jmartkdr2]

When I've seen people "upset" this is generally the reason. I have a good friend who dislikes the fact that when he goes to gaming conventions, so much of the air is taken up by 5e (generally followed closely by pathfinder). Or that if he wants to find a game, 5e games are simple to fine but ANY other system is difficult to impossible.

My theory in that is the simple fact that 5e and Pathfinder, in addition to being the biggest, also have BY FAR the most premade adventures out there - which makes a huge difference in people wanting to run games

Back when I went to physical conventions, they were 1/3 to 1/2 5e, 1/6 to 1/3 Pathfinder (1e, this was a while ago) and 1/3 'everything else.'

Which was cool - 'everything else' included a ton of different stuff so I got a chance to play a wide array of game I never would have been able to without the convention scene. But if that's where you find not-DnD games, people who don't go to conventions for whatever reason are pretty hard up for not-DnD gaming. This can lead to resentment.

 

[Lyxen]

While ultimately 5th Edition is a lot different from 4th, the differences are born from a return to 3.5 ideals mixed with a smattering of 4th and a smattering of AD&D and before.

I agree with you in general, my perspective however is that 5e is even more balanced than this, in terms of spirit, it's actually quite close to AD&D/BECMI in particular with the Theater of the Mind as the basic way of running the game. Of course, it owes a number of things to 3e and 4e, but the spirit comes from before those, I think.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Given that you are posting in a section of the site dedicated to 5e, the vast majority of the folks who might read this thread play and enjoy 5e. Not many here will be upset by it.

Really, you should first establish that the edition does make "so many people" upset. Broadly speaking, it doesn't. In fact, it seems to sell better than any other edition, ever, including the peak of the 80s.

Honest question: does anyone know if 5e has outsold every other rpg combined in English-speaking markets? Because that feels like it could be possible, between its market dominance and the much bigger size of the market overall.

 

[Umbran]

Honest question: does anyone know if 5e has outsold every other rpg combined in English-speaking markets?

No, given that we don't actually have detailed sales information for 5e, much less every other game ever.