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

[Shardstone]

For me, Homebrew classes and most 3 party class material is almost always inferior, almost always terrible. I just don't have time to sift through the bad quality products to find the good ones. And even the otherwise good ones often solve some specific niche issues that for my games including that material would end up creating more issues.

The thing is, a hostile environment does not breed quality. Instead of having a community like the OSR, who prizes experimentation to see if it will lead anywhere good/interesting, we shut down experimentation because we arrogantly think that the end result can't be good.

THere's lots of bad classes. Lots of bad adventures. Lots of bad content. But when you make content, and then you get not only no positive reaction, but nothing but negative reaction, it poisons the well. It makes it so only a select few really stick it out and continue publishing material or trying to get better.

If people that played 5E were a little looser in their judgement, and tried to help add to quality instead of shutting down innovation, I think a lot of tension would disappear in the market.

 

[Mistwell]

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?

People get upset about whoever the big dog is, particularly if they're the big dog for an extended period of time.

 

[Lyxen]

People get upset about whoever the big dog is, particularly if they're the big dog for an extended period of time.

My mates would call it the tall poppy syndrome, something that I was warned about when expatriating down under.

 

[FrogReaver]

The thing is, a hostile environment does not breed quality. Instead of having a community like the OSR, who prizes experimentation to see if it will lead anywhere good/interesting, we shut down experimentation because we arrogantly think that the end result can't be good.

IMO. Not buying their product or spending my time trying it out isn't shutting down experimentation.

THere's lots of bad classes. Lots of bad adventures. Lots of bad content. But when you make content, and then you get not only no positive reaction, but nothing but negative reaction, it poisons the well. It makes it so only a select few really stick it out and continue publishing material or trying to get better.

IMO, that's going to be the case for any mostly amatuer marketplace. Most amatuers just aren't that good. Only a few have the skills and talent necessary to really rise to the top.

If people that played 5E were a little looser in their judgement, and tried to help add to quality instead of shutting down innovation, I think a lot of tension would disappear in the market.

If they just made a marketplace where I didn't have to weed through as much crap to get to good products I'd be much more likely to participate.

DM's Guild is like a recreation league sports
WOTC is the pro league
I want a semi-pro version!

 

[dave2008]

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?

Why do you think it makes people upset? It is probably the most popular version of D&D of all time. You seem to have come to a very odd conclusion.

 

[Blue Orange]

FWIW, edition wars are a major problem, such that I think RPG.net specifically banned any discussion of them. It's kind of like Star Wars vs Star Trek for an older generation of geeks. People love to get angry about this stuff.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

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?

No, 5e isn’t that different. Why do you ask?

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

FWIW, edition wars are a major problem, such that I think RPG.net specifically banned any discussion of them. It's kind of like Star Wars vs Star Trek for an older generation of geeks. People love to get angry about this stuff.

They are banned from here too.

 

[overgeeked]

Why does 5e make so many people upset?

Depends on the person. 4E fans are upset that 5E replaced their favorite version. Old-School fans are upset that 5E isn't old-school enough. Optimizers are upset that 5E isn't broken enough. Fans of casters are upset that casters are slightly less OP than prior, non-4E editions. Martial fans are upset that casters are wildly OP compared to martials. Fans of hex crawls, dungeon crawls, point crawls, and sandboxing are upset that 5E doesn't provide support for those styles of play, or in some cases actively undermines those styles of play. Fans of the theater of the mind style play are upset that it doesn't support their preferred style of play. Fans of heavy tactical combat are upset that 5E doesn't provide enough heavy tactical combat options. Fans of rules-light games are upset that 5E isn't light enough. Fans of rules-heavy games are upset that 5E isn't heavy enough. Most people who have played D&D for longer than the current edition seem to roughly be in agreement (as much as any herd of cats can be) that 5E is the second-best edition of D&D. It's not the best at any one aspect of D&D, but it's second best at most of them.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

For me, Homebrew classes and most 3 party class material is almost always inferior, almost always terrible. I just don't have time to sift through the bad quality products to find the good ones. And even the otherwise good ones often solve some specific niche issues that for my games including that material would end up creating more issues.

Your missing a lot of good stuff then.