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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dragonblade" data-source="post: 5764018" data-attributes="member: 2804">4e split the game community, but only in the sense that it destroyed the illusion of unity that existed before4e gave those of us disaffected, disillusioned, and disheartened, and tired of all the issues we had with 3.x an actual published alternative game that addressed those issues. Issues that had not been addressed by True20, Conan d20, or any number of d20 clones that were essentially the same game but with the serial numbers filed off.For years, I WANTED a game where I generally don't carry lingering curses, diseases, negative levels, etc. from encounter to encounter. I WANTED a game where I get to save vs. spells EVERY round instead of sitting out and watching my friends play (Words cannot adequately describe how much I loathe that mechanic). I WANTED a game without level drain, where monsters have self-contained stat blocks, where melee characters get cool cinematic attacks that keep pace with casters, where my PC can be a cinematic hero from level 1, and where casters don't NEED A CROSSBOW!!These aren't desires that suddenly materialized with the advent of 4e. I wanted a game like this since I first played 1e AD&D 25+ years ago. Before 4e I played a heavily house ruled 3e that already included many of these elements.With 4e, WotC just gave me and players and DMs like me a voice and a game I could call my own. Not a house ruled home game, but an official published version of D&D. WotC gave us legitimacy.Now this is purely my speculative opinion, and I don't pretend otherwise, but I feel this also is the root of edition wars.The legitimacy that fans of cinematic 4e style play have now gotten is perceived as a threat to old school gamers who fear that somehow their preferred style is going to fade away. I see it as a subtle undercurrent to every thread contrasting 4e and Pathfinder. Its not enough for Pathfinder to succeed. 4e HAS to FAIL. It has to fail, so that old school play is vindicated as the only true D&D. Otherwise, there is a fear that the new paradigm that 4e introduced might start to creep into Pathfinder or other games.Conversely, 4e fans feel the need to passionately defend a play style they have desparately desired for so long and are scared to death of losing if WotC doesn't succeed or if 5e takes a step backward towards a game style that they felt suffocated them for so long.I don't think we'll ever put edition wars to rest, because it involves doing what people have been incapable of doing for thousands of years, tolerate the beliefs of others without fear of change.But here is some perspective, with the OGL old school gamers will always have their preferred version of D&D. 3.x/Pathfinder will live forever regardless of what Paizo does in the future. But us 4e fans are on much shakier ground. This is why what happens with 5e is so important to me.But for Pathfinder fans wishing for 4e to fail, that might be a pyrrhic victory. I take solace in the fact, that even Paizo would be foolish to literally let 50% of the Tabletop RPG market drift away and they aren't going to capture that market by trying to sell them Pathfinder as it exists currently. I suspect a sizable contingent of 4e fans would come over to Pathfinder and eventually their numbers and presence are going to exert influence both subtle and overt on its future development. I know, because that's exactly what I would do. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Additionally, even though half the market is PF and half is 4e, now that the split is out in the open there is no going back. 4e fans will no longer tolerate an edition of the game that doesn't serve their needs, and its now demonstrated that both camps are probably equal in size. Its not just a niche minority of D&D players. Meaning 50% of the market is going to look for an alternative if 5e doesn't build on the foundation 4e started. That seems like a powerful incentive for any company positioned to take advantage of it.</blockquote>

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