Is the 'Sweet Spot' really there?

[Sitara]

So people have been playing the game for a couple of days now, at least. Those with the pdf's and/or buy.com orders longer, say around a week or two. So have you noticed the much vaunted 'sweet' spot? Is it real or is it just a marketing myth? (kind of like Oblivion's radiant AI )

 

[keterys]

I'd be extremely dubious of anyone being able to really answer this one, and I've been playing some form of 4e from levels 1 through 11 for the past month or so. I haven't seen the 'OMG too low' and 'OMG too high' problem from earlier editions yet.

I do think that characters don't get enough powers for my personal preference at 1st level, but they also get too many for many intro players, so I understand it shouldn't. It just means I'll be more tempted to DM/play for 3rd+.

Not because people just randomly die or the game is very different, though. Just for variety's sake.

 

[Stalker0]

In general I've found its there. I have played 1st level and 12th level characters against encounters. AC and attack bonuses tend to stay in the right area.

 

[Mort_Q]

I thought the marketing was that they eliminated the sweet spot!?

 

[Sitara]

Stalker0: How does your level 12 playthrough compare to a mid-high level playthrough of 3e?

In my relatively inexperianced opinion, I have found that a bonus toattack in this edition of dnd is perhaps , the most important out of any other. IMO the strongest builds will be those focusing on getting the highest attack bonus for their levels. Attack bonus has always been important ofcourse, but this time its more important than ever, because it allows you to use dailies and encounters on a regular basis and that is where the meat of your damage comes from.

 

[mmu1]

I thought the marketing was that they eliminated the sweet spot!?

The marketing was that "Every level is now the sweet spot!", which amounts to the same thing.

 

[Stalker0]

Stalker0: How does your level 12 playthrough compare to a mid-high level playthrough of 3e?

In my relatively inexperianced opinion, I have found that a bonus toattack in this edition of dnd is perhaps , the most important out of any other. IMO the strongest builds will be those focusing on getting the highest attack bonus for their levels. Attack bonus has always been important ofcourse, but this time its more important than ever, because it allows you to use dailies and encounters on a regular basis and that is where the meat of your damage comes from.

From my experience, generally the game play doesn't slow down much at 12th. Also, the power level of characters are more subtle. Fighters start getting things like regen, you can throw on more bonuses that affect the whole party, slightly stronger conditions, etc. Classes keep their individual feel. The paladin was providing healing and buffs with his big damage, the fighter gained temp hitpoints like mad, and knocked out big damage both against 1 and against small groups, while the wizard litered the battlefield with ...stuff.

I found I was hitting the monsters about as often as I was being hit at 1st level, and they were hitting me the same as well. They were doing enough damage to knock us down, so the low damage did seem to add up fast enough.

As for your attack bonus question, I understand the concern. Now that resources are more limited per encounter, every attack matters. You don't want to waste your powers after all. This is one of those I'm going to need to play a lot more and see. Is buying that expensive 18 worth it, or is spreading your points out have its perks as well?

 

[Andur]

After level 6 when you pick up your second utility power it seems like the "sweet spot" is reached. Before that you are "getting into" powers, granted, it is new and as we all learn the nuances of the game some of that will wear off, but it seems like before level 6 your overall options are just a little too limited. I have no idea why one more choice per encounter makes such a difference, but to our playgroup it does.

It doesn't seem like it ever reaches the point of, too many choices though.

For straight up battle, as long as you keep the NPC's within a few levels on either side of the PC's that "I can only miss on a 1, or I can only it on a Crit" happens on a situational basis, not as a standard for a given encounter...