Is there an "Age" factor to choice of editions?

[bagger245]

I am 23 and prefer older editions compared to 3.5/4th ed...

 

[firesnakearies]

31 years old here, been playing religiously since the red box Basic D&D set, in the mid 80's, and my first actual hardcover AD&D book was the 2nd edition PHB which I bought the week it came out.

My vote is overwhelmingly for 4th edition. I loved, LOVED, 3rd ed when it came along, and I was thrilled to pieces by 3.5 as well. But looking back, I find the idea of playing any of the previous systems instead of 4E to be rather repulsive.

To me, 4E is as much "wonderfully more elegant" compared to 3.x as 3E was compared to 2nd edition.

I guess I'm just one of those players who honestly feels that each successive iteration of the game has been considerably better than the ones before.



Edit: I had a thought. I've always been STRONGLY inclined towards playing fighters and thieves/rogues, rather than spellcasters. Would anyone else agree that it seems that more of the people who are displeased with 4E tend to be more mage- and cleric-focused players, rather than "martial" character-lovers?

One could make the argument that with the edition changes, pure casters have gotten a lot "less cool" while pure stabby-types have gotten a lot "more cool". I wonder how much that impacts each individual player's opinion as to whether or not 4E is better or worse than 3.x or older versions?

 

[Tigerbunny]

I don't know if there's anything to the age thing, but I do have an interesting anecdote that may relate.

Today was the first session of a new 4E campaign. Most of the group just finished playing in a year-long monthly Rules Cyclopedia game with me. Their ages are 8, 9, 9, 9, 37, 41, and 40. We added two new players, who are 12.

We had more shouts of excitement, intent watching of others' turns, and real investment in character-making in that one session than I saw in an entire year of RC. When the wolf-girl rogue finally put down the ogre just before it broke its bonds and charged, with a maxed-out Torturous Strike, we high-fived all round.

So whatever else you can say, I think that the future of D&D is in safe hands with 4E.

I'm 41, and my favorite edition WAS Rules Cyclodedia/Mentzer. I'm solidly in 4E's corner now.

 

[CleverNickName]

It would appear that D&D as a whole, regardless of edition, is most popular among the thirtysomething crowd.

 

[Opus]

I think you have a better chance at guessing someone's age by the edition they play than guessing their edition based upon their age.

 

[Aus_Snow]

It would appear that D&D as a whole, regardless of edition, is most popular among the thirtysomething crowd.

No, but EN World has once more been confirmed as an old people's home for predominantly DMs.

Jeez, all you old codgers. . .

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I just turned 41 on the 18th.

I've been playing RPGs since 1977, and my favorite version of D&D is 3.X.

 

[joethelawyer]

For my part, though, there are some parts of 3e that we've never gained complete mastery over, even in 8 years. Dispels, Grapples and a few other concepts still send us running to the books...

i feel your pain there man. we ended up getting so frustrated with grapple that we houseruled that grappling is not possible, ever, in any situation.

 

[joethelawyer]

ones before.

Edit: I had a thought. I've always been STRONGLY inclined towards playing fighters and thieves/rogues, rather than spellcasters. Would anyone else agree that it seems that more of the people who are displeased with 4E tend to be more mage- and cleric-focused players, rather than "martial" character-lovers?

One could make the argument that with the edition changes, pure casters have gotten a lot "less cool" while pure stabby-types have gotten a lot "more cool". I wonder how much that impacts each individual player's opinion as to whether or not 4E is better or worse than 3.x or older versions?

i agree. i love wizards, and dont like that they have less utility spells, and what they have done with rituals and allowing others to use rituals as well. i was never a person that complained that i had less to do in a combat round than others. i made myself useful. i dont like melee-classes getting spell-like abilities. i like clear class distinctions.

someone should throw up a poll based around this issue in some way...would be interesting.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

I have to agree with some people here in saying that this poll is saying more about ENWorld then it is about the topic at hand.

This place is old.