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Legends & Lore - A Retrospective
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<blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 6521790" data-attributes="member: 6680772"><p><a href="http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110222" target="_blank">Legends & Lore #2 - Miniatures Madness</a></p><p>February 22, 2011</p><p><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?301710-Mearls-Legends-and-Lore-Miniatures-Madness&highlight=Legends+Lore" target="_blank">Original EN World thread</a></p><p><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?301753-Miniatures-and-Madness-Legends-and-Lore-by-Mike-Mearls&highlight=Legends+Lore" target="_blank">Separate EN World thread</a></p><p></p><p>Right off the bat with the first real article of the new column, Mearls hits on one of the touchstones of inter-edition disagreement. The use of miniatures. He first goes through the history of miniatures in D&D: part of the early editions as a legacy from coming from wargames, used mainly for marching order and often with just placeholders instead of actual miniatures, and then a shift towards miniature-focused design in 3.5, continuing on to 4e.</p><p></p><p>Mearls sees the question as one of DM control vs. player control. </p><p></p><p>Here Mearls encapsulates the argument for clear grid-oriented rules: it's clear to everyone at the table, and isn't reliant on DM adjudication, making it easier for players and DMs. But his presentation of a counterargument shows an insight that would be applied to the design of 5e again and again.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>A couple of things that I thought Mearls could have addressed, but didn't, were 1) the degree of specificity of miniature rules in AD&D (down to distance scales and adjustments for facing) and possible reasons why those detailed rules never seemed to get in the way of people not using miniatures; and 2) the possibility of specific rules oriented towards gridless play. Granted, the latter has never been a part of D&D history, and at this point it still doesn't look like this is a column about a future edition.</p><p></p><p>Ultimately, Mearls says that he personally likes gridless and mini-less play, and he ends the column with the first of many infamous and often-maligned polls.</p><p></p><p><strong>How did things end up in 5e?</strong></p><p>This is one area where I think 5e was successful in giving everyone what they wanted, setting aside the question of 4e-style tactical combat. They essentially went to the 2e paradigm. Distances were given in feet, rather than squares, and rules used "reach" and "adjacent" to allow for play with miniatures while still keeping things easy to play without them. The way they released the game also played into this. The Basic game does not assume miniatures, but does include a sidebar providing some rules for playing on a square grid. Fuller expansion of miniature rules would come in the DMG as a DM's option. Further, these rules addressed not just playing on a square grid, but also hexes (blast from the past!). There would even be a few optional rules to facilitate playing without miniatures or a map, such as the rules for adjudicating areas of effect and mob attacks.</p><p></p><p>Also, along with the release of 5e, WotC partnered with WizKids Games to produce miniatures for their adventure paths.</p><p></p><p>Basically, no matter what your preference for the use of miniatures in D&D, be it theater of the mind, rulers and gridless maps, squares, or even hexes, 5e has something for you.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Iosue, post: 6521790, member: 6680772"] [URL="http://archive.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110222"]Legends & Lore #2 - Miniatures Madness[/URL] February 22, 2011 [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?301710-Mearls-Legends-and-Lore-Miniatures-Madness&highlight=Legends+Lore"]Original EN World thread[/URL] [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?301753-Miniatures-and-Madness-Legends-and-Lore-by-Mike-Mearls&highlight=Legends+Lore"]Separate EN World thread[/URL] Right off the bat with the first real article of the new column, Mearls hits on one of the touchstones of inter-edition disagreement. The use of miniatures. He first goes through the history of miniatures in D&D: part of the early editions as a legacy from coming from wargames, used mainly for marching order and often with just placeholders instead of actual miniatures, and then a shift towards miniature-focused design in 3.5, continuing on to 4e. Mearls sees the question as one of DM control vs. player control. Here Mearls encapsulates the argument for clear grid-oriented rules: it's clear to everyone at the table, and isn't reliant on DM adjudication, making it easier for players and DMs. But his presentation of a counterargument shows an insight that would be applied to the design of 5e again and again. A couple of things that I thought Mearls could have addressed, but didn't, were 1) the degree of specificity of miniature rules in AD&D (down to distance scales and adjustments for facing) and possible reasons why those detailed rules never seemed to get in the way of people not using miniatures; and 2) the possibility of specific rules oriented towards gridless play. Granted, the latter has never been a part of D&D history, and at this point it still doesn't look like this is a column about a future edition. Ultimately, Mearls says that he personally likes gridless and mini-less play, and he ends the column with the first of many infamous and often-maligned polls. [B]How did things end up in 5e?[/B] This is one area where I think 5e was successful in giving everyone what they wanted, setting aside the question of 4e-style tactical combat. They essentially went to the 2e paradigm. Distances were given in feet, rather than squares, and rules used "reach" and "adjacent" to allow for play with miniatures while still keeping things easy to play without them. The way they released the game also played into this. The Basic game does not assume miniatures, but does include a sidebar providing some rules for playing on a square grid. Fuller expansion of miniature rules would come in the DMG as a DM's option. Further, these rules addressed not just playing on a square grid, but also hexes (blast from the past!). There would even be a few optional rules to facilitate playing without miniatures or a map, such as the rules for adjudicating areas of effect and mob attacks. Also, along with the release of 5e, WotC partnered with WizKids Games to produce miniatures for their adventure paths. Basically, no matter what your preference for the use of miniatures in D&D, be it theater of the mind, rulers and gridless maps, squares, or even hexes, 5e has something for you. [/QUOTE]
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