Mearls on Balance in D&D

[Reynard]

Lots of stuff by Mike Mearls - in fact, by many of the people working at WotC - makes me cringe. It does not, however, surprise me.

I used to think that the key requirement for being a Professional RPG Writer was a rock-solid understanding of gaming systems, but it isn't. (I still think that maybe it should be, but realize that if it was, we'd see two books published a year, if that. It certainly should be the requirement for any RPG editor, but that's another issue.) It's pretty obvious it's mainly about being creative, being able to write, and being able to do so on a schedule.

It'd be nice to see someone able to do that and have a good head for the rules, but it just doesn't happen very often...

Whatever one's opinion of Mearls' work, the one criticism that does not hold up at all is that he doesn't have a good head for rules and the D&D/d20 rules in particular.

 

[TerraDave]

So, Meric, any on topic replies?

If this giant and dinasour based learning leads to fewer kinks in future editions of the game, that would be a good thing. (Though as an aside there are at least a few ways to attack a high AC target...)

 

[hong]

I'm still wondering what they put on that dinosaur to make it unhittable....

 

[DM_Jeff]

Poor Mike. First he's "hero of the people" and then he gets a job at WotC and goes under the microscope. Didn't see that one coming!

I like Mike. I think he has a good vision of gaming and the fact he played so much helped his perspective on many products. And then there were the Ariel Adventure Guides which I still cringe of the thought they were once in my house. Ouch!

There was the professional run-in I'm destined to spill at some point. Briefly: I wrote a chapter on Chronomancy for AEG's Magic sourcebook. I thought it was fairly cutting-edge and pushed the envelope. Even had 'retraining' rules long before PHB2 based on the fact you could go re-learn something in your character's earlier career. It came in the mail and 90% of the words were rewritten, including everything I thought made it exciting. AEG's jim pinto blamed developer Mearls for the hacking, and I was dissapointed.

On the other hand, I think Mike's eye on the D&D game is more or less right on target, and I think WotC did good bringing him on board.

-DM Jeff

 

[green slime]

I'm still wondering what they put on that dinosaur to make it unhittable....

A blanket?

 

[mmu1]

Whatever one's opinion of Mearls' work, the one criticism that does not hold up at all is that he doesn't have a good head for rules and the D&D/d20 rules in particular.

Writing a lot about the rules does not automatically make someone good at it. Perhaps I haven't read enough of his stuff, but what I have failed to impress me...

 

[Nail]

Wow . . . just read the review . . . while I haven't played The Keep on The Borderlands for about 25 years I don't remember it being as bad as Mike's review makes out.

Oh, I do.

I (at the ripe old age of 13) remember thinking it didn't make sense. But then, what to pre-teens know.....

 

[WayneLigon]

And people are STILL bagging on the guy? What, do people just love to Mearlsbash?

They'll probably get a lot more to bash him about I'll be very, very surprised if he isn't the lead designer on 4E.

 

[Voadam]

Where's the Fiend Binder from?

Tome of Magic. Prestige class for Truenamers.

 

[painandgreed]

Now, with regard to recent comments he made regarding embedded system mastery being bad, I agree. I just need to know see what he and the design team intend to do about the problem.

There's my fear. Pretty much, in all his articles recently, I've agreed with what he said needed to change and why, then I read how he planned to change them and it was not something I could agree with at all. His changes seem to be based on design parameters that I cannot live with for D&D.