D&D 4E Merric's thoughts on 4e

[Zamkaizer]

I was avidly reading the developer's blogs every day (and that had me actually visiting the WOTC website again) until they started moving them to Gleemax. Now I just wait to read about the important blog posts here in ENWorld.

So I'm not the only one.

I've liked most of what I've seen about 4th Ed. proper, aside from some eyebrow-raising names, but the related software - like all software - needs some kinks ironed out of it. My only other concern is that, while Wayne Reynold's, Steve Prescott's, and William O'Connor's concept art has been predictably awesome, other specimens have been very hit or miss - some particularily notable misses including the manticore and halfling cleric.

 

[ivocaliban]

Great post, Merric. I found myself nodding my head at nearly every point you brought up. I do disagree on the usefulness of affiliations in 3.0/3.5e, but that's really just a matter of gaming style and personal preference.

The only other difference I have would be the releases for the online Dragon/Dungeon magazines. While I do feel the articles are not very exciting so far, I'm still waiting for the Graz'zt column before I make my call. In many of the Dragon issues I have there are only one or two really good articles. Generally speaking when the Demonomicon of Iggwilv or Core Beliefs showed up they were what made the issue worth owning. I think that might be true for Dragon #360, as well.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

Merric speaks the truth as usual. However, i am very relaxed about the DI / Gleemax issues. I did fully expect a long alpha and public beta phase with lots of problems and glitches. Whats more, i HOPED for it, so that eTool-esque catastrophes can be avoided by fan feedback. There are always people who like to use the software before it´s ready - i can wait and later reap the rewards.

And there is still much to do. The Dungeon and Dragon sections, for instance, need far better layout to improve readability.

 

[ivocaliban]

...I'm still waiting for the Graz'zt column before I make my call.

Exactly four minutes later Shroomy scoops the article's release...and it really is the best of Dragon #360 so far!

First time I've ever quoted myself...

 

[Irda Ranger]

There's one thing that has been very nice throughout the 3e era: I've felt like I was Wizards' target audience. Not always, but for most of it. Of course, they occasionally got my tastes dead wrong - there'd be a lot more adventures from Wizards if they were aiming directly at me, and a lot of Greyhawk ones at that! - but ruleswise? Nice going.

To make this true for me, you can replace "was" with "was not" in the first sentence and "occasionally" with "usually" in the third.

I like the idea of PCs getting something at every level. It's a real joy to not have "dead" levels. However, then I need to think about the role-players of my Savage Tide campaign. Does this mean more complexity as well? If there's faster advancement, will ability pile upon ability so fast that my players won't be able to get used to the new ability before more complexity is added to the character?

I can't know any more than the rest of you if they'll deliver, but the podcasts from Mearls specifically said they want to reduce the number of options and choices you have to make at 24th level so that 24th level is still as easy to play as lower levels.

I wouldn't have any personal experience with those high levels, but it's a nice thought.

 

[KingCrab]

That build for Craig's druid wouldn't happen to be online somewhere, would it?

 

[MerricB]

That build for Craig's druid wouldn't happen to be online somewhere, would it?

I'm afraid not.

A lot of it depended on just picking good spells from the Spell Compendium. As far as I recall, it wasn't due to pure combat strength from feats, etc, but rather really, really good spell selection.

He actually was using the PH2 Druid Shifter variant, so it wasn't being broken in that manner.

Cheers!

 

[Gundark]

I'm really really happy about simpler monsters. So far I havn't heard anything about NPCs. That makes me a bit worried.

 

[Vysirez]

I have to agree that I've been underwhelmed by Gleemax. I also read all of the Dev Blogs when they were in the forums. But since they moved to Gleemax It's gotten rather difficult. Moving around the webpage is incredibly slow. One other thing that really frustrates me, mabye i'm just blind, but I can't figure out how to get back to the main blog page from an individual post. Besides the back button I mean. IE if I get links directly to a blog post and want to check other blog entries for that person, I have to go all the way back up to the top of the webpage and drill down from there.

 

[johnsemlak]

RE Gleemax, What can I get at Gleemax that I cannot get an EN World? All the important 4e info is posted here in an organised fashion (thanx EN World!). The community here is great and we discuss all the D&D/4e issues intelligently.

Communicating directly with (or at any rate, reading) the 4e designers is an obvious plus, but nowadays all I've got time for is to read the summaries of what WotC people say which are posted on EN World.

To me its just as its always been--I prefer the EN World Community to the WotC site community. I'm glad the WotC site forums/community is there, and it's great that WotC people participate there, but I don't have time for it.