Minor Grumble...

[Scribble]

Minor grumble here...

Seems like just about the time when WOTC was starting to come out with "unique" ideas for 3.5 (Weapons of Legacy, Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, Tome of Battle... etc...) they up and come out with a new edition...

I realize they didn't all come out at once, and a couple have been out for a while, but still..

These were the types of books that really interested me... The stuff that added a unique addition to the current edition... (ooooh homonyms...) Something I could use to add flavor to my game.

Now that the new edition is out... It'll be back to the redo's of already covered ground... Race books, Class books, Monster Books.. etc...

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe 4e will be filled with 1 new idea after the next...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Since 4E IS Tome of Battle in large part, I'd say you're getting your cake and eating it, too. (An idiom that's never made sense to me.)

 

[Mercule]

It sounds like a lot of the more interesting new mechanics will be refined and made core in 4E, which means that when they start doing new ideas, they really will be new. That alone has me intrigued. Of course, that means I'm likely without the Shadowcaster or Binder initially. I'm hoping that ToM was well enough received that it is updated in short order. Ditto to psionics.

It sounds to me like there is enough difference in 3E vs 4E baseline mechanics to make the purchase of an expansion book not really a "minor update". I'm very good with that. Especially since I want to limit my pool of books, anyway.

 

[Mercule]

Since 4E IS Tome of Battle in large part, I'd say you're getting your cake and eating it, too. (An idiom that's never made sense to me.)

"Have your cake" means to have it sitting on your plate, ready for you to consume it. "Eat it, too" means, well, eating it. "Have your cake and eat it, too" means to both have enjoyed your cake by eating it, but also having it in front of you ready to be eaten.

It's kind of the opposite of burning a bridge. You can get the advantage of something without having to pay the opportunity cost. You could also say "The best of both worlds".

 

[Scribble]

Since 4E IS Tome of Battle in large part, I'd say you're getting your cake and eating it, too. (An idiom that's never made sense to me.)

Not really...

I like the idea of having them available, even if I don't use them all the time. If that makes sense?

I like the 3.5 system. (I might like the 4e system... I dunno yet)

I just also happen to be a fan of products that offer new concepts that aren't needed to run the game, but seem like they might be fun to implement...

 

[Scribble]

It sounds like a lot of the more interesting new mechanics will be refined and made core in 4E, which means that when they start doing new ideas, they really will be new. That alone has me intrigued. Of course, that means I'm likely without the Shadowcaster or Binder initially. I'm hoping that ToM was well enough received that it is updated in short order. Ditto to psionics.

It sounds to me like there is enough difference in 3E vs 4E baseline mechanics to make the purchase of an expansion book not really a "minor update". I'm very good with that. Especially since I want to limit my pool of books, anyway.

Well, again, I said minor grumble... But... true 4e might come out, and blow my socks off... (I don't know yet)

But my guess is, it will have a thing in it (like feats or spells or PRCs) that they can simply expand on... We'll maybe see the old fighter splat book with a bunch of knew "weapon options.." Maybe more books with more "Monster Roles..."

Shrug. It's why I said minor... It's just my personal preference in gaming materials. I really only like the stuff that adds optional new concepts... not just expansion on old concepts...

Sometime in the future we'll start seeing things that really add fundamentally new ideas... But then 5e will be about to hit the presses...

 

[Samnell]

Seems like just about the time when WOTC was starting to come out with "unique" ideas for 3.5 (Weapons of Legacy, Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, Tome of Battle... etc...) they up and come out with a new edition...

I think economics tend to dictate that books like this tend to come out late in an edition's lifespan. They're gambles, and race and class books are vastly surer sellers. Things amplifying the base system always come out first. Riskier add-ons come out when the market is saturated with race, class, etc books.

 

[Scribble]

I think economics tend to dictate that books like this tend to come out late in an edition's lifespan. They're gambles, and race and class books are vastly surer sellers. Things amplifying the base system always come out first. Riskier add-ons come out when the market is saturated with race, class, etc books.

Awesome... I don't play Dungeons and Economics...

So I like these books. They're cool. to me.

I understand why they come out later in the game life... I'm just saying it annoys me (personally) because they're the types of books I like.

 

[Samnell]

I understand why they come out later in the game life... I'm just saying it annoys me (personally) because they're the types of books I like.

I'm completely agreed, really. I was only out to explain, not to defend. I just started a new game where I offered more options than I have in the past and got the following party:

Human swashbuckler
Human totemist
Halfling monk (planning to add totemist levels, already has one soulmeld through that feat)
Human bard
Hellbred (Tyrants of the Nine hells) knight (PHB2)

I'm very excited to see them in action, and the two Incarnum users give me a great excuse to use more Incarnum against them. I wish someone would have taken a binder too. If I decide to buy the Tome of Battle, the knight is interested in trying some of its stuff.