D&D 4E My First 4E Game: Disappointing. Yours? (UPDATED with player feedback)

[Wolfspider]

Oooh, so you are a Hellboy fan too? Or at least a fan of the BPRD?

Get over here, big boy.

 

[Ruined]

Hrm. I've run two playtests with different groups, about eleven players in total. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and many are looking forward to trying out the full-blown system.

One big difference is when I was setting this up, I stressed that open minds were a requirement. I don't mind if people don't enjoy the new incarnation of the game, but if you're already predisposed to not enjoy it, then WHY would you play a test game where you don't have full rules to work with?

Sorry you didn't have that option with your group. My opinion, don't write it off yet. Get the core package and plan something really spectacular when the timing is better.

 

[hbarsquared]

[quote="CleverNickName]let me say that there were outside circumstances that led to this lack of fun, and that most of these circumstances had nothing to do with the 4E rules system at all.[/quote]
I stopped reading here. Why post at all?

 

[CleverNickName]

I stopped reading here. Why post at all?

No offense intended, but if you didn't read the post, why are you commenting on it?

 

[tomtill]

I've had several short (2 hour) sessions using the preview 4e rules/fan adventures.

The experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

HOWEVER, the system is different enough from 3e that it takes quite a bit of concentration from the players to try to figure out how to best use their new abilities, and to break the no-longer-effective 3e habits.

As a result, players who prefer to focus on the story line, players who don't like to concentrate on the nitty-gritty, and players who have little patience with learning new things will likely be put-off, at least until they bite the bullet and become familiar with the new rules.

Happily, while this describes most of us at one time or another, it rarely describes the gamer phenotype. So, a bad session seldom heralds doom.

 

[hbarsquared]

No offense intended, but if you didn't read the post, why are you commenting on it?

Voicing frustration, for which I apologize.

But I've become frustrated with straw men.

I've read the post, and the thread, since then. But your post has nothing to do with 4E. It is an experience dealing with introducing players to a new game with preconceived expectations. I could take most of your post verbatim and replace "4E" with "Settlers of Catan" and "WoW" with "too complicated." (Note: I'm serious. I tried introducing my family to Settlers. and had the same response. Oh, and replace "LAN party" with "TV.")

I know you are not a "4E-hater," by any means, but as others have said: your experience has nothing to do with your DMing style, your preparation, or 4E. The fact that you've posted this thread seems... inflammatory. Especially when there are enough inflammatory threads. Hence my frustration.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Basically it sounds like your players were jerks, who basically organised a lan party behind your back and couldn't wait to get to it.

Maybe I'm completely misjudging them, but if the third guy really said "oops, I forgot my laptop", then I can't think of another explanation.

 

[Kishin]

The fact that you've posted this thread seems... inflammatory. Especially when there are enough inflammatory threads. Hence my frustration.

I think you're reading way too deep into things. His tone came across to me as very honest. I highly doubt the intention was to antagonize.

What's wrong with him wanting to share his experience?

 

[Stalker0]

Those guys in your group sound like the kind of guys who will never play 4e....until the day when you just leave your 4e phb on the table and "walk away" They glance at the book, read it, and then get hooked

 

[Silverwave]

I don't have much to add. I too think you just had the wrong public. That leads me to asking myself : what is the targeted public of the 4th edition ? Is the game really is for any D&D player ? Maybe not. It's a different game after all.

On the other hand, I remember myself being really close minded (typo?) about the 3rd edition when it first came out. It took me about 2 years to try it and... hell... I now realise that I loved this edition as much as twice as any other previous editions. So I'm not making the same mistake again. In fact, I'm really open minded about the 4th and I'm mostly enthusiastic. I've already bought the books (well, ordered from amazon) and I look forward to try it. But I've decided not to come with a judgement BEFORE trying the actual game (and not a "fanmade preview lite rule booklet"... which I think is a REALLY great job by the way, anyway).

Oh! and, I wanted to tell you (CleverNickName) that I REALLY enjoy your writing skills! Really, it's very well written, you have great "telling" skills (err, not sure if this expression can translate lol) and a very interesting style. Made me read the post entirely with enthusiasm (a thing I rarely do). And I know what I'm speaking of, I'm a writer (but my native tongue is french, if anyone wonder why an author actually write so bad lol)