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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 6371303" data-attributes="member: 6680772">There are also a <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/op-ed/7242-The-Truth-About-4th-Edition-Part-One-of-Our-Exclusive-Interview-" target="_blank">few</a> <a href="http://www.gamespy.com/articles/885/885692p1.html" target="_blank">examples</a> where Andy Collins admits that they took from many sources, including MMOs, CCGs, and Euro boardgames.  <a href="http://guyslitwire.blogspot.jp/2008/06/interview-rob-heinsoo-lead-designer-of.html" target="_blank">Here's</a> an example of Rob Heinsoo saying, "WoW players coming to Fourth Edition will  probably  be comfortable with the idea that Fourth Edition player characters get  to make an interesting choice of a new power or ability every time they  go up a level. That was missing from earlier editions of D&D."I agree 100% that this is not at all a demerit.  It might not be to someone's taste, and certainly I enjoy the innovations of 4e while also feeling that in many ways it doesn't scratch the same itch that B/X does.  I can't fault 4e for reaching for the stars, and attempt to create a version of D&D that was easily accessible by all kinds of gamers, be that MMO players, CCG players, indie RPG players, or Eurogame players.  They took a chance.  Even if in retrospect, it didn't work out like they hoped, I have to respect the attempt.  Heck, that kind of innovation is what gave birth to RPGs in the first place.  Nor do I consider those design innovations themselves alone to blame for it not working out.  There's a lot luck involved, too.  What if the recession hadn't hit just as 4e came out?  What if 4e had been OGL?  What if 3e hadn't?  What if the marketing had not been perceived so negatively?  What if the Digital Initiative had worked out as originally planned?  Change any or all of these factors, and 4e might have been a mainstream success, vindicating the innovations.Slightly changing the subject, Mearls' talk of players going PHB to PHB, rather than through all the splats of an edition, reasonated very much with me.  When I got back into D&D after a long hiatus, a lot of the discussion surrounding 3e and 4e was completely alien to me.  At first I resented it, thinking that WotC changed the game a bridge too far with 3e.  But as I got more caught up, I realized that a lot of 3e came from late 2e (which I was not familiar with).  When I first looked at the 3e rules, my first impression was that it seemed like a mashup of 2e and 4e. Had I not gotten involved with a 4e group and enjoyed playing, it's possible I wouldn't have looked further, and stayed with older editions.  I don't think it accounts for all the blowback 3e or 4e got from fans of previous editions, but I do think it's a thing.</blockquote>

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