New Ampersand from Bill Slavicsek

[Rechan]

Or could it just mean first look at the Orc as a player race?

This is my guess.

 

[JoelF]

If you listen to the podcast, they gave indication of this.

One of the playtesters loved using a greataxe - it did more damage than any other weapon in the game. So they tore that out.

They also keep changing things drastically when it comes to Warlock abilities; when the warlock can do extra damage to Y.

That wasn't really what I was getting at. I was thinking of more fundemental issues, like "you know, this whole spells per encounter concept doesn't work, because _______". I can't really think of more examples due to lack of actual info on the system.

 

[JohnSnow]

I'm a little surprised that he characterized the playtest feedback from "it's cool" to "needs some work". Did no one report that anything just wasn't good at all and needed going back to the drawing board? Even if it was an aberration and wasn't acted upon, I'm shocked that none of their playtesters thought ANYTHING in 4E wasn't good.

I think it's highly likely that anything which was horribly broken or bad got yoinked before the public playtesting ever started. After all, the designers and developers at WotC are professionals. I'd fully expect them to have picked up anything that "wasn't good at all" or "needed going back to the drawing board" very early on.

Anything else is just "needs some work."

 

[KoshPWNZYou]

Anything else is just "needs some work."

Maybe that's just their polite way of saying something is broken?

Can you really see these people writing to WoTC saying 'This is rubbish! What are you people smoking?'

 

[Badkarmaboy]

Yes, I can.

 

[Rechan]

Yes, I can.

They're trying to sell it, and trying to give the impression "Everything is okay! No need to panic!"

Suggesting that something is utterly and absolutely broken and the writer needs to get back on his meds doesn't encourage much faith in the ability of the rules writers, because "OMG they're writing utterly and absolutely broken things! WHAT IF THEY DIDN'T CATCH THEM ALL?!"

 

[Dark Psion]

I'm a little surprised that he characterized the playtest feedback from "it's cool" to "needs some work". Did no one report that anything just wasn't good at all and needed going back to the drawing board? Even if it was an aberration and wasn't acted upon, I'm shocked that none of their playtesters thought ANYTHING in 4E wasn't good.

They have been sounding like the Stepford Designers for a while.

Just wait, they will soon announce that every Player's Handbook will come with a free Pod plant.

 

[Vigilance]

I'm a little surprised that he characterized the playtest feedback from "it's cool" to "needs some work". Did no one report that anything just wasn't good at all and needed going back to the drawing board? Even if it was an aberration and wasn't acted upon, I'm shocked that none of their playtesters thought ANYTHING in 4E wasn't good.

You'd almost think these so-called "game designers" Wizards employs along with the other longtime game industry employees who playtested the game in house before the public playtest knew what they were doing.

 

[Wolfspider]

You'd almost think these so-called "game designers" Wizards employs along with the other longtime game industry employees who playtested the game in house before the public playtest knew what they were doing.

Preposterous!

 

[KingCrab]

If we're going to get a 'first look' at the new race, would many of the possibilities we've discussed (Orc, Goblinoid, Dragonborn, Warforged, etc) qualify? Maybe the new race is going to be just that -- something completely new?

Could it be Catgirls?