Howdy. I'm pretty much as new as you get... played my first pen-and-paper game (Vampire: The Masquerade) around Thanksgiving, liked it, and bought the 4e core rulebooks and DMed a one-shot for my friends during the holidays. Currently looking for a steady group, having a little success thanks Maptool and these forums.
How old are you? I'm 21 years old.
Where did you hear about/get exposed to 4e? I bought the 3.5 Player's Handbook about two years ago, hoping it was all I needed to get involved with some online games. Unfortunately, due to the prevalance of various splatbooks, and with everybody playing Fighter/Warlock/Eldritch Knights, I felt a little intimidated. Also felt like I couldn't get a good handle on the rules without the DMG or possibly even the MM.
I just couldn't afford to buy the DMG, the MM, or the various splatbooks necessary to feel competitive/savvy. It was around this time I heard about 4e coming out, plus the rumblings about it being more streamlined and balanced. "Well, I'll just wait for 4e," I said to myself, "and start fresh." And I did. And, for the most part, I really, really liked it.
What sort of "hobby gaming" (card games, board games, video games, miniature games) if any did you engage in before? I was pretty heavy into Magic: The Gathering throughout my childhood, my brother and I used to play all the time. I still sometimes play with friends.
I've long been interested in D&D, but I've mainly sated my curiousity with various computer-game versions of it. FRUA rocked way back in the day (loved making my own dungeons), after that was Baldur's Gate... until quite recently, I even played and greatly enjoyed Dungeons and Dragons Online.
I also got a lot of roleplaying experience with freeform play-by-post and a few MUDs, most notably Armageddon MUD, which I've played for a solid seven years.
Do you play with other new folks or seasoned pros? Well, the first people I played with were utter newbs like me, a group of old friends from high school. Everybody had a really great time, and we'll probably play again, but probably only as one-shots.
Other than that, I've joined a Maptool game with an experienced DM trying to make a resurgence. I can't speak to the experience of my fellow players, but they're definitely more experienced than me, I can tell you that much. I've also joined a non-4e playtest with some people I met here on EN World, and they're definitely more experienced than me.
How's it been so far? Great! I really, really like 4e. A big part of what attracted to me D&D in particular is the idea of the classic dungeon crawl, which is something 4e really excels at. I understand some people's criticisms of it, and I'll admit there's a few bits of D&D lore I miss, but for the most part, the positives far, far outweigh the negatives.
I'm in a regular, weekly game of 4e already (Maptool), and I'm loving it so much that I'm already looking for a second.
Do you see yourself still playing in 20 years like many of us old hats?
Haha, it's a definite possibility.
The main thing I do is find people I am compatible with -- I want to game with buddies!
