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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Glyfair" data-source="post: 4928137" data-attributes="member: 53">2E got it from both sides.  There were the "grognards" who disliked many of the changes, especially things that were eliminated.  That's pretty standard.However, you also got a lot heat from those who felt there weren't enough changes. For example, they kept racial level limits.Indeed, I think you saw more of the second than the first.  After all, AD&D was kept in print well after 2nd edition was released.  Also, the adventures converted pretty easily.In my opinion, 4E had three things going against it before anyone saw anything about it.There was the dancing around an edition release.  Statements from WotC clearly indicated that 4E was still a ways off.  They may not have technically stated that, but the statements were clearly intended to give that impression.  The obvious clues that 4E would be announced at that GenCon hurt the trust some had in WotC.More importantly, I think 3.5 hurt the release of 4E.  In my opinion, the time was right for a new edition that was a wide break from 3E (like 3E was to 2nd edition).  However, the debacle of the release of 3.5 was still in everyone's minds.  3.5 was a new edition that wasn't really a new edition.  It was too close to 3E to really give D&D a new direction, but it was different enough that using 3E materials in 3.5 was a significant headache.  It was so close to 3E that everyone was still getting used to 3E.Finally, 3.5 had something pretty unique about it that other editions didn't.  Those of you who have collected all the editions heavily, take a look at your collections of official D&D material.  Almost every major release of 3.5 was a hardback book.  OD&D was pamphlets.  AD&D had some hardbacks, but was mostly modules.  2nd edtion also had some hardbacks, but a lot more trade paperbacks mixed with box sets.  3E was also largely trade paperbacks.  3.5 had a huge number of hardbacks.  Hardbacks take up a lot of space.  It was especially noticeable given the number of hardbacks that were released.  They even dwarf the box sets of the 2nd edition era in amount of space.A lot of people looked at the amount of space their 3.5 books took up, realized how much they had spent, and decided they weren't interested in changing to a new edition.  They were already against the new edition, and some probably even hoped it was something they wouldn't miss.</blockquote>

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