D&D 4E Owen Stephens Thoughts on 4e

[AZRogue]

Here is a post by andy collins on the issue:

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=4024327&postcount=82

In short, yes they have restricted negative comments and for good reason:
"If someone has negative feedback about the game, what's the better use for that--posting it to a message board so that folks can stew over an out-of-date and out-of-context problem that may well have already been solved, or actually sharing it with the folks who are working night and day to make the game the best it can be?

(And believe me, we've gotten plenty of helpful critiques from our freelancers that have improved the game.)"

Ah, thanks!

 

[Plane Sailing]

Did you mean spelling and grammar errors, maybe?

No, I don't think he does - since he is using enormity ironically, but in its proper sense (far too often people think it just means 'big', when it actually means "excessive wickedness, outrage, monstrous evil" and so forth)

 

[eleran]

Well, I would love to know what do really you mean when you say it is fun....

Was not D&D 3e fun? Or AD&D? Or Basic D&D? Or other RPG games?

Is it even more fun? Why?

I could say "playing poker is fun"... and other could tell me "hey, but playing strip poker is more fun" and I would agree because i know their "real" differences.

But here, you must tell me what is in this edition that makes it really fun, or at least fun for you...

Perhaps he can't go into why it's fun without revealing all sorts of crunchy bits that he is not allowed to share yet. Since it is a game, can we not simply be happy with the fact that it is fun? Why does ti have to be comparatively fun? Yes, poker is fun, but other card games are also fun and don't necessarily have to be compared to pokers fun. Just let fun be fun, don't over-analyze or you'll strip all the fun away.

And isn't that the fun-damental thing we are looking for?

 

[Wolfspider]

Wow!

D&D 4e is fun!

Imagine that!

Of course, D&D 4e is fun. They'd have to mess up royally to make it a game with 30 years of history not fun.

I'm still trying to digest how I feel about finding out that certain playtesters have been allowed to share their feelings about D&D 4e, but only positive ones. I'm of two minds right now regarding this issue, but I have to say I find empty posts like this one highly annoying right now.

 

[Wolfspider]

Oh no! He used the F-word!

Gasp!

 

[eleran]

Wow!

D&D 4e is fun!

Imagine that!

Of course, D&D 4e is fun. They'd have to mess up royally to make it a game with 30 years of history not fun.

I'm still trying to digest how I feel about finding out that certain playtesters have been allowed to share their feelings about D&D 4e, but only positive ones. I'm of two minds right now regarding this issue, but I have to say I find empty posts like this one highly annoying right now.

Did you read the letter from Andy Collins explaining the reason for the pro-only comments from Ari and Jon? They aren't reviewers, they are playtesters. If you want a review of the game call Ebert. It is sooooo much more important that Wizards receive the negative feedback from these folks than that we receive the negative feedback from them.

If Ari had given a negative critique of the per day powers, for instance, there would have been a loud hue and cry here on the interwebs from all the nattering nay-bobs of negativity with nothing better to do than to beat horses long meant for the grave. Even if, and regardless of the fact, they had perhaps already fixed that problem but not gotten the fix to Ari yet.

I can accept Ari and Jons word that there were things they disliked, but I dont have to know what those things are. I can wait to hear that the day of release. THATS when I expect to start hearing Eberts of D&D pipe up.

 

[Stoat]

I respectfully suggest that we keep the discussion of Collins' letter and the restrictions on playtester comments in a separate thread.

If any playtesters have anything to say, I for one want to read it without having to scan dozens of emails about the NDA.

 

[simply not edible]

Wait - is this thread about the sequel to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?

 

[DaveMage]

Wait - is this thread about the sequel to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?

Is *this* the question?!?!?!?

 

[Steely Dan]

From several playtester comments, it seems that 4E has an easy mechanic in place that can be built upon easy to resolve even extreme situations

David Noonan did mention to me their "Magic Spreadsheet".

…I know, vague, but what cha gonna do.