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<blockquote data-quote="Balesir" data-source="post: 6241492" data-attributes="member: 27160">I and (I think) most of the group I GM for have found 4e quite easy to grok, and I think there are two main reasons - maybe three - for this:1) The way 4E rules aren't isolated; they fit together into a &quot;model&quot;. Take stealth, and cover, for example. The cover rules are quite simple and unambiguous (assuming you are using a battle mat - see below), and stealth flows directly from lines of sight, cover and the Stealth skill vs. Perception rolls. The difference between &quot;can't see her&quot; and &quot;she's hidden&quot; is quite clear in the rules.2) The extent to which the rules are what's in the rule book is high. Games that rely on GM interpretation and judgement take longer to learn - especially with a new GM - because you have not only to learn the rules but also to learn the GM. What is their model of the game world like? How do the semi-defined abilities your character has actually work in practice? 4E has much less of this than earlier editions.3) Re. the comment on the battle mat; I guess we are a group that takes somewhat &quot;naturally&quot; to systems like 4E because we have used battle boards/mats/maps since basically forever. That's not to say I/we have never used TotM - I have played Daredevils and Pendragon that way, for sure - but for D&amp;D style games we have always used hex grids/dungeon floorplans/etc.Speaking just for myself, I generally retain systems and ideas far, far better if I can visualise a model in my head for how the thing works rather than remembering scads of rules. Once I have the model understood, it tends to just &quot;click&quot; - without the model I misremember and get confused all the time. 4E I found a very easy system to build models for; original D&amp;D much less so.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Balesir, post: 6241492, member: 27160"] I and (I think) most of the group I GM for have found 4e quite easy to grok, and I think there are two main reasons - maybe three - for this: 1) The way 4E rules aren't isolated; they fit together into a "model". Take stealth, and cover, for example. The cover rules are quite simple and unambiguous (assuming you are using a battle mat - see below), and stealth flows directly from lines of sight, cover and the Stealth skill vs. Perception rolls. The difference between "can't see her" and "she's hidden" is quite clear in the rules. 2) The extent to which the rules are what's in the rule book is high. Games that rely on GM interpretation and judgement take longer to learn - especially with a new GM - because you have not only to learn the rules but also to learn the GM. What is their model of the game world like? How do the semi-defined abilities your character has actually work in practice? 4E has much less of this than earlier editions. 3) Re. the comment on the battle mat; I guess we are a group that takes somewhat "naturally" to systems like 4E because we have used battle boards/mats/maps since basically forever. That's not to say I/we have never used TotM - I have played Daredevils and Pendragon that way, for sure - but for D&D style games we have always used hex grids/dungeon floorplans/etc. Speaking just for myself, I generally retain systems and ideas far, far better if I can visualise a model in my head for how the thing works rather than remembering scads of rules. Once I have the model understood, it tends to just "click" - without the model I misremember and get confused all the time. 4E I found a very easy system to build models for; original D&D much less so. [/QUOTE]

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