PHB classes -- why does it matter which ones are included?

[EATherrian]

I didn't mean to come across so badly, the question was mostly snark. But as a player of all the editions, I see 3rd Edition D&D as the continuation of 2nd Edition AD&D. There was nothing I saw that really made me feel BECMI in 3rd Edition. Maybe I'm wrong, but again it was just my opinion, perhaps I just phrased it more aggressively than I meant to.

 

[SSquirrel]

Incendax, I have a feeling that if you do choose to buy and play 4E, you will be far happier tying off your current game and starting something brand new. Esp if your group has a large number of the classes that are going bye-bye. Sadly I haven't had a regular group for 2 years, so maybe I am just not affected by the change as much, but my vote if I were playing would be to finish things up and just have a fresh start. Spend some time converting certain NPCs into rough approximations for the new edition if need be or pick a new setting completely. If yr gonna go thru big changes, may as well go whole hog

 

[Darkthorne]

I have 2 people n my group that won't be thrilled that they have to wait for Bard/Druid. However with that said I would much rather wait for a "splat"book that has all the bugs worked out instead of putting in something halfway completed so it didn't chese off a portion of their consumer base and then hearing all the complaints "why didn't WOTC fix this before?!?!? this is just like 3.0!"

 

[ppaladin123]

I have 2 people n my group that won't be thrilled that they have to wait for Bard/Druid. However with that said I would much rather wait for a "splat"book that has all the bugs worked out instead of putting in something halfway completed so it didn't chese off a portion of their consumer base and then hearing all the complaints "why didn't WOTC fix this before?!?!? this is just like 3.0!"

This is exactly how I feel. I can understand the annoyance people have at seeing their favorite classes and races left out of the PHB (I happen to like half-orcs for example) but I'd also like to see them done right.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Of course the whole concept behind the original splitting of the lines into BECMI and AD&D appears to have been, and I believe many interviews over the years have borne this out, to have a simpler version of the game to get people hooked and then they get to step up w/the big kids and play ADVANCED D&D.

Go ask Dave Arneson whether he thinks that is why it was done.

B/X and BECMI/RC were designed to be the "successors" to OD&D so the main game, AD&D wouldn't legally have Arneson's name.

This is my general idea anyway.

 

[sinecure]

It matters which ones are in because everyone is too scared to make classes and races for themselves.

 

[SSquirrel]

Go ask Dave Arneson whether he thinks that is why it was done.

B/X and BECMI/RC were designed to be the "successors" to OD&D so the main game, AD&D wouldn't legally have Arneson's name.

This is my general idea anyway.

That is more a win/win situation for them in regards to removing Arenson's name. "Hmm, we can split the market into starter and advanced games and, in the same fell swoop, get this guy's name off the game if we change enough stuff. ENERGIZE!!"

 

[Acid_crash]

I, for one, am a minority on these boards when I say that I don't care or could care less which classes I get in the first PHB, as long as the game itself is a solid game that allows me to play fun games and enjoy time with my friends, that's all that truly matters to me.

I'm also the kind of person that enjoys change and it's nice to see them doing something different, and having new core classes and not having traditional classes they've practically had for thirty years. About darn time... something new to try out and explore.