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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 6050433" data-attributes="member: 87792">What is says is that when 4e was released, it was developed in literally half the time they allocated because Orcus was almost unplayably bad.  The first wave of books for 4e had a lot of good ideas and were not properly playtested - and this is screamingly obvious in a number of places including the 4e Monster Manual 1 as well as the initial skill challenge rules where your probability of performing a complex skill challenge was actually higher than a simple one (whoever thought they were fit to print either should be fired or (knowing WotC) has been fired).  On a recent rpg.net thread it's been agreed that the second most hated 4e book by 4e fans was the Monster Manual 1 - beaten only by the absolutely abysmal Keep on the Shadowfell (which I wouldn't give to an enemy).There is not one single solo in the 4e Monster Manual 1 that you aren't better off throwing out and rebuilding from scratch, and with the Monster Manual 3 WotC fixed the underlying monster math.  Monster Vault is basically a replacement Monster Manual 1 that actually works and I've said on another thread why I consider it the best monster manual ever produced for D&D (fluffwise and crunchwise) - and even the anti-essentials crowd IME uses it.I've also mentioned before that there's a vast difference between 4e (2008) and 4e (2012).  If you want to criticise 4e (2008) be my guest.  The skill challenge rules suck, the monsters are big bags of impotent hit points that require guides to anti-grind, and a lot of the writing is uninspiring while if you have the right mind for the statblocks they may have been inspiring but didn't deliver.  But that isn't what we play now.  And if you want to criticise the 4e team for turning in a too early draft of 4e to the deadline rather than when it was ready I'm right there with you.(4e development timeline: Started in June 2005, Orcus was binned and the real 4e was started in April 2006, and the working rules set was turned in on May 11 2007.  Compare that to D&D Next!)</blockquote>

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