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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 3753160" data-attributes="member: 3586">Don't think these have been posted yet. OTOH, maybe they have been...Andy Collins - <a href="http://p198.ezboard.com/On-balance/fgameschat19968frm10.showMessage?topicID=1109.topic" target="_blank">http://p198.ezboard.com/On-balance/fgameschat19968frm10.showMessage?topicID=1109.topic</a>It's true that there won't be *as* much difference in power between any two monster levels as there is now--we're aiming for a slightly shallower power curve overall, so that monsters and PC abilities stay relevant across more levels. That's not the same as saying there won't be much difference between levels (which suggests that level 1 and level 20 monsters will be basically the same--completely untrue).It's a lot more fun (and useful) if a given monster is interesting over a spread of, say, 6 or 8 levels than if it's only viable in a spread of 3-5 levels (a generous description of the 3E model).The fact that any given monster is only 20-25% of an encounter also means that cranking up the power of one monster (by including a monster of, say, PC level +4) won't alter the encounter nearly as much as if that were a one-on-one fight. You'll definitely notice that monster's presence, but it doesn't suddenly become a party-killah. Andy Collins: <a href="http://p198.ezboard.com/Podcast-Mailbag-question-Andys-answer-welcomed/fgameschat19968frm10.showMessage?topicID=1094.topic" target="_blank">http://p198.ezboard.com/Podcast-Mailbag-question-Andys-answer-welcomed/fgameschat19968frm10.showMessage?topicID=1094.topic</a>I agree with both Mike's and Dave's answers, but I'm nothing if not full of opinions, so here's something that really sticks in my craw:Classes without a role. I hate the fact that if I want to play a ranger, or a monk, or a binder, or yes, even a bard, that I have to make sure that all the "normal" bases are covered in the party first, because my class isn't good at the basic functions that every party needs. Our group in Monte Cook's Ptolus game included a sorcerer, a monk, a rogue, and an archery-based fighter, and the monk player was constantly frustrated that the party needed him to do things (like tank) that he wasn't built for. The rogue ended up being pushed into multiclassing as a fighter, which meant the party was short on rogue talents, so my sorcerer dabbled in rogue and thus didn't have the spell power he really needed in the toughest fights. And our lack of a cleric caused no end of headaches.The game doesn't have to work like that.There shouldn't be "classes that fit in" and "classes that don't."There shouldn't be only one class that really accomplishes a key role (cleric as healer--sorry druid/favored soul/whatever, you're strictly second-rate).And, frankly, there shouldn't be classes that fulfill multiple roles simultaneously (cleric, I'm looking in your direction again). If the fighter rolls his eyes and wonders why he bothered showing up, that's just stupid...and it's flawed game design.As far as getting profound answers goes, I'm glad Mike & Dave didn't disappoint you, but I'm also disappointed that the possibility of getting minor answers seemed so reasonable.Truly professional game designers don't settle for finding small problems when larger, systemic issues also exist. It takes bravery to point out significant flaws possessed by your own well-loved game system, but if you can't be honest about your own work, you've no business calling yourself a professional.It's easy to be forgiving toward your own game, turning a blind eye to its flaws. And I won't pretend that we haven't suffered from that malady. But I'm proud that we've been working hard to be more critical of, and more intellectually honest about, our own approaches and design philosophies over the past few years. Some changes resulting from this mindset have been incremental improvements, others grand experiments, and still others complete failures. Some you haven't seen yet, and some you might never be able to perceive. We're constantly learning about this glorious game and what it can accomplish, and we expect to keep sharing those discoveries for many years to come.</blockquote>

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