Testing, 1, 2, 3, 4

[Wizards of the Coast]

We've all signed up for the D&D Next playtest, right? We all downloaded our packets and have been busy running and playing in the Caves of Chaos? All of our surveys have been thoughtfully filled out and submitted? Good. Let's talk about it then, shall we? Shelly Mazzanoble talks about her experiences.

Read Testing, 1, 2, 3, 4 on D&D Insider here!

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

I can't say I've read many of her columns, but the complaints about the early playtest packets scream attention deficit disorder. Shelly is not doing any 4E fans a favour by making out that the game rules should revolve around her rather than her in any way adapting to the game rules :s

 

[delericho]

I definitely found myself a little exasperated at times by the article.

But...

Shelly seems to do a good job of embodying the "casual gamer", and as that's a major part of WotC's market, her feedback is probably invaluable.

The tricky task WotC have to try to pull off is to create a game that people like Shelly are both comfortable with and happy to play, while not building the game for her - because if they do that they'll quite thoroughly alienate large segments of the "lifestyle gamer" crowd who are the other major part of their market.

Unfortunately, while the evolution of the packets shows the game evolving to suit her playstyle, her account of it also serves to un-sell me on the game.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

I think the most surprising thing was that she thought she was out of the game when her first character died. I've heard this before from a potential player - they didn't understand that sometimes that happens, and you have to create a new (or old) character and move on.

 

[Arnix]

I cried a little inside as my inner gamer shriveled up. It read like an article from the cheerleader on the school paper who played DnD to fit in.

Yes, I may sound harsh, but I hurt inside right now. This article made me feel dirty for playing DnD.

Edit:
My one positive from this article was that it sounds like they are listening to their play testers.

 

[Agamon]

I like Shelly's stuff, I think she's funny. Sure, her articles are very girly-girl, but at least they're honest. And yeah, it's nice to see a perspective of the non-hardcore non-old schooler.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I've been playing since the Red Box, but I agree with some of Shelly's main points:

Dying in the first two rounds of combat is not fun for a lot of people (including me). Also I really dislike wizards running out of magic so quickly and having to rely on a mundane weapon. It does not feel very "wizardly" and doesn't mach the majority of fantasy fiction.

I also think that we need to be careful that we're not just being old school for the sake of being old school. It's important that we keep attraction new players (like Shelly) to the hobby. If we rely only on the old school tabletop RPGs will slowly wither away.

 

[kitsune9]

It was okay.

 

[dd.stevenson]

It sounds to me like an act. Like a clown hamming it up.

Shelly is a successful professional writer. Who writes about rpgs. There's no way she's as clueless as she's making herself out to be.

 

[MortalPlague]

I thought it was an amusing, refreshing read. A pleasant anecdote about how the internal playtest evolved for Shelly. Nothing crunchy, but a funny tale all the same.