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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Narfellus" data-source="post: 1847946" data-attributes="member: 11040">Whoa, long thread, couldn't read it all here at work. Here's my take: I played DnD on and off since 1st edition (i'm in my early 30's, was in love with the genre since about 8 or 9). I liked 2nd edition a lot, and we played without minis or boards and all that (fun) crapola. We didn't know any better. Now, 3rd edition came along and introduced the d20 mechanic, that admittably, i really like. In that regard the game is streamlined and fun, even though it took a severe power upgrade with ability bonuses, feats, and wealth/magic. But, and here's the thing i notice on a lot of posts, if i/we didn't like an aspect of 3.x, we didn't use it. A lot people complain about the complexity (which i agree, it is complex with all the sunder, trip, friggin grapple rules that give me a headache still after 4 years, bull rush, etc) but the game, in my opinion, is streamlined enough that it can be winged without too much problem, but winged consistently and logically, rather than randomly. I just hearken back to the early days of DnD when combat went faster, you couldn't buy everything, you couldn't CREATE everything, and we play like that. I've never once had a player take a Craft Magic Something Feat. No one wanted to. I don't pay attention to random encounter table, treasure charts, ENCOUNTER LEVELS (how??) and not even Challenge Rating that much, other than to get a guide from the MM as to how powerful something is at a glance.  We severely modified AoO becauses they bogged the game down to a chess board, and consequently, we had to axe some feats that were specifically AoO dependent. We just tell that players, HEY, don't pick that feat! Flanking is easier in our game because you can maneuver a little easier, so we bumped down Sneak Attack to d4. Just little tweaks we house-ruled to play the game we wanted to play, and yes, we do enjoy it more than earlier editions, although the key FLAVOR of Dnd has unfortunately changed, but that was unavoidable. You see, i never used those rules when i weaned myself on the game, and i don't really need them now. Many of those numbers interfere with the STORY, and as others have stated, 3.x caters to a generation of video gamers with no patience, instant gratification. As DM, i determine how fast i want characters to level, what items fall into their laps (if someone wanted to craft an item we'd work it out, but it never came up after years of playing) and sometimes i determine if that Big Boss Monster has a few hitpoints left or maybe it dies a few rounds early. Lastly, i think a lot of what people like about old Dnd was nostalgia. It was a "secret" game, misunderstood by adults and teachers. Complex rules that only the smartest (and usually dorkiest) kids could digest and implement. Nowadays, good lord, everyone and his brother knows about DnD. Movies, books, tshirts, mugs, videogames, it's mainstream, it's hip and cool to play Dnd, and the mystery that we once enjoyed has been shared world wide, almost like giving away a treasured toy.</blockquote>

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