Was there a real need for a fourth ed.? Or would tweaking 3.5 have done it for you?

[joethelawyer]

This is regardless of whether or not you like or hate the fourth edition that came out.

Regardless of any business need of WOTC.

From a player's/DM's point of view, was there a need for a fourth edition of any kind?

Or should they have just tweaked/fixed 3.5?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

For myself there was definitely a need for a Fourth Edition. Even if I 3.5 was the ultimate system for me, I would still say there would be a need. I think editions are a necessary and in my eyes welcomed thing when it comes to RPGs, especially if there is quite large mechanical changes. Since then it means more people can find in this instance their version of D&D.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

3.5 was the tweaking of 3E. To tweak again (as Pathfinder) is something that most probably needed to happen for higher level play (but not really for lower level play - which I think it pretty good).

However, 4E had to mark new territory and I suppose it has to a point (whether it is better or not is purely a personal judgment). For D&D to continue, I suppose 4th edition had to happen - fresh revenue and all that.

For me personally, I was ready for a new edition - but slightly dissapointed with the direction taken. In the end, perhaps tweaking would have been enough for me, but I'll go along with the 4E ride and see where it takes me and my group - so far it has been fun.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Prisoner6]

I don't think 3.x was given a long enough life span. Sure, a 4th edition had to come eventually, but I think it came too soon. I could have gotten several more years out of the system before getting tired of it.

 

[T. Foster]

I'm not yet convinced of the need for a 2nd edition with substantial rules changes (instead of just reorganizing and clarifying the rules and updating the art and graphics, in a manner similar to what OSRIC does), much less a 3rd edition, much less a 3.5 edition, much less a 4th...

 

[justanobody]

I think a 4th was needed, but not this one. One that adhered more closely to D&D rather than Star Wars.

 

[Henry]

My personal take is that there was a strong need for just over half of the changes to 4E. The powers and the healing surges, which two seem to generate the most ire, could have been done in other ways, but a lot of the other changes, to monsters, to conditions, defenses, reining in the math, the battlemap simplifications in movement, etc. were all to my eyes fairly important changes. Hell, in our 3.5 games now, I STILL refer to characters and effects in squares of range, and I'm getting the other players to do the same, whether they like 4E or not!

If would could call 50% of the game changes "tweaking", then it's just tweaks needed. The powers might have been done differently, because it seems to be a "bridge too far" with a lot of folks, but the other changes don't seem to cause as many divisions among groups.

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

I got in on 3.5, and got out on 3.5. There were just too many resources to keep track of and tactics that needed thinking out while the characters just did not have the flexibility I needed. So I felt strongly that if D&D was going to be anything to me it needed a big overhaul.

 

[Wormwood]

My groups merrily tweaked 3e since the autumn of 2000. We finally gave up last spring.

We've tried versions of 3e that were rules-lite, rules-heavy(!), and all points in between. Monte Cook, Green Ronin, the works.

Given the wealth of RPG innovation we've been exposed to over the past decade, we required a fundamental reworking of the D&D concept to keep us interested.

So far, 4e is definitely scratching that itch for us.

 

[FireLance]

While I think I would have been happy with simply a tweak to 3.5e, I think that on the whole, I'm even happier with the changes made to 4e.

4e is closer to what I want from D&D than 3e was. Essentially, my idea of a really good game system would be either a heavily tweaked 3e, with many non-core options and innovations such as material from the Book of Nine Swords, PH2, the Complete Series, etc., or a slightly tweaked 4e with more options and material. Who else wants Martial Power, Arcane Power, Divine Power, PH2, etc. now?