Well, I Went Ahead and Did It

[APewty]

I heard that gnomes have been done away with, which probably means as a PC race. This makes no sense to me. I assume it's to streamline things.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

I heard that gnomes have been done away with, which probably means as a PC race. This makes no sense to me. I assume it's to streamline things.

Well, I wonder how popular gnomes were as PCs anyway - and in 24 years of playing, I can only remember a couple of times a gnome was actually used as a PC. I think there were more half-ogres in my games than gnomes. But it is kind of strange to eliminate them.

I don't think I ever played a gnome - even as an NPC. Certainly I have never personally played a memorable gnome.

 

[Grimhelm]

Personally, you played no memorable gnome, yet let us take this moment to remember the late, great Alphonse, Guardian of the Silver Tree and beloved of King Grimcap--- er--- Grimhelm.

 

[Fyrestryke]

One other thing bothers me about 4E - the art.

The art between AD&D (original), AD&D 2nd Edition, and D&D 3rd Edition is distinct from each other. No one would confuse art from 1e and 2e or 3e and so on. However the art between 3e and 4e seems (to me) to be the same. The same artists, the same style. Although I am fond of 3e art (and 1e art), I would have given 4e a different art style to further differentiate it.

One thing that irks me about 4E is the Monster Manual. It also happens in the 4E PHB and DMG although it's not as noticeable...

Recycled art... From 3E/3.5E. What's up with that? If they're gonna ask us to shell out money for a new edition, the least they can do it put in new artwork IMHO...

 

[InzeladunMaster]

One thing that irks me about 4E is the Monster Manual. It also happens in the 4E PHB and DMG although it's not as noticeable...

Recycled art... From 3E/3.5E. What's up with that? If they're gonna ask us to shell out money for a new edition, the least they can do it put in new artwork IMHO...

I didn't realize they actually recycled the artwork. Geez. Not only did they not change the artistic style, they didn't even bother to change the artwork at all!

Any fan reaction to that (other than us)?

 

[Fyrestryke]

Well, there's NEW artwork, but yes, they re-used a lot. I haven't looked around for public disapproval of such a move. Made me feel like I've wasted my money.

 

[BobProbst]

An interesting critique of 4e from a BGGer:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/327831

 

[InzeladunMaster]

An interesting critique of 4e from a BGGer:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/327831

That kind of review makes me feel better about it.

 

[aldrin17]

Honestly, I am not terribly interested in the system. 3rd edition solved many of my complaints from previous years, and I find it to be completely adequate to the task. Once again, a system does not make characters or adventures, people and players do. I don't care if we are playing D&D 7000.5, I am going to have fun because I can be my character and I will find a way to accomplish the tasks at hand.

I agree , although my group is trying "Keep on the Shadowfell". I think roleplaying is roleplaying. We still play our characters and NPC's the same as in any other version. The thing that you really need to do is to find what system works best for your particular group and have fun with it.

That being said, I myself am leaning toward staying with 3 or 3.5 . I'm not sure i like this system after getting about 1/3 of the way through Shadowfell. Not much variety and combat actually seems to take longer( could be that we have to look EVERYTHING up because we aren't used to the system though). Overall this seems to much like a computer game to me.

 

[Grimhelm]

Well, I am noticing a disturbing trend in both board games and role playing games to duplicate computer gaming. With the popularity of games like World of Warcraft this comes as no surprise. It also comes as no surprise due to most players propensity for playing role playing games like computer games, without effort to give their characters any identity beyond "I'm the cleric, you know, the guy with the hammer."

The thing I like about 3 and 3.5 is the amount of player creativity it allows. It certainly does have faults, but what system doesn't, right?