What Can 4th Edition Learn from 3rd?

[Calico_Jack73]

If there is one lesson I hope WOTC learned...

EASE OF PREPARATION!!!!

4E must be much easier for the DM to do the prep work for. It is NOT desirable for NPCs to be generated to the same level of detail as PCs and as such they need a separate, high-speed, creation system for NPCs. They need to take a page from Cyberpunk 2020 with the system for "Fast & Dirty Expendables".

 

[John Drake]

If there is one lesson I hope WOTC learned...

EASE OF PREPARATION!!!!

4E must be much easier for the DM to do the prep work for. It is NOT desirable for NPCs to be generated to the same level of detail as PCs and as such they need a separate, high-speed, creation system for NPCs. They need to take a page from Cyberpunk 2020 with the system for "Fast & Dirty Expendables".

Ok, no offense intended, but what is so difficult about making NPC's? You only need to do detailed stuff on your main villain, or his second in command. And the allies of the PC's don't need to be really detailed. Just let them help the PC's however you deem reasonable: I mean, that's what they are there for, right?
Honestly, I just fake most stuff if I really need to. I fake it within reason, but most of the time fully detailed stats are not really required in most cases, unless of course the NPC's in question are going to be part of a very long running campaign.

 

[Atlatl Jones]

Honestly, I just fake most stuff if I really need to. I fake it within reason, but most of the time fully detailed stats are not really required in most cases, unless of course the NPC's in question are going to be part of a very long running campaign.

"I don't use the rules" isn't an especially good justification for keeping the rules as they are. It shouldn't be so much of a burden to create NPCs and opponents that ignoring the rules and making stuff up becomes neccessary. I'm all for improvisation and faking it, but that shouldn't be neccessary to make prep time not onerous.

 

[John Drake]

"I don't use the rules" isn't an especially good justification for keeping the rules as they are. It shouldn't be so much of a burden to create NPCs and opponents that ignoring the rules and making stuff up becomes neccessary. I'm all for improvisation and faking it, but that shouldn't be neccessary to make prep time not onerous.

Understood. I guess I just don't find prep time to be onerous at all, abbreviating things is what I do if I really am in a bind. I make things up for monsters that are of no real consequence, that is to say bare minimum like hit points, ac, and attack bonuses etc. I can fit them [stats for one creature] all on one line of a page for quick reference. And repeated use, if needed.
I never said I did not use rules, I merely am able to cut to the chase and look at what is important for me to use in any given situation. If, as I mentioned earlier, i am indeed going to need my big bad guy for an encounter with the PC's, you bet I'll go to the max for detailing this guy, including what spells [if any] this dude has and how and when he will use them, to the best of my ability trying to somewhat predict what my group may or may not do in this encounter. It's not so much not using the rules, it is knowing when the rules get in the way of a good gaming experience.
In the case of 3/3.5, there is nothing wrong with the rules imho, that would warrant an new rules set so soon.