Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jacob Lewis" data-source="post: 8613188" data-attributes="member: 6667921">I didn't want to derail the <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-and-who-its-aimed-at.687720/" target="_blank">thread</a> where I mentioned this:But since putting this out there, I feel like I want to talk about now. More importantly, I want to be heard and I want to figure things out. I'm dealing with some personal issues that are making me feel more isolated and less focused than ever. And it's making me feel frustrated and depressed. Maybe this will help.Let's start with this:I've looked at these and many others. But you know as well as I do that there is no substitution for the real deal. That said, you got me thinking about what it is exactly about 4e that I like. What is missing from these other systems and homemade retro-clones that fail to appeal the same way 4e does?First, I just want to point out that I know what a hot mess 4e is/was. The first few years, they were consistently doing things one way. Then Essentials came out to try to do things differently while trying to be the same game. It wasn't. But we never got the chance to see the older material fully updated and converted like they planned. (Class Compendium anyone?) The rest, as they say, is history. But let's focus on the positive.In no particular order:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Classes. There were such a great diversity of character classes, each with their own unique feel. Players could actively participate in every instance of the game regardless of the class they played. And no one questioned your role or contribution to the group because it was spelled out for everyone.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Monsters. So much easier to scale and balance for DMs, and varied enough to keep players engaged. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Encounters. Creating encounters (and monsters) was so much simpler and more intuitive. Got five level 3 characters? Five level 3 monsters is your baseline.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Revised lore. Not talking about the default setting (Nerath), but the actual D&D universe being revised to fit the narrative of everything (assumed) in the game! Monsters didn't just spring out of nowhere, and the World Axis just made more sense.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spell Slots removed. One of my favorite innovations was the removal of the archaic "Vancian" system of spell casters. (5e does a pretty good job with it now, but it still creates an imbalance between classes and too much bookkeeping for everyone.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rituals. Loved the idea, but I think they could have leaned into it further to create a greater divide between spell-like powers (fireball, cure wounds, etc.) and real magic (raise dead, identify, scry, etc.).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Easy reference. I just want to point out how nice it used to be to have all (or most) of the information you needed in front of you. Your powers and magic items explained exactly how they worked. Encounters included stat blocks on the page. I rarely had to look up anything during play.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stat blocks. Everything had an identifiable format that was easy to read and understand. Even the color scheme informed you without having to read through paragraphs. (Gold border was magic items, green was at-will, etc.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I'm sure there's more I'm not remembering at the moment.</li> </ul>But as I said, there's issues, too. But we don't need to rehash all of that because most fans recognize what they are and actually want to see those addressed. That bring us to:Right. And this is where the real problems for me emerge. Because it's not for a lack of interest or people wanting it. It's because we are not given the same freedom and opportunity to pursue it because of the existing license. But what really sticks in my craw is how ever other edition (and most other game systems, for that matter) doesn't seem to have the same restrictions. Why? We know why. It doesn't matter.It is very hard to enjoy what you love when you're the only one. I can't even mention it in most places without having to defend it against the same baseless or idiotic comments. It is hard enough to get anyone interested in D&D outside of 5e, especially when all they hear is negativity from bad sources. But even if I could, what kind of support do I have to start playing it again? VTTs can't offer me a good engine to use, even if I offered to pay for it. Digital tools don't exist anymore, and the ones that do are done illegally (you can't talk about it), require manual input for everything, and are dependent on a few dedicated people who are just doing the best they can for free."Good" being the operative word. I know we've seen them out there but... let's just say I can appreciate the work they put into it. But no thanks. I have my own ideas, but they are exactly that: my own ideas. People will have different expectations of what a retroclone should look like for them, and most of them just want to make sure all their old materials will still be usable. To that, I say: it works fine now, so just use what you have.I just don't know anymore. Maybe I'm done. I have so many unfinished ideas and so many unplayed adventures. But every year I get a little older and my brain gets a little less reliable. I miss playing with others. I can't even pretend to guess when I'll be able to do that again. And if so, what would I want to play? Will I even be able to run?<img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="😞" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61e.png" title="Disappointed face    :disappointed:" data-shortname=":disappointed:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" /></blockquote>

Verification