Reynard said:
....The reason balance is different in 4E is because the nature of the game and the intended style of play has changed. The entire "culture" of D&D has been altered to be "get together with your buds, throw some dice and drink some Buds," an attempt to take a very niche hobby rewarded by its devotion to that niche and attempt to make it mainstream (or, at least as mainstream as WoW). It won't work. those powergamers and deep immersion simulationists, neither of which is supported by 4E, might make up a minority of the players but they make up a majority of the purchasers -- who are the truly important ones. As such, it will not take long for splats dedicated to the number crunchers and the world builders start coming out. They'll buy 'em.
Reynard, I dont want to come across as confrontational here, but I cant stress how wrong that paragraph is. I respect your opinion but as stated just above me, current sales numbers prove you wrong in so many ways. The culture of D&D has
always been about friends, dice, and snacking till you burst. The whole cheetos thing didnt come from out of no where. Also, the idea that D&D is a niche hobby is like saying Basketball is a niche sport. Roleplaying, with its king of the hill Dungeons and Dragons, is one of the juggernaughts of the hobby industry.
The important players are your enthusiasts, not your fanatics. Bringing the game to your general population of enthusiasts and making it fun for all players involved will sell millions of books and keep the hobby alive. There is plenty of room for devotion of material to specific groups like your crazed simulation fanatics. But to curtail the game mechanic to a specific small group like that is commercial suicide. I would rather have something fun to play than something that mirrors real life no matter what the setting. Its a very broad generality but I think I speak for alot of people when I say I came to play a fantasy game in a fantasy setting. Im not looking for rules realism, Im looking for a balanced fun game that lets me be a wizard, warrior, thief, or cleric (or some version there of) and kill dragons and explore dungeons. Thats what this game has always been about.
3.5 is awesome for getting you real close to that simulation of a fantasy setting and will continue to be supported by outside groups. I think thats awesome, and I love that there is a place for all of us. But WotC and its Devs saw that it was getting away from what D&D truly is. When you start to play 4E, there is a reason people say it feels like your going backwards in terms of editions. It certainly is different in a number of ways and many grognards of old will rail against the fact that its called D&D. But it is D&D, in fact I would say it is getting back to its roots.