I think Next fits in a nice middle space between all the editions of D&D... taking what most people think to be solid evolutions of each edition and combining them together. It's a good emulator of past editions, and will probably end up being a good game unto itse;f when it's finally released.
Of course... there are plenty of people who actually prefer the outliers to each edition's rules that the majority are quite glad to have moved on from... and those people will certainly not like the game. But if you're a devout fan of those parts of the rules that most others think suck... you probably aren't the type to want to move on to another version of the game anyway.
Speaking personally... I went back and tried looking at the older editions to consider replaying them (as I did when they were first released)... but found dozens of things from each that we've moved on from as a gaming culture that just made my skin crawl thinking about going back. AC going down... thief skills that are automatically set with no customization... clerics being the only class with any meaningful healing... etc. I just couldn't do it. So many irritating things like that we've evolved from, and I've been glad we did
Now I'm sure once I start playing 5E I'll find a host of things that the game won't have that I'll occasionally be in the mood to want (just like I did with 2E, 3E, 3.5, & 4E)... which is why I don't expect (not require) it to be the "end all and be all" of a Dungeons & Dragons experience. But if it can continue to emulate many parts of all those editions that were fun while continuing to round off the jagged bits that most players have agreed were worth sanding down (and I find myself usually agreeing with the majority on the rules and mechanics that tend to bite)... then 5E will be a worthy addition to the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon.
Of course... there are plenty of people who actually prefer the outliers to each edition's rules that the majority are quite glad to have moved on from... and those people will certainly not like the game. But if you're a devout fan of those parts of the rules that most others think suck... you probably aren't the type to want to move on to another version of the game anyway.
Speaking personally... I went back and tried looking at the older editions to consider replaying them (as I did when they were first released)... but found dozens of things from each that we've moved on from as a gaming culture that just made my skin crawl thinking about going back. AC going down... thief skills that are automatically set with no customization... clerics being the only class with any meaningful healing... etc. I just couldn't do it. So many irritating things like that we've evolved from, and I've been glad we did
Now I'm sure once I start playing 5E I'll find a host of things that the game won't have that I'll occasionally be in the mood to want (just like I did with 2E, 3E, 3.5, & 4E)... which is why I don't expect (not require) it to be the "end all and be all" of a Dungeons & Dragons experience. But if it can continue to emulate many parts of all those editions that were fun while continuing to round off the jagged bits that most players have agreed were worth sanding down (and I find myself usually agreeing with the majority on the rules and mechanics that tend to bite)... then 5E will be a worthy addition to the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon.
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