D&D 4E Where was 4e headed before it was canned?

[Garthanos]

Have you run it?

Watched and played - the Monsters are boring bags of hit points from reading it and but every DM I have seen basically rolled their own. It may be pre-game preparation is harder.

 

[Parmandur]

Watched and played - the Monsters are boring bags of hit points from reading it and but every DM I have seen basically rolled their own. It may be pre-game preparation is harder.

Monsters are rather streamlined, but I fail to see how that equals more work? Fewer fiddley bits, one universal magic system that everything uses that can be memorized, freeform skill system. Less specificity, more universality.

 

[Garthanos]

But to go back to what we were discussing, the whole ... freeform thing ... that's not about specific and enumerated mechanics.

Most relatively freeform games have some sort of mechanics... Fate Points anyone????

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Garthanos]

Monsters are rather streamlined, but I fail to see how that equals more work?

Every DM with tastes at all like me rolling their own because that is boring? is more work to me

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Parmandur]

Every DM with tastes at all like me rolling their own because that is boring? is more work to me

Ah, I missed that this was an assumption of the claim for higher work. But just running the monsters as is, that's pretty easy.

 

[Garthanos]

OTOH, I can run a game of 5e with no prep time, and I'm able to easily convert, say, 1e modules on the fly

I do not get anyone liking those old modules (never really used them then either) I like as much as possible for adventures to target the player characters and their goals.

 

[Ratskinner]

Most relatively freeform games have some sort of mechanics... Fate Points anyone????

I'm not actually sure what you were going for here, positive or negative?

Regardless, the difference in question is about whether those mechanics have to be specified in advance of play. Fate doesn't require that (no lists of powers and aspects is needed before play begins.) While Fate points are part of the mechanics...they don't really rely on the freeform nature of the game or vice versa, I wouldn't think.

 

[Garthanos]

Ah, I missed that this was an assumption of the claim for higher work. But just running the monsters as is, that's pretty easy.

Sorry I thought using the emotion laden words "boring bags of hit points" and the personal context implied it.