Which edition change changed the game the most?

[Aberzanzorax]

The recent thread discussing changes between editions http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/301234-basic-differences-rules-per-edition.html

and the thread discussing what D&D "is"

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/300894-d-d-experience-all-roads-lead-rome.html

Got me thinking. I wonder what edition change the folks here at ENworld believe to be the largest change in the game.


I'm curious because an assumption of mine has been challenged. I had always seen the biggest change being 4e (and, frankly, I considered that obvious). Some have posted they don't believe that to be the case.

Now I'm NOT posting this to discuss which changes were good/bad/lemon curry. I'm just wondering what people think about the degree of changes, and I'm especially curious how many others don't think the biggest change was 4e, and if not, what changes were more extreme and meaningful for other editions.

 

[BryonD]

If I had to pick one, I'd go with 3E.

But both 3E and 4E were very significant changes. It is easy to argue either one based on an individual's priorities. And it is easy to say that they were both adequately different in a range of both objective and subjective ways that "most" isn't really a fair term.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Wow, you posted before I finished the poll!

I do get what you're saying about priorities. A small change might "feel" like a very large one to different people, and change the character of the game in a large way.


But, insofar as it's possible, I'm asking more about what people believe are the largest objective changes. Maybe changing Thac0 to positive was a large emotional change for some people, but I do think the difference between subtraction and addition is relatively minor, compared to say, the removal of dual classing between ADnD second edition and Third edition, or the addition of feats, for instance(s).

EDIT: The changes can also be for better or for worse, but as I said, this thread's not about whether the changes were good or not, just how many there were/how extreme the actual changes were.

 

[MerricB]

Supplement I: Greyhawk.

There is a chasm of difference between the original booklets and what appeared in Supplement I.

Cheers!

 

[delericho]

4e. It's not even close.

 

[vagabundo]

Definitely 3e changed the direction of the game the most.

 

[DaveMage]

4e. It's not even close.

Yep.

4E changed both the crunch and the fluff in radical ways.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

How so Vagabundo?

 

[Aberzanzorax]

4e. It's not even close.

Yep.

4E changed both the crunch and the fluff in radical ways.

See, this is what I thought, but right now there are 3 votes for 3e. I'm curious as to why (at a minimum 3) people think that it changed the game more than 4e.

 

[DragonLancer]

4E. The mechanical changes far outstrip the differences between third and earlier editions.