Why I Changed Editions

[Ranes]

I switched from 1e to 2e for exactly the same reason as you, Hussar. The cleaner writing was a compelling reason. I quickly came to regret the decision, because of the watered down approach to demons, et al. The swing towards epic narrative in campaigns also put me off (especially as, by 1989, I had much less time to create my own stuff). I reverted to 1e and put up with DMing only short campaigns on and off for the next few years, until playing traditional RPGs became a thing of the past.

I think it took me a year to be persuaded to explore 3e. It might have taken longer but, by now, having moved around the country (and occasionally overseas) so many times for work, I had simply given away all my old games (a collection that would now be worth not inconsiderable moolah).

I bought into 3e while recovering from an illness and I was won over by the cleverness of its design. I was hooked. I bought new copies of old 1e books (OD&D, Basic and AD&D) and modules for reference - and because I regretted ever letting go of my old gear - but I loved what 3e did for my gearhead gland.

Since then, I've run or played in a few high level campaigns and I understand the prep time issue but I still don't mind it. I've cut out other things to accommodate it where necessary. And I've created and modified monsters and NPCs so much that it's generally not that time consuming. When it is, I don't mind.

I would probably have gone to 4e had it been more evolutionary in nature. It represented such a radical departure from 3e, however, and there was so much in it that really didn't appeal or was marketed in such a ham-fisted and frankly insulting manner, that I was and have remained unwilling to part with all the great stuff I've got.

Nevertheless, I'm like everyone who has ever enjoyed D&D in at least one respect. I believe the game can be improved. We all practise this belief every time we house rule or invent new rules systems for something. Therefore I do not rule out ever buying or playing a new edition I look forward to seeing what comes, in fact. However, the trick D&D's publisher has to pull off, in order to get me to adopt another edition is this: elegance of rules, writing and art aside, there has to be an overwhelming feeling that the game I'm playing creates that almost intangible sense of feeling like D&D to me.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

For me it was adding skills to D&D that made me pick up 3e.

Then skills were what made me go to Pathfinder, as well as part of why I didn't go with 4e. (I won't pretend it was a major reason though - just 'oh, they screwed up skills on top of everything else....')

The Auld Grump

 

[dagger]

Thats one of the reasons I kept at 4e for a year and a half. Had to give it up though because I could no longer stand the system and went back to DM AD&D (for easy prep) and PF/3.5 as a player. Thankfully the only money I spent was on the PHB and a few months of DDI for character generator.

 

[Stormonu]

My experince has beeen a mix of Hussar's and Delericho's. First was involved with Holmes, learned via Moldvay and went to 1E (I had the impression AD&D was the version you were supposed to move to; the idea of staying with BECMI never occured to me).

I quickly switched to 2E because there were a lot of things I didn't like how 1E handled, nor were they available under 1E (kits being one thing). I was alittle slow to adopt 3E, bu loved it once I picked it up and played it. 4E was the only system I foound myself totally uncomortable with, and even it did have some goood ideas worth stealing. While I'm pretty much settled into Pathfinder, I'm not expecting to involve myself in games much past 9th level (never have, truthfully). I also find myself looking back to the simplicity of 2E and BECMI, and hoping the system will move back to that sot of simplicity, but with the sort of openness to customizing your game that 3E had.

 

[jbear]

My experience is similar, though I began playing AD&D.

The importance of having a system simple enough to not have to reference a single rule during play and prep super fast and super easy to customise is huge for me as a DM. If 5e stays true to that (which I am sure has to be one of the key design goals) then I will be interested no matter what the 'rest' is. If it lacks that, I'll rob from it what I can and keep playing the game I can run off the top of my head.

 

[Elf Witch]

Looking back on why I switched it was more going along with the herd then actually making a choice.

I played 1E then left DnD for a long time when I came back it was to a 2E game so I switched to that.

We were playing Shadowrun when 3E came out and one of the guys wanted to see what it was like so we started playing that.

When 4E came out I took a long look at and tried it and then for the first time said no not interested don't care which way the herd goes this time.

It was the same with Shadowrun I went along with all the new editions up until number 4 and then said no if you guys want to play it go ahead I don't like it have fun.

I think this is because as I have gotten older I am tad less flexible and I am not interested in something that is shiny and new just because of that. It has to really be something that impresses me and can convince me that that it will be more fun then what I am playing now.

I am happy with 3E and Pathfinder but I am open minded enough to take a look at 5E and see if it makes my play experience better.

 

[Greg K]

Why I picked up 3e
1. Unified Ability scores (i.e., no more % strength)
2. Unified Ability progression
a. ability modifiers starting at 12-13
b. no more fighter con bonus. Everyone gets the same bonuses for equal stats
3. Race: no more level limits
4. Classes
a. Fighter: Get bonus feats gave room for customization
b. Sorcerer's spontaneous arcane casting
c. Class customization: With feats and the skill system, I saw a lot of potential to do 2e kits right.
5. Multi-classing: everyone follows the same rules regardless of race
a. everyone can multiclass
6. Skill system: I still like it
7. Feats: I disagreed with some of them feeling they should have been combat maneuvers or had a basic combat version (e.g., power attack)
8. Combat maneuvers (I liked them back in 2e Complete Fighters Hanbook and PO: Combat and tactics.
9. Saving Throws: 3 save categories
10. Monsters
a. Get ability scores
b. Armor Class broken down: Natural armor, Dex, etc.

Despite buying the books, it was not until 3.5 that I, really, ran anything beyond a 1-shot. I was still running Rolemaster (one of many game systems I turned to after leaving 2e). The switch to 3e came from two things:

11. d20 STL and OGL: Anyone that has been on these boards know that, in general, I was not a fan of WOTC supplements. On the other hand, there were many third party products that provided me with the support material to make many of the additions and changes that I wanted.
12. Unearthed Arcana

By the time of the announcement of 4e, I was ready for a new edition. Between Unearthed Arcana and d20STL/OGL products, I thought there were a lot of good things to be added back in (which was stated to be one of the reasons behind the d20STL and OGL).

Furthermore, there were things that I still had wanted from my pre-3e questionaire:
- Fewer Absolutes. Sean Reynolds covered this in his web articles Fewer Absolutes and, my reaction was, "It is about time".
- The non-biological aspects of race removed and moved to another system (I think recommended the proficiency system weapon and non-weapon and a RMSS like adolescence). After 3e feats, d20M occupations, PHB class customization, Unearthed Arcana 's class variants, and the Cityscape wilderness/urban skill swaps, I thought all of these should be incorporated into 4e.
- removal of Level Drain

and, now, there were changes I wanted with 3e itself
- removal of 3e XP costs
- a Book of Iron Might maneuver system (or something close since Mearls was working at WOTC)
- new magic item creaton rules based upon the Artificer's Handbook (Mystic Eye Games)
- new poison rules similar to Poisoncraft
- Spellcasters balanced with non-spellcasters
- multi-classing. I did not want new classes to grant the new classes armor, weapons and new good saves. This just allowed circumvention of certain feats and made the initial choice less important. I also wanted the need for a trainer and time to train to be the default.
- the incorporation of Sorcerer Heritage Feats
- many of the UA class variants and Complete Champions non-spellcasting Paladin and Ranger in the PHB or DMG as examples of class customization
- action points based upon M&M Hero Points
- a medum progression save
- UA incantations
- UA complex skill checks
- UA weapon groups
- maybe siloing class abilities into talent trees as per d20modern and Star Wars.
- a rewriting of clerics to make them more tied to their deity's domains for the spells and class abilities (including BAB, Hit Die, armor and weapon proficiencies)

4e instituted some of the changes I wanted, changed many things that I did not want changed, and some changes I wanted were instituted in a manner that I did not like.

Anyway, as of this time last year, I was ready for another change. The edition wars were turning me off to D&D and I was becoming tired of D&D's list of spells (many of which are just minor changes of existing spells or changes in appearance to fit a school and the majority of WOTC supplement spells, in my opinion, are not worthy of the paper that they are printed upon . I also realized that I still never want to run D&D above levels 10-12.(I am still willing to run a house ruled D&D 3e, but Savage Worlds and True20 are my two initial choices in that order).

At the time I was ready to switch to True20, but I already knew that many of my favorite d20Modern third parties had started supporting Savage Worlds so I gave it another look (a few years earlier I took a look at the Test Drive and was turned off) and, eventually, made the switch (I chose it over True20 as my first choice, because I decided that I needed a change from class/level systems). I am glad that I did. It does pretty much everything I want except that I miss D&D's official settings and the write-ups of the demons and devils (e.g, Demogorgon, Orcus, Asmodeus, Geryon).

 

[scruffygrognard]

My reasons for changing are very much like the OPs... until 4th edition. Where he went to 4E I went to Castles & Crusades... which I've houseruled the hell out of in order to make the near-perfect D&D game for me.
My reasons for leaving 3rd edition are, however, the same as his. I found high-level play to be a chore as a DM and player.

 

[Dice4Hire]

For me...

Basic and Expert: Moving on was quite easy. I wanted more material.
AD&D Moving on was fine, I wanted more character options and flexibility.
2E: I moved on to _Skills and Powers mostly for more flexibility.
3E: Feats, Skills, lots of cool stuff made it an easy switch.
Pathfinder: Gave it as look, realized it was basically 3.75 and had no one to play with. No switch.
4e: Was a hard switch as it was so different. Took me a while to figure things out, but I really liked it for a lot of reasons. Especially my DM side was a dream
4.5: Essentials was not good for me or my group. Nice monster books though.
5E: Not sure how it will go, but willing to give it a try.