I've always tried, as DM, to explain the game as a STORY, not just "
you take 7hp damage" or whatever, so it's always descriptive, high adventure.
Thus 4th ed's ideas are great for me
Sure a push/pull etc may not be that, it maybe tricking your enemy into a ruse to get too close and making hin vulnerable, kicking him in the g'nads so he staggers or whatever.
ti's taken D&D YEARS ot get what I always wanted, those kind of tactical, fun, and really believable things rather than standing toe to toe just hacking at each other liek Whack-A-Rat! hehe
it's all about FUN in the end!
Simulationism sucks, SUCK big time, because it wastes too much time on mechanics and not on fun. Sure some folk love it, fine by me if they do, but most folk do not liek that at all, they want fun, HEROIC fun. Silly fun. Bloodthristy fun, etc.
I can really enjoy 3.5 on a computer game, but as a DM, hell no. Very very unpleasant to run it, too complex, I want to RP the story/game with pals not robots, and have a hoot with battles etc
on the "small enemy" issue
are you KIDDING that kobolds aren't a threat?! you ever been in real fights?
enemies with advantages are not ajoke, be it numbers, skills, pure meaness (guts), poison etc
toughest fighter I have ever seen is 5'1", he fought another guy for eight HOURS, every time he got beaten to a pulp, he'd go home, clean up and come back
other guy gave in eventually, literally exhausted and broke his hands on the small guy's bones. That relaly happened
Another small guy I knew KO'd, 1st punch, a guy a good foot+ taller than him, broke his jaw.
Guts, toughness and skill are not ever to be taken lightly.
D&D mechanics don't show the fact that any fight can eaisly equal death/maiming, it's meant ot be heroic fantasy.
But I sure as heck wouldn't consider goblins etc "easy" and have not played them like that as a DM
if they were that easy they'd have been exterminated long ago.
Creatures fighting for survival are not to be taken lightly, and ones that have survived will have evolved skills etc to make them worthy of survival.
"Tucker's Kobolds" !!
