Why won't you switch?

[joela]

one BIG reason

My players, who are my friends, don't want to switch. I'll be buying the books, though.

 

[Gryffyn]

Oddly enough, for me it's the changes in resource management that have me down on the new edition. I actually liked having to deal with limited resources, and being clever about getting the most out of them. I know many people aren't fond of that, and I don't begrudge them wanting to eliminate the "15-minute workday." In the end, the resource management challenges were a fundamental part of what made D&D different from its competitors in the FRPG market.

 

[rgard]

Here you go...

1. Too much money already invested in 3.0, 3.5 and OGL rules.
2. Too much money already invested in D&D minis.
3. I've yet to use all that I've purchased of the above.
4. I really enjoy playing 3.0, 3.5 and OGL based games.

If WotC had delayed release of 4.0 until 2010, 2012 or beyond I would have kept buying their 3.5 stuff. I'll continue to pick up non-WotC 3.5 compatible stuff.

I don't begrudge WotC's decision to release 4.0. In fact, I believe they are doing the right thing for themselves and the hobby as a whole in so far as I believe it's the best way to attract new customers. I hope this works out for them.

For me, I'm 46 and have been playing D&D since 1977. I don't see going back to 1E or going forward to 4E. I have my game...3.5/OGL hit the right spot for me.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Lanefan]

1.)New edition seems too gamist with elements that break versimilitude
2.)PC/NPC rule divide, I'd had enough of that by the time I quit 2e and I won't start again.
3.)Changes in monster design are not to my taste
4.)Changes in basic magic system I really don't like. I don't mean non-Vancian it's things like no SoD, dumping summoning/ necromancy/ polymorph spells when I never had problems with them.
5.)Could be prejudging the situation but they seem to be giving martial character powers I feel should be strictly magical in nature. I'm willing to accept high-level non-spellcasters doing impossible inhuman things, but not hurling energy attacks.

Pretty much sums up my stance as well (though the jury's out on #3 and will be for a while, I think). I'll add:
6.)Magic items: slotting taken too far, no low-level ring use, huge loss in creativity in what items do (e.g. magic footwear always involves movement), etc.

That all said; the reason trumping all these for me not to switch is that I've got over 25 years invested in building the system I use now, and I fully intend to keep using it. That said, I'll almost certainly end up buying some 4e stuff (already started, in fact) for ideas and conversion, and to stay abreast of how the game is being played in the wider world.

Lanefan

 

[dallas1]

Several reasons why I'm not adopting the new edition and they have nothing to do with the actual content of the new game:

1) Not enough room in my library;
2) Little time to actually play any edition, so no real incentive to invest time, money and space in the new edition;
3) Still unexplored potential in the older editions.


Why am I still here? I've played D&D for 25+ years and I enjoy following the evolution of the game.

 

[Nellisir]

I'm planning on picking up the core books; probably the FR campaign book. Beyond that, I'm not planning on buying or playing. I've been looking at alternative rulesystems, and will probably switch to True20. I like it, I can convert now, and the cost for my players to buy in is alot less than D&D.

The mechanics of 4e aren't a big deal for me, but it's another straw on the camel. I'm mid-30's, I'm too invested in 3e to throw out thousands of dollars worth of books, WOtC is ditching the OGL, and I'm just tired of the constant turnover in the game. I want to work on my setting with a relatively simple set of rules that I can customize to my taste.

Also, the OGL is a big deal to me.

 

[Kzach]

Cool. Interesting replies so far and am glad everyone is being civil

Primarily it seems everyone is stating money as an issue. I have to agree this is even an issue for me as I'm not exactly rich. Finding the money to put in an order will be a challenge but then I didn't invest too much in 3.x so I'm probably not losing as much as others either.

 

[DM_Jeff]

It's too soon.
I have yet to use 75% of my 3.5 material.
I have none of the problems with 3.5 so many tell me I must! ;-)
Too much $ invested.
The game is exactly where I have wanted it for the past 30 years.
3.5 alive.

-DM Jeff

 

[BryonD]

The rules I have seen so far make me quite certain that 4E will offer a whole lot less of what is fun to me.

I've got stacks of books for a game that I know I'll continue to find more rewarding, so it is a simple choice.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

theres a few resons
1 have more then enuff 3e books
2 have u seen what they did to FR
3 have u seen what they did to FR
4 lack of SOD effects, making it into rubber paddied safty dungeons
5 what i have seen of hp
6 wizard=envoker
7 dragonborn in the phb
8 boobies on dragon born
9 useing the naem tiefling with out bing tieflings
10 no gnomes,druids ,bards
11 have u seen what they did to FR
12 warlocks in the phb
13 WOW based magic level limits
14 self healing for everyone look mom im a mutant
15 stabbing people heals your friends from 5 ft away
16the DDI
17 the thing u now call dungeon and dragon mags
18 killing said mags
19 no negative ablity scores
20 4 ' kender.... i mean halflings
21 death of 30+years of fluff
22 makeing all my old books now useless
23 magic for everyone
24 designers telling me i play wrong and my game could be even more supper cool fun
25 death of none combate ablitys
im sure theres more but this is all that came to mind right now
it comes down to really it does not look to be my style of play.