D&D 4E Will you buy 4e?

[Greylock]

No. Besides the fact that I'm kind of burned out on 3.x, it's doubtful, highly doubtful, that anyone in the circle of folks I play with will want to switch. There are members of my group that haven't made the full commitment to 3.5 yet, for heaven's sake! That, and we've fully embraced 1st Edition style gaming in a way that thoroughly surprises me. If we reboot again, which we do reasonably often, it will either be to D20 Modern or Rifts. Possibly even Aces & Eights.

We have enough to keep us busy for years and years and are satisfied completely with the systems we have at hand.

 

[Nyeshet]

I probably will not buy it, but might eventually

At present I have drifted a bit from typical d20. I have tried True 20 and am considering Iron Heroes. I like many aspects of the d20 mechanics, so if the system changes significantly I likely will not buy it. If it changes only slightly - well, I still have the SRD, and I can make some adjustments as necessary to follow the pattern of changes.

Basically, if it doesn't change too much then I see no point in not continuing on with what I currently have. If it changes too much then I will have to see it in play and read quite a few reviews - and likely skim the PHB and DMG in the local B&N - before I consider putting money down for it.

The easiest way for me to determine if I like it or not would be to read the rules for it online in the equivalent of an SRD - even if it only included a few example spells, conditions, etc rather than the whole meat of the system, but current rumors seem to suggest it will not have an SRD. :\

So, for now I will wait. I cannot say with any certainty that I will ever buy a single book for it, but I am willing to admit that my buying such could eventually be a possibility.


As for guesses as to what it will be like, I notice the warlock is popular, as is the Bo9S, so I'm guessing this will influence the system structure of the new system. Minis will likely become an even more core aspect of the system, to force players and DMs to buy them and thus generate revenue. Perhaps the SW Saga edition is a testing ground, seeing what the players like / do not like of some new ideas before the final decisions are made on what the new 4e system will be like. Beyond that, I have no guesses as to what it will be like. So we'll see.

 

[cougent]

I voted absolutely not, but that is probably wrong.

When 4E stuff gets really cheap on ebay (under $10 each) I will probably buy it then.

Until then I will use the 60+ 3/3.5 books I already have and continue to refine my own campaign setting and be just fine, thank you very much. As a poster on another forum said, it will now be easier to complete my 3/3.5 collection since it will finally stop growing.

 

[BlackMoria]

If it is indeed an announcment for 4E, I've got to give it to the spin-doctors at WOTC for totally blindsiding me.

WOTC has gone on record for saying any important announcement for D&D will occur at D&D Experience (aka Winter Fantasy). I believed them.

WOTC, during the past D&D Experience, when the question about 4E was put directly to them by audience members during the big presentation on D&D stated ( completely paraphrased but words to the effect that...) "4E will eventually come out but it is still a long ways off and that sales of 3.5 related stuff is still good and that the production schedule for futrue 3.5 related releases is proof of that". I believe another WOTC staffer even said, when asked if 4E was being worked on, that - no it is not being actively developed and the normal development cycle for a product like that is 1.5 to two years.

If this is indeed an announcement for 4E, I am disappointed - not by 4E coming out, everyone know it is coming sometime, but the fact that WOTC has used disinformation on the customers / fanbase by basically stating that 4E is still quite a ways away, that it was not in active development (as of D&D Experience '07 when the alleged statement was made) and that any announcement concerning D&D will be announced at D&D Experience.

I feel like I was lied to.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

cant say i will not but i can say it will be a few years at least . i have to much money in 3e and 3.5 books just to jump up and do it all againe. and it would have to be a large improvemnt over 3e to even think of jumping if theres atill good 3.5 stuff being made by someone i cant say i'll change. and if it goes more toward mini's which i don not use at all it'll prob keep me from buying 4e at all

 

[T. Foster]

If the rules are considerably streamlined/simplified from 3.5E and the tone, art and graphics (at least in the core books) are brought back to a more "classic fantasy" feel I might consider buying it. Since I don't really expect either of those to happen, though (the rules I think will be streamlined/simplified from 3.5E, but likely not enough for my taste, and likely in what I will consider the "wrong" ways -- the fact that they're apparently keeping the 3-core-book model already tells me that they're not likely to streamline/simplify things enough for my taste; the tone and art, alas, I expect to continue in its present mold (which i can't stand) and maybe even become moreso as Eberron is likely to be more ingrained into the core books in the new edition) I voted "probably not."

What I'd really like to see is a slim single-volume (6x9, 180pp or so) "Classic Dungeons & Dragons" game with an extremely simplified/streamlined set of rules analogous to the old Basic/Expert sets (but open-ended like Original D&D) and classy/classical art and graphics, that you'd never need (or be expected) to buy anything else to play, ever. If they would release this one book I'd be happy, and then they could do whatever they wanted with the rest of the line.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

4.5e

I answered "I probably will not buy it, but might eventually" because I probably won't be buying it until the first "revision" comes out.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I voted option 2, but it is closer to "I will buy it if the official previews look really good, and after I examine it in the store myself" rather than relying on other's reviews. In other words, it is pretty much the same as any other entertainment purchase I make.

 

[Anticitizen One]

I will at the very least pick up a 4e PHB, just so I can have a look at it.

Whether I actually use it or not is a bigger question. I am pretty happy with 3.5, much happier than I was with 2e. With 2e, there was so much inconsistency with the supplements it really was crying out for some streamlining. 3E supplements, while not perfect, are much more consistent with each other in terms of game mechanics and power level.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I will purchase 4E as soon as it is available.
I will also more than likely go in for the DI too.
Whether I can get my group to play it is another matter, but this will most likely be a yes as well (we normally like bright new shiny things).

On a sidenote, it's a shame to see a degree of angst and even hatred on the whole 4E subject but I suppose it's to be expected. A lack of caring from the usual subjects around here I can understand, but the hate-thing from others seems more an irrational cutting off one's nose to spite one's face to me - the type of thing that 12 months of hype will most likely assuage. Only time will tell what the real case is.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise