WotC "dumbs-down" stuff? What's bad with it?

[Aus_Snow]

You know, except for the part where Third Edition is wildly successful and continues to dominate the roleplaying games industry to an incredible extent.

Some bloody failure.

Exactly.


And Maggan, that was most humorous.

 

[EricNoah]

I think the folks at WotC wisely realized there's no profit in catering to a segment of D&D players who don't -- and won't -- spend more money on the game regardless of how simple or complex it is made.

Oh, and the 2-for-1 power attack thing? I love it.

Eric "Math-Retarded" Noah

 

[Ranes]

I think WotC has some way to go before they dumb down D&D as much as the last bunch.

 

[JoeGKushner]

New Prestige Class Format
Oodles of pages used per prestige class just to tell you,"ROLE PLAY!"

Especially with 3 and 5 level PrCs. I love reading about Organizations that the PrC belongs to and instead of saying in one word NONE they take a paragraph and talk about how they have no official organization but that cool people hang out with this PrC anyway.

New Monster Format
Tons of more pages used to say,"MAKE YOUR WORLD MORE REALISTIC! THE COLOR OF THE CREATURE'S FECES MIGHT BE IMPORTANT!"

I don't mind having more details. However the format seems to make the writers very stupid as we have just as many, if not more, errors now than we've had since the begining. A new format the encourages math errors is not a step up. The new format should be more like say a Hero character sheet where all the math is put out.

Maps and Encounters in All Books
Tons of pages used to simplify things and telling you,"HERE'S A TON OF MAPS WE'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR SO YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE ONE, THEN WE'LL OFFER IT FREE ON OUR WEBSITE. OH, AND HERE'S SOME ENCOUNTERS FOR YOU SINCE YOU'RE CONFUSED ON HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER EAT THE PLAYERS"

I don't mind the battle maps but sometimes it does seem like a lot of hand holding. Which is good for new players and game masters but at the same time, a lot of errors, including editing errors, have continued to creep into the products and make sure that even the most basic elements are in need of a lot of double checking. When new formats are being promoted, seeing "see page xx" in the product does not encourage me.

That about sums up some of it. So, yeah. Simplifying things is ok, but don't take up more page count and space to do so. It can easily be done the way it was back in 3.0

Ah, but you forgot the description of spells that include details found in the spell's description! And let's not forget descriptions of magic items including what slot they take! I appreciate helping players but let's not assume people are just plain stupid. Don't have an itliac spell description and repeat it in the spell's effects description!

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I think WotC has some way to go before they dumb down D&D as much as the last bunch.

Yeah -- geez, they couldn't even put Warduke's shield in his hand without getting it upside down...

 

[Melan]

There is, I believe, a significant difference between reducing the complexity of the ruleset or aiding the DM in running the game more smoothly, and reducing, say, the level of literacy in a game line. The first is commendable, the second a sad corporate strategy that results in mediocre products.

 

[jasin]

I have a theory. If D&D was a prefectly balanced set of rules, with clear and distinct wording of every paragraph, and with no power creep in supplements, no bloat, and errata and all that ...

... then the game would be dead in six months.

This post makes me sad that there is no reputation system on ENWorld.

 

[MerricB]

Oh, and the 2-for-1 power attack thing? I love it.

I was beginning to think I was alone. I love it as well. I don't like animated shields, but that's a different topic.

Cheers!

 

[Umbran]

Yes, it makes perfect sense to marginalize and ignore the people who remember when and why D&D was an actually great game. That way the increasingly dwindling numbers of tabletop RP'ers can peacefully buy D&D 4.8374E in four years and wonder why everybody is quitting to go play World of BoreCraft.

Tone down the sarcasm, please.

3E was a great experiment that failed, and all the problems constantly being hashed out here about balance, simplicity, bloat, power creep, screwy PrCs, endless errata, etc. are a direct result of 3E's design philosophy and approach.

Here, I think you're dead wrong. All the things constantly being hashed out here are about having a place to hash them out. People were having similar discussions back in 1e and 2e, but they didn't have nearly as grand and open forum to hold them in.

There was no "Golden Age" where the game was 100% right, and everything since is crud. At least, not in any absolute sense. Maybe you don't like it, but your statement that the experiment was an overall failure is countered by the grand sales fo the products. If it really stank, people wouldn't be still buying it seven years later.

 

[Sir Elton]

OD&D was the simplest D&D to play. Evar.

Elton.