Comments on: D&D 4th Edition – My Take and What We Know So Far

By: Falconer

Falconer — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:43:37 +0000

I have tried to point out the obvious flaws of 4th edition to my current DM and group, both of whom have level 70 World of Warcraft accounts, and think that it is the greatest thing to ever hit the RPG front. Unfortunately, as blizzard has said, several elements of D&D were used in creating WoW, and they use this in an attempt justify all the new material. my problem with 4th edition is not that it exists, but that they gave it the label of “Dungeons & Dragons”. 4th edition is a very fun game, but at the same time it is very bland, and very repetitive. i could easily make the case that all classes are now a fighter kit, like in the old days of 2nd Edition. they all have abilities that do the same things, only differ by the number of hit points they have, and have virtually the same skill amounts. once more, it’s a lot like playing WoW’s PvP servers: it doesn’t matter how good you are if you don’t have the level to back it up. the main problem i have with the “new & improved” Faerun is how it’s now a dark, apocalyptic setting, where you don’t need Magic to cast Magic spells. all the heroes of 3e and 3.5 are now dead, insane, or drawn into a state of dark and brooding depression. the game’s new mercantile system states that you cannot sell mundane equipment, including masterwork equipment, and you may only sell magic equipment for 1/5 of it’s base price. Am i the only one here who thinks that this is intended to get players used to having to give most of their profits to the guy they’re selling the item to? so i give him the +1 longsword, which carries a base price 1,001 GP, for about 200 GP, and he sells the item at 5 times the price and makes a huge profit off the item i sold to make a profit? where is the reason in all of that? woulnd’t he, by the same rules, only be able to sell the sword for THE SAME AMOUNT i sold it to him for?

I am deeply depressed that my fellow gamers, who started with 2dn edition, moved on to 3rd, and then 3.5 are now going to buy into this Tactical Fantasy Wargame 4.0, and heartily embrace it as a large step forward. whatever happened to all the “Flexibility”, and the “open-endedness” they promised in character creation? what happened to things being random, or that everyone didn’t fit into an average for their class? like the ranged combat fighter, or the unarmed fighter? my adventuring buddies, 2 of them in particular, claim that “now everything is balanced” and you don’t have to worry about using a build of character that “broke the gameplay for the rest of the group”. if i find a powerful combination of feats, class features, and skills, then why should i be punished for doing it? simultaneously, if someone else finds a combination that works for them, they shouldn’t be punished for it either. It’s the DM’s job to keep these things from happening. For instance, Pun-Pun. i saw a hilarious way to beat that one. simply put, his familiar dies.
Player: “WHAT?!?, what do you mean he dies?!?! i’m a step away from godhood here!?!?!”
DM: “well, when was the last time you fed him, hmm? i haven’t seen a single scrap of food you gave to him.”
Player: Akward silence.
DM:(mentally) touche.
again, not a player being told flat out that he can’t play that build, but also having a problem nipped in the bud.
I have said my piece. i thank all of you who have had the patience to read through my long-winded (or fingered) ranting.
May you always roll randomly, for if you didn’t the game would become too easy. +2 to a specific weapon or armor for whoever can tell me what i have made an allusion to :).
peace.

The Falconer

By: Neckrone

Neckrone — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:11:48 +0000

In regards to Hasbro’s new Off-line/MMO (4th edition), i am personally disgusted by the product they have created. There is a reason why Dungeons and Dragons has survived when other games systems haved burned out and faded away. Many of the positive things about the orginal game have all but been destroyed.

The reason for this, of course, was twofold.
First, they want to appeal to a newer, younger generation that (they feel) doesnt have the patience to learn the rules of the older versions of the game. What they dont understand is that the people who they are shooting for are not the ones whom they can depend on to keep coming back. They will buy in, then get bored and move on.

Second, they wanted to make it like an online (WoW) game, i can only assume because they think it would be cool. The problem with this is that online games have been developed with the limitations of user-interface. That is, limited options and limited abilities. Online games werent designed with this system as an optimum method of gaming, instead this system developed as the best they could do with the keyboard interface that user’s have. A game system based on these limitations is a dumb idea, profit or not.

If you are upset with Hasbro, dont buy their products. i dont anymore, weather i’m buying gaming materials for myself or games or toys for others. if they are only interested in the almighty dollar, then i am more than happy to deny them mine.

By: masasac

masasac — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:32:35 +0000

my worst fears are realized i just checked out the phb 4 ed and i must say the kids will love it.many of the things that the rnd crew discussed are true,speedy play,diversity within the classesetc…. but it all stinks of marketing ploys to sell more magic cards prioficencies for the most part have been hacked down to be nearly none exsistant and character feats rule the day .the monsters all have a paragrph length description and a set of data in the sidebar that make them look like pokemon cards.of itself it seems fun cant wait for the magic the gathering card sets to start coming out.evolution is rihgt its evolved into something not quite dungeons ,magic or heroscape but a horribble marketing abberation calling itself 4th editon.

By: Jarred

Jarred — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:11:27 +0000

The only problem I have is that for those of us that want to play without going to those silly events that take plac in hobby stores, we have to wait for the content to come out online. the wait is just to godamn long.

By: Dofri » Blog Archive » D&D 4rth edition

Dofri » Blog Archive » D&D 4rth edition — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:56:52 +0000

[...] Linkur 1 [...]

By: Robert Kalin

Robert Kalin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:04:46 +0000

I learned D&D as an adult and so many of the rules dont tend to stick. However it was an effort and so I have a shineing preferance to the 3.5 rules that I learned. On the other hand I’ve also have a tendency to read into a lot of these things that WOTC/Hasbro is doing.

Hasbro that makes “Heroscape” is shifting its ownership or control over to “Wizards of the Coast”. This to me is a scary stick in the side of the direction that D&D might be headed.

In My Humble Opinion I believe that D&D should make two version of the game. Basic: for children (under 12) and new players and Advanced: For in depth players. You might think this is backwards in thinking but not really. A new player only wants the basics so they can jump in, Children who these days have a ‘I want it right now’ fix could also benifit from a simplified system. The advanced system would be more like what we saw delivered in 3.5 All the good in chock information that makes those kids go ‘ewww its a school textbook’ and serious gamers go ‘Hot digity Dawg gimmie more’.

I’ve also heard some rumors.
A. Player handbook is now divided into two 30$ handbooks. Both would be necessary to have a full complement of the BASIC CLASSES that you normally have in one 3.5 handbook.
B. This new system is ‘easier’ for ‘waves’ of bad guy monsters. This just stinks of Real Time Strategy which works in computers but not on tabletop gameplay. I can only see the stats of the bad guys being devolved into the simple attacks of speed, attack, hp merely to accomidate the ‘waves’ of badguys.
C. Ive also heard rumors that Updates to the game will come out within the year after its release. And will be incorperated into newer printings.
D. Combine these into the fact that ‘heroscape’ is going to be taken over by ‘wotc’ almost screams “Were aiming this game souly at children under the age of 13.”

It almost looks like WOTC is trying to turn D&D into a Collectable Card game But instead of cards, Make them player hand books. Every year theres a new version and Each new version is divided into more and more books untill you get Each page of the players handbook sold at wallmart in Small card packs like Magic the Gathering.

Yes I am cynical about this new release.
I just notice all the small things on the side. The stuff that they dont draw attention to that much. ‘makeing it easier for new players’ ‘waves of bad guys’ ‘easier for the dm’ ‘online content’ ‘monthly fee’ ‘evolution’ ‘magazine like appearance’ to name a few.

The only other odd thing Is that I’ve noticed recently a noteable lack of ‘Magic the gathering’ cards in all department stores in my area In addition to various D&D resource books. A lot of heroscape items are going on clearance and it makes me think. Is hasbro/wotc having a financial problem that there scaleing back their production of these products?

All together I have a negative and pessimistic overview of this new system, let alone its potential success.
:(

By: Watley Marsh

Watley Marsh — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:17:53 +0000

Given the stated philosophy behind the development of the d20 system and the OGL, I fail to uinderstand why there is going to be such a big change to the core system.
RPG’s as a hobby suffered a near fatal lack of support as recently as ten years ago, Wizards coming to the rescue and saving D&D from inevitable demise.

I question the validity of WOTCs 4E move – to me it seems like a profiterring exercise rather than the provision of RPG’s to the nerdy community

WATLEY MARSh (WIZARD/FIGHTER/ALIENIST)
proudly playing since 1983