D&D 4th Ed is Out

[taggart6]

What do people think?

Personally, I was never into D&D but after finishing many of the books and games from the Forgotten Realm Series, I'm a little tempted to try it out.

However, I really don't want to spend &100+ on books and I don't know enough people in my area who would want to play.

[Spank_Me_Hard]

Now that it's WOTC, it has (and will continue to) go the shi'ite.

They dumbed it down considerably in 3rd Edition... not a good thing.

[taggart6]

Now that it's WOTC, it has (and will continue to) go the shi'ite.

They dumbed it down considerably in 3rd Edition... not a good thing.

I've heard the game has gotten more simplified from 3.0 to 3.5 to 4.0 and that actually sounds great for newbs like my self.

It sounds like 4th end. is more about freedom of choice then steadfast guidelines. For example, they removed many of the old classes, but you can sill make a "monk" depending on how your specialize your character.

The heal surge thing sounds a little out of left field and I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand it'll probably help make the Celric class more dynamic and interesting to play, not mention help parties that lack a of cleric. However, it just sounds wonky because the very idea of a healing surge just seems poorly justified. I know why my Cleric can heal, because that his job. I just don't get why my fighter can heal. Did hew learn that in fighter school? It's nitpicky but it just bugs me for some reason.

[Spank_Me_Hard]

I've heard the game has gotten more simplified from 3.0 to 3.5 to 4.0 and that actually sounds great for newbs like my self.

It sounds like 4th end. is more about freedom of choice then steadfast guidelines. For example, they removed many of the old classes, but you can sill make a "monk" depending on how your specialize your character.

The heal surge thing sounds a little out of left field and I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand it'll probably help make the Celric class more dynamic and interesting to play, not mention help parties that lack a of cleric. However, it just sounds wonky because the very idea of a healing surge just seems poorly justified. I know why my Cleric can heal, because that his job. I just don't get why my fighter can heal. Did hew learn that in fighter school? It's nitpicky but it just bugs me for some reason.

I personally didn't find AD&D *THAT* complicated. And the 2nd Edition were quite streamlined compared to 1st Edition.

3rd Edition just seemed WAY to dumbed down to me and was a complete abomination for many of us AD&D purists. Change is ok... but radical change alters the core of the game too much and becomes something different.

I think that for TSR, the emphasis was on putting out an excellent product. For WOTC, that isn't the emphasis so much as to make money. And to that end, they have over simplified the game to gain more mass market appeal and in having down so have alienated gamers like myself.

The last time I played was well over ten years ago... but I can never see me playing the game as it is now...

[dimmy32]

i played it a lot of high school as a way to avoid meeting girls and drinking booze. No surprize.
I'm not interested in it now at all

[PowerCreep]

I never actually played the "board" game of D&D, but I did play the old gold box games so whatever version those were, I liked them. The newest Pool of Radiance and Neverwinter Nights...didn't care for the rules in those games - they were too different.

[Lee_T]

3rd Edition just seemed WAY to dumbed down to me (...)they have over simplified the game to gain more mass market appeal and in having down so have alienated gamers like myself.

I'm in the opposite place. I never liked D&D/AD&D because I thought those games where oversimplified and I never liked 3.0/3.5 because I though those games to be needlessly complicated.

3.0/3.5 was a nice try but it fell falt. The customisation via feat seemed a good idea at first but you could take so few of them that you ended up taking the same over time. The prestige class were nice too but many of them started on lvl 8+ and that was the point where the game stopped being fun unless the GM was a computer. To sum my opinion: "the cake is a lie".

I haven't read the new books, a good summary of the critics I've heard or read would be "written as a MMO". Wheter it's a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.

[rhettro]

I played a little D&D in high school and loved it. I was in a group of boys and girls who played. Didn't play at all in college an found a group of people at my first job who played. But we ended up using Role Master rules, which I think are vastly superior to D&D. To bad most of games on the market are based on D&D. I may go ahead and get the 4th edition rules as a means to stay current. I haven't played a pen & paper game in 12 years.

[Mindwarper]

I loved d&d in hish school. I played tsr and then some variations. I can't see myself playing except for special occasions with old friends. I can get my d&d fix in video games like baldurs gate or oblivion.

[taggart6]

After reading some reviews, a lot of people are worried that a 4.5 edition set will be released in the next one to two years. A few 4th edition beta testers have been commenting that not all of the 4th edition bugs have been resolved.

[Nightlord]

"Beta testers"
We didn't use to say that. We were JUST players. lol

Anyhow, I remember when D&D was basically just some cliff notes and a
leather bag with black/red chips in it. And that was fine!

[monroeski]

I'm thinking about getting back into D&D after a hiatus since high school. The simplified rules sound good to me, as scheduling is a ***** in the real world and I don't want to have to go through 3 or 4 sessions spaced over two months before I know what the hell is going on like you have to with some games/previous D&D iterations.

However, I really don't want to spend &100+ on books

Three core books, less than the price of a new video game -
http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Drago...3117530&sr=8-1

and I don't know enough people in my area who would want to play.

www.meetup.com

You now have no excuses.

[Lee_T]

After reading some reviews, a lot of people are worried that a 4.5 edition set will be released in the next one to two years. A few 4th edition beta testers have been commenting that not all of the 4th edition bugs have been resolved.

There will have an erratad 4.0 edition first as soon as the current one is sold. But I wouldn't be surprised if we had such a scheme:

D&D 3.0 - 2000
D&D 3.5 - 2003
D&D 4.0 - 2008
D&D 4.5 - 2010/2011
D&D 5.0 - 2013/2014

The 4.0 edition (whatever it's own gaming merits) is fundamentaly a marketing ploy to rekindle interested when they see sales grow stale. This will repeat itself.

[taggart6]

I'm thinking about getting back into D&D after a hiatus since high school. The simplified rules sound good to me, as scheduling is a ***** in the real world and I don't want to have to go through 3 or 4 sessions spaced over two months before I know what the hell is going on like you have to with some games/previous D&D iterations.


Three core books, less than the price of a new video game -
http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Drago...3117530&sr=8-1

www.meetup.com

You now have no excuses.

The price ain't bad so I might consider it.

I use meetup.com for some food groups in the LA region though I was a little frightened by the gaming groups. I guess I'm worried they'll be over kill or ultra nerds or something like that. Yeah thats my own problem but I'm having a hard time getting around that.

Granted, The West LA D&D group on meet-up has 300+ members...crazy.

EDIT: Just jpoined the Pasadena group that plays 4th edition. Looks like a solid group and the people sound friendly.

[monroeski]

The price ain't bad so I might consider it.

I use meetup.com for some food groups in the LA region though I was a little frightened by the gaming groups. I guess I'm worried they'll be over kill or ultra nerds or something like that. Yeah thats my own problem but I'm having a hard time getting around that.

Granted, The West LA D&D group on meet-up has 300+ members...crazy.

EDIT: Just jpoined the Pasadena group that plays 4th edition. Looks like a solid group and the people sound friendly.

And I helped!