After officiating the first two seasons of Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons: Encounters, I've come to a conclusion. D&D was better 30 years ago.The current incarnation of the game, 4th Edition, is an attempt to make table a top role-playing game into something more appealing to massively multi-player online gaming fans. Nearly all combat abstraction has been removed in favor of miniature positioning. Challenges that could once be improvisationalll acted out to a satisfactory conclusion are now resolved by rolling dice. So the original role-playing game no longer has its participants playing roles.
I admit that I bought in to 4th Edition . . . for a long time. As a player, I wanted to keep up with a supported system so that I could drop into a game no matter where Monkey-Girl and I ended up. I enjoyed D&D 3.5 and trusted Wizards to update their game well. I forgot Wizards didn't create D&D.
I'm reading Gary Gygax's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Player's Handbook from 1978. (Notice the lack of edition numbering.) My experience has shown that if I'm going to participate in a D&D game I'll be the one running the game. Why get frustrated with how far the game has strayed from its roots when I can just stick to the roots?
Also, I don't have to worry about keeping up with latest rules releases. I can head to a used book store and pick up all the supplements there will ever be for less than $10 a book.
4 comments:
As a former WoW player, I saw the ploy right away and I didn't like 4E at all. After playing a few games with the system, I liked it even less. I fully agree with you; it's not role playing anymore but instead is turn-based strategy with miniatures. The latter isn't a bad thing per se, but when it's marketed as something else so a larger audience will get suckered in, than it is.
(p.s. again, problems with my gmail. sorry! -Elizabeth)
I'll tell you what. The players I had LOVED 4E. I'm sure it is much more of a role-playing game then they ever experienced.
I wonder if, like a gosling, I imprinted to 3.5 because it was my first REAL experience. I wonder if PLAYING 4th with a solid group would turn me around.
The Internet is full of people declaring their first experience as the only REAL D&D.
Having played from 2nd Ed. AD&D all the way through 4th, what would you say?
I would have to say my favorite incarnation of D&D would be 3.5. I played almost every other version, (maybe all) and 3.5 seemed the most customizable, the most play tested, and the most balanced. However, I was really little when the other versions of D&D were out, and I was soured on 4E because lets face it; Aaron hated it before it was even released and I live with him. =-)
I do believe that your players loved the game. If 4E was my first experience, I may love it the most as well. I know that the games we love to play have a lot to do with WHEN we play them in our life times. I was never a fan of d6 gaming, thanks to the old Star Wars, but playing Shadowrun vastly changed my opinion.
So I guess it all comes down to when we play a game, and in my case, who you are surrounded by/play with, that determines what you'll love and defend the most.
(I really dig this philosophical look at D&D!)
-Elizabeth
I'm liking this too.
You've got a point about unreasonable loyalty.
I found a posting on someone's website that complained about skill challenges making those portions of the game "too ruley". This person then went on to complain that there aren't any rules for henchmen.
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