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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 4:20PM
#21
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Date Joined:
May 14, 2012
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Well, after 8 hours of playtesting, I'm disappointed with 5E. The documents are incredibly sparse. It only seems to have one monster called "HTTP Error", and I can't figure out whether 400 is its AC, or its hit points, or what. And there aren't any character pregens, so I can't even see how an encounter might go.
This^
That's only the invalid URL error page, and not the playtest packet itself. Be patient, they're working on fixing that.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 4:29PM
#22
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Date Joined:
Dec 25, 2009
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I think the 4th edition has "devided" the D&D community - more than any other edition before.
I don't think that's true. The biggest fracture comes from 3e, specifically, the GSL + OGL combo that allowed patfhinder to exist.
Pathfinder didn't exist until after 4E was released.
You can blame the OGL, but the fact is that the game was released because 4E divided the community. Whether or not the people who dislike it have valid reasons is irrelevant; the fact is that large portions of the community dislike 4E.
(Note that I like 4E. I don't think it's perfect, and I don't think all of its changes were good ones, but on the whole I like it. I don't think any edition of D&D is perfect.)
The difference between madness and genius is determined only by degrees of success.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 4:44PM
#23
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Date Joined:
Aug 31, 2004
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I do like the feel of the rules and the GM advice. It feels well-structured but flexible, and definitely reminiscent of the better parts of older games.
I'm currently bothered by the XP for monsters, though. It seems to be the only way to get XP, which would seem to encourage murder for murder's sake, you know?
But otherwise, yes. Good stuff.
you and marie hit on my biggest want for ths version: non combat based objective XP rewards.
for finding that secret door that leads to the bandit's underground lair: 50 xp.
successfully restoring that power crystal that lights the wizards tower: 100 xp
heck, just returning that letter to the town speaker that would prevent a major misunderstanding with the local gnome caravan 50 xp
these are just examples, but i'm hoping you get the idea.
-star26
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 4:45PM
#24
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I think the 4th edition has "devided" the D&D community - more than any other edition before.
I don't think that's true. The biggest fracture comes from 3e, specifically, the GSL + OGL combo that allowed patfhinder to exist.
Pathfinder didn't exist until after 4E was released.
I'm not blaming pathfinder. They just took advantage of an opportunity. The OGL + SRD combo pack is to blame.
You can blame the OGL, but the fact is that the game was released because 4E divided the community. Whether or not the people who dislike it have valid reasons is irrelevant; the fact is that large portions of the community dislike 4E.
Every new edition divides the community. Edition wars didn't start with the 3e to 4e transition. However, the OGL + SRD combo facilitated a 3rd party's co-opting of a previous edition. Now gamers had a choice of trying the new edition or buying into a knockoff of something they already love. A lot of these same gamers heard reviews from people that totally misunderstood 4e (just look at how woefully ignorant the 2 part Game Geeks review of 4e is). If I was given a choice of sticking with a knockoff of what I know I like or trying something that was painted as horrible (and that only people who actually were familiar with it would be able to refute), I'd stick with the thing that was closest to what I liked, and I think a lot of people would do the same.
(Note that I like 4E. I don't think it's perfect, and I don't think all of its changes were good ones, but on the whole I like it. I don't think any edition of D&D is perfect.)
You and I can agree on that wholeheartedly. I came into the game with BECMI, and played through 4e. Each edition seemed to me to be an improvement on the last. I'm hoping that trend continues with DDN.
Why Mechanics-Alignment Integration is Bad
Show
so why even play a fighter if you can play the paladin the exact same way behaviorally and get added power to boot. "Paladin" is about accepting better game-enhancing mechanics at the price of more rigid in game behavior.
Really? So it goes something like this?
Fighter: "I want to be a paladin."
NPC: "Really?"
Fighter: "Yes."
NPC: "Very well." Starts reading from a holy book while still in-character "Do you accept having to choose and stick to the lawful good alignment, eventhough neither of us actually knows that it exists or what it is?"
Fighter: "I do."
NPC: "Do you reject good game balance because you accidentally rolled a high Charisma?"
Fighter: "What?"
NPC: "I don't know what it means either."
Fighter: "Oh. Umm, ok I do."
NPC: "In the name of all that is metagamey and broken, accept these better game enhancing mechanics."
Fighter: "These what?"
NPC: "Just get out there and try to fulfill a million different people's notion of good while not violating and part of any of them."
So the system is designed such that every single hit needs to be described to avoid confusion? Here's a scenario. The players are nudists, everybody in the world are nudists, it's not weird, it's totally normal in this land. They are naked and they fight drakes taking damage throughout, but healing up with surges. Later they meet the guy who raised the drakes.
Part 1: I didn't describe any of the hits. What does he see?
Part 2: Lets say I described the drakes as biting the players, yet they healed up. What does he see?
D20 Modern Toon PC Race.
Mecha Pilot's Skill Challenge Emporium.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 5:10PM
#25
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Date Joined:
Jan 25, 2007
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Damn, the playtest has impressed me so far. It's just the right mix of old-school and some of the innovations from 4E. I guess this one is going to get my money after all; I have learned once again not to doubt wizards. I LOVE that casters still have at-will abilities, and the Themes will be a great way to make a class more customizable - I like the dwarf fighters Slayer theme, and I could easily see a 'Guardian' theme that would give him back the stickiness of the 4E Fighter (my favorite class) to make him a Defender. Well done, WotC.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 5:12PM
#26
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Date Joined:
Jul 27, 2009
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I just downloaded the playtest packet - and I'm really surprised! It is like "back to the roots". I'm playing D&D since the original edition. What I can see in this first playtest packet is what I have missed at least within the last three editions: the wonderful feeling of simple but useful core rules. I was amused while I read the playtest documents - they give me the feeling of "coming home".
Maybe it's only my personal experience - but I would like to know, are there other "old" gamers who share my feeling?
However - my opinion based on my first impression: Very well. Please go on in this direction!
Mariel
I agree, a great beginning. I love the old school feel. The 4th eds can sit and spin. This is really bringing back the old guard.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 5:13PM
#27
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2012
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I agree with the OP. So far I'm very happy. I just hope it doesn't get messed up. It reminds me of the good ole days of 2e, but with an update adding all the things that have been learned. It may bring me back into the fold of D&D after leaving because we didn't like 4e.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 5:19PM
#28
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Well, after 8 hours of playtesting, I'm disappointed with 5E. The documents are incredibly sparse. It only seems to have one monster called "HTTP Error", and I can't figure out whether 400 is its AC, or its hit points, or what. And there aren't any character pregens, so I can't even see how an encounter might go.
This^
That's only the invalid URL error page, and not the playtest packet itself. Be patient, they're working on fixing that.
There are just not enough facepalms for this...
Reflavoring: the change of flavor without changing any mechanical part of the game, no matter how small, in order to fit the mechanics to an otherwise unsupported concept.
Retexturing: the change of flavor (with at most minor mechanical adaptations) in order to effortlessly create support for a concept without inventing anything new.
Houseruling: the change, either minor or major, of the mechanics in order to better reflect a certain aspect of the game, including adapting the rules to fit an otherwise unsupported concept.
Homebrewing: the complete invention of something new that fits within the system in order to reflect an unsupported concept.
Default module =/= Core mechanic.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 5:44PM
#29
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Date Joined:
May 19, 2011
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I am totally making "HTTP Error 400" into a Dread Gazebo encounter....
The 400 obviously represents the number of enemies within the HTTP entity. So it should be a swarm of gazebos.
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1 year ago ::
May 24, 2012 - 5:54PM
#30
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Date Joined:
Aug 23, 2007
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Well, after 8 hours of playtesting, I'm disappointed with 5E. The documents are incredibly sparse. It only seems to have one monster called "HTTP Error", and I can't figure out whether 400 is its AC, or its hit points, or what. And there aren't any character pregens, so I can't even see how an encounter might go.
This^
That's only the invalid URL error page, and not the playtest packet itself. Be patient, they're working on fixing that.
There are just not enough facepalms for this...
...Whaaat? :D
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