One thing I've learned about 4E is that it's replaced religion in the context of "things you don't talk about at a party: sex, politics, and 4E."
Now, as I continue to read over everyone's comments, I am beginning to realize just how different the post 3E game is these days. In fact, I'm beginning to think that the #1 problem with 4E is that 3E moved too far away from the 1st/2nd edition roots in terms of spirit. Basically:
The limiting roles and archetypes of the AD&D system served little "game purpose," I think we can all agree. I remember how demihuman level limits, for example, were an imposition based on the rationale that elves were so long lived, that without level limits they would dominate the universe, in theory. Likewise, humans were given an "edge" in older games by virtue of limitless class options and levels, for being versatile, but lacked the ability to multitask well enough to be multiclassed, I guess.
These notions were generally silly, and I know I welcomed their end in 3E, so that class/level/race limits became much looser, and allowed for many, many more interesting character options. But in my last year of retro AD&D gaming, I've also come to realize that these limitations helped establish genre limits, or more precisely, provided a delicate framework on which to drape the fantasy campaigns and settings that would keep games on track and feeling a certain way, which some players definitely welcome, while others chafe at.
Now personally, one thing I've always liked in a good RPG is the fact that it models reality....even if it's cinematic reality. It seems like a lot of people are worried that 4E is now modelling Video Game reality, instead. I'm a bit concerned they are right, but I reserve judgement for now.
One way I'd put it is like this: in the real world, we can't all just take a breather and heal up quickly over a day or two after getting a nasty stab wound. The conventions of magical fantasy might allow for a cleric to lay on hands, however. But I don't think in most "realistic" fiction characters can relax and heal lots of wounds. Now, 4E sounds like everyone is going to have this option. However, I'm still reserving judgement, because 1: it might be done as a game mechanic that can be explained away as, "just a flesh wound, a minor bruise, or I was winded," as HPs are often a vage descriptor anyway, or 2: it might be a "story element" as in, the character can recover when there's downtime, and it's really just a mechanism to reduce book-keeping. Who knows...I need to wait and see what it will look like. The only way it's going to worry me is if the capacity of each character to heal up involves sitting down for five minutes to have lunch or a glass of water....
