[Morfedel]

Originally Posted by arete66

Well, I did make the assumption that the problems the design changes addressed would be seen by others as problems that I also wanted to see addressed.

But to summarize, I think at least in tone I did explain the parts of 3.5 I did not like which 4.0 addresses through its design goals:

1) Low-level encounters in 3.5 are boring. I've fought enough giant rats, skeletons, kobolds, and zombies over the years that I used to practically sleep walk through levels 1-3 in previous eds of D&D. The only excitement was that a random blow could end my character and make me roll up another one.

2) I didn't like the five-minute adventuring day. One encounter, try to find a safe place to hide for a day, spike the doors, heal up, fight another encounter tomorrow, rinse, repeat.

3) I absolutely despised the play balance problems with the classes. Hey, we have a party with no cleric? We're hosed. Hey, we have 3 characters and a bard/monk...might as well think of it as only having 3 characters. (1st level) Ha ha, it's a wizard (16th level) Oh, shit, it's a wizard.

It might be different than "Waaaa, I can't play a half orc now" or "4th edition D&D is a godsend and I shall go forth verily and burn all the other inferior RPGs I own (spit, spit)", but I'd hardly call it as being without an opinion.

QFT, without a doubt. I loved 3.0 at first, because it was such an improvement over 2nd ed. A couple years later... ugh.

I actually prefer other game systems, but its hard for me to find people who will play games OTHER than D&D. Frankly, from the glimpses I've had and reviews I've read, it looks like a dramatic improvement.

And it plays like a video game? Its just a miniatures game? You know what's cool... I always disliked rules on how to roleplay. "roll this to see if your argument holds water... roll that to see if the lass likes you." As a GM and narrator, I much preferred to just dictate my NPCs reactions based on what the players do in roleplaying their characters, not on some random dice rolling and such.

Of course, they still have Diplomacy for instance, but frankly, I prefer it this way. I can run my games with less arguments from players on what skills they want to be using in negotiations, interactions, etc. Not completely immune to that, but still...

So, the key for me comes in fixing the non-RPGing elements: combat, play balance, boring fighter swing-swing reiteration, wizard "oh I'm weak, but later, I'll be god," and the five minute adventure. Plus, lower level encounters were... dull.

Now it looks like all that is in the past. And in the meantime, when I can attract people to one of my other games, I'll have those instead. When I'm stuck in D&D land, this looks like a superior version.

Of course, my true judgement is reserved until I pick up my own copy and give it a trial run.