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So 4e is here, at long last, and I'm a bit late to the table. That's okay, though, 'cause no one reads this for the gaming news anyway. :)
I've known it was coming for a while, as they'd actually begun the early stages of it while I was still at WotC. From there to here, though, was evidently a long and storied process and I'd seen hide nor hair of it along the way. It is therefore with fairly fresh eyes that I came to it last night, wherein I made a character for the first time and was run through some sample combats.
Character: 2nd level Eladrin Wizard.
Stats: Standard Array
Observations: Holy hell. I'm playing the love child of 2nd edition. Idealogically speaking, in application and spirit, it's 2nd edition. It looks like it, feels like it, and plays like it, except it isn't borked on a number of levels by trying to be all things to all people... at least not yet. It's a call to gaming of the late 80s, early 90s, placed collect. Back in the day, I was in a 7 year AD&D campaign in which we reached the lofty heights of 10th level by the time it wound up. I could have been doing that again, easily. The larger considerations of setting, required elements, reduced importance of skills, etc... wow. It's also restrictive on those levels -- this is by no means a toolbox game, with or without any given licenses. It will not withstand tons of tweaking. It is what it is, and this is the game you get with that, fries optional. I can't decide how I feel about that.
Don't misunderstand me. I can fully appreciate the voodoo it does so well. Even the sample combats were a pretty fun experience, and it does provide a lot of help in knowing how to make good choices with your character types, what's expected of you in that role, etc. My ex and kids are currently playing, and my ex hasn't run a game for more than a few sessions of anything in years. They're all having a blast. It's a good thing.
At the same time, I'm either too old school (or not old school enough) to feel like this is going to be able to give me the game I want to play. I want something heavily tied to setting, not where the setting is built around the system. I want a game where character development makes sense and is reflected in stats. I don't need rules for everything -- in fact I prefer not to have them if it's not necessary, but I'm a White Wolf era gamer for all that I started with AD&D. In this respect I think it shows.
I had fun (wow, those were effective spells, and so many!) and if someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to play 4e, I don't think I'd refuse. With the right group and a good story, it would be a fun light-hearted sort of game, akin to good romance-type novels, Spike TV CSI marathons, or binging on Farscape/Firefly/LotR Trilogy viewing with a friendly, like-minded audience. It could have depth, pathos, humor, and all that good RP type stuff because with the right group, even ordering dinner can have those elements. They're optional, though. This game will be fun without them.
In the end, it sorta comes down to the fact that my character is a 2nd level eladrin orb wizard -- and that's really all you need to know. The orb is even optional, unless we want to talk about game system in detail. The last time I had that experience, I had a 10th level elven specialty priest in a homebrew campaign whom I loved, but never really had any desire to recreate. I still don't -- but if I ever do, I know where to turn now, and probably will in the near future regardless. Take that for what you will.
P.S. -- Oh, and lets not get started on the effect this will have on the industry ten years, or two, or even a year down the line. Or rather, we could, but that seems worthy of a different post altogether. Welcome to 1989, all over again. Pour Some Sugar On Me already. Ye gods. :)
I've known it was coming for a while, as they'd actually begun the early stages of it while I was still at WotC. From there to here, though, was evidently a long and storied process and I'd seen hide nor hair of it along the way. It is therefore with fairly fresh eyes that I came to it last night, wherein I made a character for the first time and was run through some sample combats.
Character: 2nd level Eladrin Wizard.
Stats: Standard Array
Observations: Holy hell. I'm playing the love child of 2nd edition. Idealogically speaking, in application and spirit, it's 2nd edition. It looks like it, feels like it, and plays like it, except it isn't borked on a number of levels by trying to be all things to all people... at least not yet. It's a call to gaming of the late 80s, early 90s, placed collect. Back in the day, I was in a 7 year AD&D campaign in which we reached the lofty heights of 10th level by the time it wound up. I could have been doing that again, easily. The larger considerations of setting, required elements, reduced importance of skills, etc... wow. It's also restrictive on those levels -- this is by no means a toolbox game, with or without any given licenses. It will not withstand tons of tweaking. It is what it is, and this is the game you get with that, fries optional. I can't decide how I feel about that.
Don't misunderstand me. I can fully appreciate the voodoo it does so well. Even the sample combats were a pretty fun experience, and it does provide a lot of help in knowing how to make good choices with your character types, what's expected of you in that role, etc. My ex and kids are currently playing, and my ex hasn't run a game for more than a few sessions of anything in years. They're all having a blast. It's a good thing.
At the same time, I'm either too old school (or not old school enough) to feel like this is going to be able to give me the game I want to play. I want something heavily tied to setting, not where the setting is built around the system. I want a game where character development makes sense and is reflected in stats. I don't need rules for everything -- in fact I prefer not to have them if it's not necessary, but I'm a White Wolf era gamer for all that I started with AD&D. In this respect I think it shows.
I had fun (wow, those were effective spells, and so many!) and if someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to play 4e, I don't think I'd refuse. With the right group and a good story, it would be a fun light-hearted sort of game, akin to good romance-type novels, Spike TV CSI marathons, or binging on Farscape/Firefly/LotR Trilogy viewing with a friendly, like-minded audience. It could have depth, pathos, humor, and all that good RP type stuff because with the right group, even ordering dinner can have those elements. They're optional, though. This game will be fun without them.
In the end, it sorta comes down to the fact that my character is a 2nd level eladrin orb wizard -- and that's really all you need to know. The orb is even optional, unless we want to talk about game system in detail. The last time I had that experience, I had a 10th level elven specialty priest in a homebrew campaign whom I loved, but never really had any desire to recreate. I still don't -- but if I ever do, I know where to turn now, and probably will in the near future regardless. Take that for what you will.
P.S. -- Oh, and lets not get started on the effect this will have on the industry ten years, or two, or even a year down the line. Or rather, we could, but that seems worthy of a different post altogether. Welcome to 1989, all over again. Pour Some Sugar On Me already. Ye gods. :)
