Since I'm ALL about equivocating....

[ronelyn]

Or, as I prefer to call it, "giving a fair hearing to both sides," here's a positive review of DnD 4E.

What I want:

1) Reasonable rules, ESPECIALLY if it means that I can use their rules to derive the current contents of the game, i.e., MAKE a fireball from scratch and have it be the same as THEIR version.
2) Fewer freakin' books to carry. 
3) ROLE-

Comments

[maps_or_guitars]

BTW, you heard? http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9885383-7.html

[ronelyn]

No, I didn't. :( Thanks, Gary, for all my current friends and most of my obsessions. And for your sense of humor, too. If I had 5,000 GP worth of gold and a holy symbol, I'd bring you back myself.

[morganminstrel]

Had I the time, I would have posted about this yesterday. I have to admit, the first part of the guy's review had me interested. I got less and less interested as I read through the other parts....it's all about data management for the DM, even more than 3.5, it seems....I dunno. It just sounded like....not the games we tend to play. The jury's still out for me.

As for your #2, I wouldn't bet on it after a year or two. Remember, 3.0 started out as 3 core books ("the only ones you'll need to play the game!") too. It's just the way D&D works these days--and remember, the review even mentioned that some stuff (like half-orcs and sorcerers) are only going to be in the supplemental books. So, yeah, #2=not D&D. :-/

[ronelyn]

Very true. And technically you CAN play with just the core books. We, uh... just don't. Which does speak to the job they've done of making the supplements interesting, anyhow. *shrug* Actually, if they could do one thing that'd make me supremely happy, it would be a .PDF version of the books included in the purchase price, right there, SEARCHABLE and BOOKMARKABLE on my local ff'in' drive! Go 'head and DRM the damn thing if you want, I just could really use the quick-reference capability.

[schmallturm]

The strategy of post 3e d&d is to extract money from the customer by forcing you to buy new core rules books every few years. Just say no.

Gee, GURPS is looking better and better ;-)

[ronelyn]

Is true, is true. Well, if you ever want to play it I'm sure Ketina would be happy to run it! She's a long-time devotee of GURPS. My only problem with it is that the magic system feels totally devoid of magic, but I can't complain much 'til I can do better, can I? ;)

Re: 3 strikes, they're out

[ronelyn]

Y'ain't alone. I think we'd do better to have a barbecue and game design session some evening instead.

Yeah, finding productive ways to use computers in gaming seems a good goal, but again, the idea here is to get OUT of your parents' basements and socialize. A little. In a very structured environment. But still! ;)

Me, I want to drop the $500 for a cheapo digital projector, mount it over the dining room table and be able to project my maps onto it exactly as I want them. THAT is how a real geek solves problems. FUCK dry-erase vs. wet-erase and drawing the map as you go. :)

Re: 3 strikes, they're out

[morganminstrel]

First of all, you can get a digital projector for about $300 these days. ;-) (The problem only comes if you want to do the tactical thing, which is apparently what 4.0 combat is all about. Yes, even more than 3.x.) Of course, I'm an advocate of not getting your computer in my gaming (two great tastes that only occasionally go great together...), but I totally dig where you're coming from. And I even know how to use the damn projectors! :-)

Secondly, I'd love to go to a game design bar-b-que....it's finding the time that's the problem! So...much...gaming....need....more weekends.....

Re: 3 strikes, they're out

[ketina]

LOL
I wonder if Gary would be proud by the amount of gaming we've been doing recently! It has been rather a lot, hasn't it? :)

I'd love another day of LM hash-out while some of us go off to play RB. ;)