So I've been reading about 5E. Even signed up with Wizards to be a play-tester. It seems like a natural fit for the Busan Gamers, since some of us are old school and some are new school. If the game will be designed in a way to placate both parties, then we're the kind of crew that should be trying it out and giving them feedback on what works and what doesn't.
Anyway, about the jogging of memory (since I have no insightful things to say about 5E itself). About two years ago, when I first started blogging, someone in the nascent OSR blogosphere was running a game using BX for the DM's rules, and letting the players use the 3.5 PHB to craft their characters. And it worked out.
I'm thinking that's the sort of thing Mearls, Cook, and Co. are hoping to achieve with 5E, so it would be interesting to read those old posts again.
If it's your blog, or you can remember better than me who it was, please drop a line in the comments.
Thanks!
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I *think* it was a forum post on rpgnet. I'm trying to find it myself to run 4e pcs against B/x opponents.
ReplyDeleteI never read rpgnet, unless it's linked from somewhere else. Could be, though. Maybe the blogger I read linked to it on his blog...
ReplyDeleteOh, no, no, no, you fell into their trap!
ReplyDeletehttp://addgrognard.blogspot.com/2012/01/damn-thee-5e.html
ADDGrognard has the right of it, Den. I'm trying to put together a new blog post about it, still musing over things. But my overall opinion is... it's not good.
They're trying to please everyone, and when you do that you end up pleasing no one. The best thing WotC can do is sell D&D to Paizo, OGL and all. Under Paizo, I honestly think D&D can be resuscitated. Heck, maybe Paizo can even sell OD&D rights to LotFP, S&W, etc. or work out some kind of deal with the "retro-clones."
Over on James' Grognardia blog, he mentioned how playing retro-clones didn't have that feel of legitimacy that playing "D&D" did. I understand--brand name recognition has been ingrained into us since birth with the constant bombardment of advertisements. However, I am really, really uncomfortable with the numbers of OS and retro-clone players flocking to the 5th edition banner.
You know me, I love 3.5 (although I enjoy the ease-of-play and nostalgia of an OS game). I felt like the OS D&D scene has their ideal iteration of the game. I think 3.5 is all-but-perfect for what I want as a GM (I find Pathfinder a bit over-powered). Why change? Why go to another system, especially after WotC promised the moon but delivered Chainmail-meets-World of Warcraft in a system rife with dissociated mechanics?
Argh, okay, rant over. I apologize. I just don't want people to get their hopes up and then, like Berin Kinsman predicted, another edition war explodes and more friendships are broken. (http://berinkinsman.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/dd-5th-edition-announced-prepare-for-the-next-edition-war/)
Dude, I signed up to playtest it. I'm of the opinion that the best chance there is that 5E will be something I want to play is if I'm part of the process. And if I don't like the final result, I'm not gonna buy it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're setting themselves a Herculean task of trying to make a game where not only will fans of every edition find the edition playable, but that the differing playstyles can play together well.
But you remember the Busan gaming scene. IF WotC can pull it off, that's the sort of thing that would make it easier to get a game going in a place like this.
Yeah, I remember... At best, two people were happy at any given time with the system that was being played. :P
ReplyDelete-Josh
@Den: Yeah, I know. I've just got some serious misgivings about the whole shebang. Part of it is I really dislike some of the stunts that WotC pulled during the aughts with whom they fired. When they let Slavicsek go I figured something was up. I've got the feeling that the best thing WotC can do for D&D is pass it off to someone else.
ReplyDelete@Josh: I was happy playing old school or 3.5. I still laugh about how I didn't want to fight the bear, but Pat said "we can take him" and I ended up getting hugged to death. It makes a good story. Anyway, I was pretty bummed the maritime game didn't work out. I'm finally running a successful game here in South Jersey, we'll see how long it goes.