Comments on: 4e thoughts so far – the downsides http://thatsnotmysquid.com/blog/?p=110 ...so it is necessary that I keep labouring at it, until the figure is to my thinking to and to my desire... Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:11:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Tom O'Neill http://thatsnotmysquid.com/blog/?p=110&cpage=1#comment-1505 Tom O'Neill Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:33:14 +0000 http://thatsnotmysquid.com/blog/?p=110#comment-1505 (I'm one of the players). Specifically in regard to roleplaying in a new setting, it takes time to learn enough about the setting and the NPCs to really connect with it. The setup had us as strangers lacking ties to the locality, which also slows things down. This is independent of ruleset, I think. It is true that combat is a major component of D&D in any edition. We the player have avoided some potential combat encounters with the locals, trying to stay politically neutral while we learn the lie of the land. Some of the published material for 4e includes a skill challenge interleaved with combat. A lot of players have been conditioned to do things like shoot the BBEG as he begins his monologue. Weaning people off this knee-jerk reaction is a matter of trust and training. (I’m one of the players). Specifically in regard to roleplaying in a new setting, it takes time to learn enough about the setting and the NPCs to really connect with it. The setup had us as strangers lacking ties to the locality, which also slows things down. This is independent of ruleset, I think.

It is true that combat is a major component of D&D in any edition. We the player have avoided some potential combat encounters with the locals, trying to stay politically neutral while we learn the lie of the land. Some of the published material for 4e includes a skill challenge interleaved with combat.

A lot of players have been conditioned to do things like shoot the BBEG as he begins his monologue. Weaning people off this knee-jerk reaction is a matter of trust and training.

]]> By: Woesinger http://thatsnotmysquid.com/blog/?p=110&cpage=1#comment-1504 Woesinger Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:50:35 +0000 http://thatsnotmysquid.com/blog/?p=110#comment-1504 <i>Combat feels very divorced from the rest of play. I know the game has moved away from simulationism, but it’s still jarring to flip between turn-based-minis play and what’s largely freeform roleplaying without much of a middle ground.</i> Ha - I think I see your mistake: assuming 4e is a role-playing game. 4e is only a roleplaying game in as much as you play the role of the component parts of a computer-based RPG. Combat feels very divorced from the rest of play. I know the game has moved away from simulationism, but it’s still jarring to flip between turn-based-minis play and what’s largely freeform roleplaying without much of a middle ground.

Ha – I think I see your mistake: assuming 4e is a role-playing game.

4e is only a roleplaying game in as much as you play the role of the component parts of a computer-based RPG.

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