|[4E] More Enworld Tidbits

Apologies if this has been posted already; I'm kind of behind on my NG
reading.

From an interview with Jason Bulmahn on how 4E plays out:

He seemed to have mixed feelings about the new edition in play. He told
me that he was "excited about some things" in the new game, like PC's
increased durability at early levels, and hinted that things appeared to
be more "streamlined." He noted that he hadn't yet decided whether all
of the "streamlined" portions of 4e were, in fact, better than their 3.x
counterparts, or if they were just simpler, and noted that more of the
game experience seemed to hinge on how well (or poorly) people rolled.
Because things like saves and some monster power "recharges" are based
on flat die rolls, he guessed that the game experience would be more
variable, or random. On a night when the players are rolling well, a
horde of Kobolds might present very little challenge; on a night when
the DM is rolling well, they could be a lot harder.

Jason contended that the new edition's apparent focus on adding variety
to player options and keeping people engaged at the table at all times
had seemed to him, after 2 preview sessions, to be a "partial success."
While the "Encounter" and "Daily" powers on the sheet were interesting,
it seemed like PCs were once more reduced to "doing the same thing over
and over again" after they had burned through them, something that the
4e designers had at least ostensibly attempted to avoid. He confirmed
that, in one of the previews he played, a final combat had lasted for
nearly 40 rounds(!) (apparently against the 280 hit point Black Dragon
mentioned elsewhere).

Jason asserted that it often seemed as if PCs were either "coasting"
through adventuring challenges in the new edition, or "completely
terrified" by foes that wildly overmatched them. He claimed that, in his
admittedly limited experience, he hadn't felt particularly threatened
until forced to face a "Solo" monster 3 levels higher than the party
(apparently the same Black Dragon). He acknowledged that the death and
dying mechanic ensured that most PC's would have at least 3 rounds to
live after they lost consciousness, but wondered if it would put DMs in
a position where "the only to kill you is to attack you while you're down."

In article <V5Hyj.13765$mI6.11933@newsfe08.phx>,
Some Guy <noemailformethanks.RemoveThis@anyplace.invalid> wrote:

> Apologies if this has been posted already; I'm kind of behind on my NG
> reading.
>
> From an interview with Jason Bulmahn on how 4E plays out:
>
> He seemed to have mixed feelings about the new edition in play. He told
> me that he was "excited about some things" in the new game, like PC's
> increased durability at early levels, and hinted that things appeared to
> be more "streamlined." He noted that he hadn't yet decided whether all
> of the "streamlined" portions of 4e were, in fact, better than their 3.x
> counterparts, or if they were just simpler, and noted that more of the
> game experience seemed to hinge on how well (or poorly) people rolled.
> Because things like saves and some monster power "recharges" are based
> on flat die rolls, he guessed that the game experience would be more
> variable, or random. On a night when the players are rolling well, a
> horde of Kobolds might present very little challenge; on a night when
> the DM is rolling well, they could be a lot harder.

The effects per round are relatively smaller. With more rounds, there's
more room to burn a more valuable resource if you have to compensate for
the dice.

> Jason contended that the new edition's apparent focus on adding variety
> to player options and keeping people engaged at the table at all times
> had seemed to him, after 2 preview sessions, to be a "partial success."
> While the "Encounter" and "Daily" powers on the sheet were interesting,
> it seemed like PCs were once more reduced to "doing the same thing over
> and over again" after they had burned through them, something that the
> 4e designers had at least ostensibly attempted to avoid. He confirmed
> that, in one of the previews he played, a final combat had lasted for
> nearly 40 rounds(!) (apparently against the 280 hit point Black Dragon
> mentioned elsewhere).

What will keep people at the gaming table is new monsters and classes
and relatively fast advancement.

> Jason asserted that it often seemed as if PCs were either "coasting"
> through adventuring challenges in the new edition, or "completely
> terrified" by foes that wildly overmatched them. He claimed that, in his
> admittedly limited experience, he hadn't felt particularly threatened
> until forced to face a "Solo" monster 3 levels higher than the party
> (apparently the same Black Dragon). He acknowledged that the death and
> dying mechanic ensured that most PC's would have at least 3 rounds to
> live after they lost consciousness, but wondered if it would put DMs in
> a position where "the only to kill you is to attack you while you're down."

The game is more predictable. It's designed that way. They're setting
the stage for boss monsters.

All New and Collectable!

- Allen