D&D Editions and my Thoughts
Someone said to me the other day, what do you think about XX edition of D&D, or what do you think about playing this... Well, I decided to post up how I feel, based on the Core books..
#1: 1e. It was fun, still is fun, has just enough rules to give you rules, but still gives you room to let you control the game as you see fit.
#2: B/X. I had a lot of fun with this game, I still enjoy playing it. I like to go back to this when I want a simple fast flowing game. Rules aren't important and if something comes up, roll a d6.
#3: BECMI. Really falls into the B/X, the only other thing I enjoyed out of this, was the immortals, it was a different pace, and a new world. Loads of fun.
#4: 3e/3.5e. I admit, when 3E came out, I was lured into it, and had fun. It seemed like I could make up characters at first level that could do things I could never do before. But after a year of playing, it lost its sparkle, and it left me saying..."No". Then WoTC dropped the 3.5E. Nope. didn't go there.
#5:Pathfinder. Yes this gets included, because its D&D with a different name. After hearing great reviews, I took a look at it. While it was still 3.5E rules, they took it to another level, the feel of the game was rather interesting. I've played in a few games. I enjoyed it.
#6 2e. What can I say. I hate the THACO system, I liked the charts from 1E. I also didn't like the renaming of everything because of the stupid parents rights groups and the churches hounding on TSR's doors. Gary was already gone from the company, so it wasn't AD&D anymore. Played in a lot of games with my friends, still. Wasn't in love with it. But at least the core was somewhat 1E like. Once the 1000 books of anything and everything came out, I walked away.
#7:
4e. Tried it, didn't care for it. I really tried, but everytime I played it was like playing a video game, everyone could do something, and it made other classes feel worthless to play. The books were nicely done, but still shiney new books isn't enough.
#8: 4.5E. Yes, this was what they did with that redbox. They stole the old Mentzer red box with art, slapped a new logo on it, and called it D&D RedBox with a cut down and streamlined edition of 4E. Lame. Frank Mentzer's comment on the Save or Die Podcast was funny, "I like the box". was all he said about it.