Saturday 26 May 2012

Something about D&D Next needs clarifying

I've been checking out reactions on blogs and Youtube about the new playtest material and I see the same thing cropping up. There seems to be some perception that the current version of the rules how we see them now are set in stone, which just isn't the case at all.


Some people are moaning about how the three saving throws have gone or moaning about how nobody has skills anymore. The designers at Wizards have clearly said that they have omitted some mechanics that have been D&D mainstays in the current playtest to see whether the game can be played without them, not that they have definitely decided that they're chucking them out.

I guess some people haven't really grasped the concept of what a playtest is. I'm playing the game today, so I'll be posting more of my thoughts later, but I'm not going to start bitching and whining because something hasn't been included. See how it plays out without that stuff and then criticise. If you still don't like it and feel that it doesn't work, then fair play to you. To immediately flick through the rules and dismiss them isn't particularly helpful (nor is loving every single part of it really).

Tune in soon for my play report.

4 comments:

  1. I totally agree: to judge a game you must play it.

    I can accept silly/bratty behaviours (like the ones I suppose you've read too in the blogosphere) from a 6 years, not from a supposed grown up man.

    There seems to be some perception that the current version of the rules how we see them now are set in stone, which just isn't the case at all.

    People ignores that you can swap themes (and backgrounds) from a character to another: just try to play the pregen Fighter with the Fighter Theme and then play it again with the Wizard Theme.

    And that's just an example.

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  2. Yes, I wonder what part of "The final game will likely look different from what you see here" people don't understand?

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  3. I think that some people – who have nothing worthwhile to contribute – are trying to garner some attention. Since the D&DN ext playtest is topical, they are getting attention. Don't give them the satisfaction; just listen to people whom you know will have thoughtful observations and ignore the noise.

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  4. This entire line of thinking is invalidated if you apply the same rule to both sides.

    What is in the kit IS the game as it stands right now. If the naysayers are wrong in their assumptions so are the admirers thus invalidating the entire process.

    Swings both ways...just saying...

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