Geeky update...
Yesterday a coworker and I went to the only 4th Edition preview event in Southern California.
Noon on a Monday. ?!
We only considered it because it was just a few blocks from work.
On Friday I had called the store and put our names in, and it is a good thing because despite the odd time slot I would say there were around 30 people there. Being on the list meant we were among the 10 people paired up to play the 5 characters the scenario called for, with the rest of the group watching us (eventually moving over to an alternative 4th Edition demo game someone else showed up to run).
It was interesting to play a new system, but awkward with an audience of people who showed up to play, likely game much more than I do, have their own set ideas of what makes for good strategy, etc., and here I am sitting down to play instead of them. No pressure, right? So it was a nice surprise when I got a cheer and a laugh for having cleverly/effectively cast Ghost Sound, of all things. It emulated a town guard's signal whistle, placed on an arrow which the ranger shot West as we fled East from the reinforcements approaching from the North and South. Don't worry about why we had to flee, but I will say the guards we dropped had it coming, and my only regret was not taking out the one coward just before he started blowing his whistle (had to settle for just after).
Combat was streamlined a bit, and if that frees up more time for character interaction, all the better, right? Yes, they roll similar skills together and there is less fine tuning in that regard, but really, it makes sense, the only ways I was seeing people optimize their character was for combat, anyway. It was fun and I don't think I would have any real issues with 4th edition from what I saw of it.
Noon on a Monday. ?!
We only considered it because it was just a few blocks from work.
On Friday I had called the store and put our names in, and it is a good thing because despite the odd time slot I would say there were around 30 people there. Being on the list meant we were among the 10 people paired up to play the 5 characters the scenario called for, with the rest of the group watching us (eventually moving over to an alternative 4th Edition demo game someone else showed up to run).
It was interesting to play a new system, but awkward with an audience of people who showed up to play, likely game much more than I do, have their own set ideas of what makes for good strategy, etc., and here I am sitting down to play instead of them. No pressure, right? So it was a nice surprise when I got a cheer and a laugh for having cleverly/effectively cast Ghost Sound, of all things. It emulated a town guard's signal whistle, placed on an arrow which the ranger shot West as we fled East from the reinforcements approaching from the North and South. Don't worry about why we had to flee, but I will say the guards we dropped had it coming, and my only regret was not taking out the one coward just before he started blowing his whistle (had to settle for just after).
Combat was streamlined a bit, and if that frees up more time for character interaction, all the better, right? Yes, they roll similar skills together and there is less fine tuning in that regard, but really, it makes sense, the only ways I was seeing people optimize their character was for combat, anyway. It was fun and I don't think I would have any real issues with 4th edition from what I saw of it.