tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post337522759493749147..comments2024-03-01T11:52:44.729-05:00Comments on Bat in the Attic: The Essentials of the D&D Starter Set.Robert Conleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03863009007381185340noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-56244984528299659672010-09-29T01:49:44.392-04:002010-09-29T01:49:44.392-04:00Ultimately the problem is that 4th Edition is very...Ultimately the problem is that 4th Edition is <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/playtesting-4th.html#non-combat" rel="nofollow">very poorly designed</a> to make the case for tabletop RPGs because it was designed in the belief that the best way to compete with video games was to go head-to-head with all the strengths of video games. The entire game was designed to systematize the playing experience -- to control the input of both players and DM so that the game experience could be "balanced" against anything unexpected.<br /><br />In a more general sense, I am simply disappoint that WotC has yet again squandered the opportunity to produce a true <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/archive/archive2010-09.html#20100922</link>gateway product</a> for D&D and, by extension, the RPG industry as a whole.Justin Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02227895898395353754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-72765350900510264542010-09-14T20:05:27.459-04:002010-09-14T20:05:27.459-04:00Yoo-Hoo Tom summed it up best. I bought it for my...Yoo-Hoo Tom summed it up best. I bought it for my daughters, and they had fun playing it. That's a win in my book, regardless of what the grognards think.<br /><br />Personally, I could care less about 4e (or 3e/o/AD&D for that matter), but I loved hearing my daughters cheer when they killed the frost dragon in the starter dungeon.Reverend Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11957368852789992095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-47726142417053460992010-09-13T23:49:24.295-04:002010-09-13T23:49:24.295-04:00@jonhendry2: Totally agree. History shows that old...@jonhendry2: Totally agree. History shows that old gamers aren't where the big bucks are made, but if you can use them to seed the next generation of market share...<br /><br />@Rob: I almost bought it myself, as a 4E virgin, just to see what 4E was all about. As much as I don't plan to ever play 4E, and as skeptical as I am about WotC in general, that Elmore cover pulls hard, and $17 is such a low entry point...Erin Smalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16085303583608172242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-64536433392883504822010-09-13T22:52:17.098-04:002010-09-13T22:52:17.098-04:00@Erin - well I did buy it. :D So I guess you are r...@Erin - well I did buy it. :D So I guess you are right about that. <br /><br />Although it sitting on my shelf with the Mentzer books in it. The 4e stuff in a folder with the 4e books.Robert Conleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03863009007381185340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-31828555410762312072010-09-13T20:19:47.200-04:002010-09-13T20:19:47.200-04:00"they're finally paying attention to the ..."they're finally paying attention to the 30-and-up audience they've been so content to ignore."<br /><br />I honestly think they expect the 30-and-ups to recognize the cover, and buy it for their kids, but not necessarily to play it themselves.<br /><br />Trying to interest new young players is more in WOTC's interest than getting the old players back. Adults have more money, but kids have more time. Probably the ideal from WOTC's point of view is a 12 year old kid with an ex-player parent who's happy to fund the kid's new hobby.<br /><br />If WOTC talks about 24 million lapsed players, I have to wonder if they think of them as potential players, or more as a 24 million strong force of potential marketers (to their kids).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-74530937182686922762010-09-13T16:46:47.429-04:002010-09-13T16:46:47.429-04:00Good review, but I beg to disagree on one point:
...Good review, but I beg to disagree on one point: <br /><br />It *is* aimed at you. Why else would the trade dress emulate--with disturbing precision--that of the '83 Mentzer edit?<br /><br />I saw this on the shelf and did a double-take; when I realised what it was, I still picked it up and read the back to see if it was worth checking out.<br /><br />As much as I take umbrage at letting myself be manipulated by WotC lack of originality, and as much as I relish the sight of them eating their own tail, I have to give it to them: they're finally paying attention to the 30-and-up audience they've been so content to ignore.Erin Smalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16085303583608172242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-26091408110180770252010-09-12T17:05:44.830-04:002010-09-12T17:05:44.830-04:00@Alex, no they didn't which is ultimately why ...@Alex, no they didn't which is ultimately why I blasted the product in the second part of the review. <br /><br />As a teaching tool to learn the 4e mechanic it is a solid A. But it doesn't make a good case why you should do that.<br /><br />@Tom - "Use your imagination" is implicit in the Starter Set. But it is better to make that kind of stuff explicit as it reaches more people. <br /><br />The one thing that tabletop RPGs are better and quicker than video games is the ability to create custom content. Even after two decades it is a pain to make anything "complete" using computer tools. Something that many found out with Neverwinter Nights.Robert Conleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03863009007381185340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-18577149653570504762010-09-12T16:51:00.550-04:002010-09-12T16:51:00.550-04:00I must confess that whenever I have to explain to ...I must confess that whenever I have to explain to people what roleplaying games are, I start by asking them whether they play any roleplaying games on the computer. Then I tell them that basically every player runs a character, I am the computer, and since you can talk to me, the game is infinitely more interesting than when playing alone in front of a computer. I honestly think that these days it's a valid approach to take. But then again, I haven't read the D&D Essentials book, so I can't tell whether they made this leap: human referee = more fun than a computer.Alex Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17104864340940538702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-9167472972660685022010-09-12T15:57:02.618-04:002010-09-12T15:57:02.618-04:00I have to admit I don't know why you put the o...I have to admit I don't know why you put the old image of the boxed set there. I don't recall it being a massive tome of "how to role play versus roll play" as opposed to some rules to get started with the game.Joe G Kushnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02454826299896049587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-81766097940762941942010-09-12T15:26:22.526-04:002010-09-12T15:26:22.526-04:00I don't think any edition of D&D since B/X...I don't think any edition of D&D since B/X has seen been simple enough for an entire group of complete beginners to just dive in and start playing. <br /><br />Be that as it may, I'm glad there are still attempts at producing beginners' sets, regardless of edition.<br /><br />Incidentally, I was in your neck of the woods this morning Rob, for the Presque Isle Marathon. Cool place!Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-75108566232700959062010-09-12T13:57:24.367-04:002010-09-12T13:57:24.367-04:00I honestly told myself yesterday that I would stop...I honestly told myself yesterday that I would stop arguing with Grogards. Wotc's only mistake here is that they don't put a HUGE sticker on every product that say's, "Some Imagination Required". If you need someone to tell you how to use your imagination then you are in big trouble. I DM'ed a Red Box game yesterday for a group of 10-12yr olds. Not once did they complain about how the Stat Block hampered their ability to pretend they were a halfling rouge. Buy the Red Box and give it to a kid who will appreciate it.Tom Allmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07063252641124728280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-12841577322623134292010-09-12T10:48:57.908-04:002010-09-12T10:48:57.908-04:00The first time I saw the box I laughed. I've n...The first time I saw the box I laughed. I've never felt so insulted by a marketing campaign before. They've now wrapped it in a pretty box to get people in my age group to make an emotional decision to buy it. LMAO. 4e isn't D&D. I'm not buying it.Tomatsohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196203763445455491noreply@blogger.com