Okay, Wizards... I Give Up!

Seriously, Wizards of the Coast; I surrender. You have once again milked the cash cow that is geek fandom, and I hate you all the more for it.

I had a lot of fun with revised AD&D when I was a young teenager; I didn't have many friends who weren't on the internet, and those that I did have all played Dungeons and Dragons. My older brother got me an AD&D rulebook for Christmas, and helped me learn a game that I'd only played one other time before. My friend across town introduced me to a group of dedicated nerds, geeks, and weirdos who played the TSR games religiously.

That group rejoiced when Wizards of the Coast bought out TSR, and nearly sang for joy when an easier to play, more accessible (and only relatively more expensive) update to the classic game was released. We were all happy, because we thought that D&D 3E might give us something the game sorely needed - a dearth of new players.

We were right, as kids and parents alike began to play. The adventure modules were a bit lackluster, but pre-published adventures usually are. The open license format of third edition meant that more and more publishers could jump on the game. Some products were absolutely amazing! I couldn't begin to express my joy as Dragonlance came out, and in a great time setting to boot!

Then came the 'updated' system, D&D 3.5 Edition. I balked, and asked "why do they need to do this so soon?" When I purchased the handbook, I realized it was almost exactly the same, down to the artwork. True, it had a more advanced tactics section for miniatures, and included some needed changes for a couple of the core classes, but still... why?

When my fiancee and I got our hands on a preview copy of Fourth Edition, we nearly vomited with anger; the rules have changed, the classes have changed, and most importantly, the feel has changed. Now miniatures are a requirement to get the full benefit of the rules! What the hell was going on here?

Having talked to several hardcore gamers, as well as shop owners and would-be buyers of the game, we made our decision: we will never purchase Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition. There will be no browsing of the half-price bookstores, nor any downloading of the reduced price .pdf files that are available for purchase. The only miniatures we buy are for my benefit as both a hobby painter and sometimes tactician wannabe. They are not just so we can play a rip-off pretender that is a thinly veiled computer game adapted for table-top play!

We spurn you, Wizards. I know that five people won't matter much to you, but mark my words: You have ruined any and all desire we had to purchase your products; anything you touch from now on, we shall boycott.

Editions Of D&D and Me

Sometime this month, you've probably seen the advertisements or fliers for Dungeons and Dragons 4E (or seen the books themselves). I admit that I've not looked at them very extensively - nor do I want to. I do, however, have an opinion forming about it from what I have seen and heard; that opinion can be summed up in one word, and that word is 'no.'

Some of the more entertaining classes have been removed from the Player's Handbook; Barbarians were one of the better classes in D&D, and having them added back in was what initially drew me to D&D 3E. Now, one must wait for a supplement or an official release (both of which might cost you) in order to get them.

Another major change is on the list of player races. Gnomes have been removed, and Tieflings and Aasimar are now starting races with no real modifications. I'm sorry, but Tieflings and Aasimar were only supposed to be a rarity, even in Forgotten Realms (where they were apparently most common). Changing it that way seems to remove that last bit of believability that makes D&D so appealing to so many people.

Now, obviously there's nothing I can do, or could have done; but I still don't like these and other changes (such as a near requirement of miniatures and tiles according to the PHB's supplies list), and that's enough to keep me from paying good money to play it. I'll have a good enough time playing my now 'outdated' games that I shouldn't even miss the new stuff.

You may be wondering, what does Roy play, then? Well, for now, I'm engaged in preparing for an AD&D second edition game. My fiancee has a wonderful idea for one and has worked dilligently upon it. When we get together with her brother and his wife, then we'll start playing one of my favorite games of all time. Yes, it's very math intensive and archaic, but it's an excellent vehicle for that nostalgic feel.

One must never forget that their games are about entertainment and sharing; otherwise, it's only money and time you've handed off to someone else.