What if it sucks?
Worse…
What if I don’t think it sucks, but the rest of my group does?
I’ve been asking myself this lately, as I think my good friend Phil has convinced Randy and the rest of our local group that 4E is going to be bad. REALLY bad.
Aw, hell. It’s not fair to blame it on Phil. There are things that look like they might be bad.
At any rate, what happens if I like it and they don’t?
Way I see it, I’ve got 3 options:
- Keep playing whatever everyone else wants to play. This means I’m stuck with Spell Compendium (etc), and I get no rules reset.
- Play something different altogether, like Vampire or Savage Worlds.
- Find another group with which to play 4E. (Note: I’m not talking about dumping the guys; they’re my friends, and nothing will change that. D&D or no, we’re compatriots.)
So, is there something I’m missing? A fourth, better option? If not, which of these three is best? Your thoughts are appreciated!
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4. Find out why they’re so keen on disliking a game they haven’t even tried yet, and encourage being open-minded
5. Compromise (4e some weeks, 3e others)
6. House rule out the wazoo
Dave T. Game’s last blog post..YouTube of the Week: Sweded Edition
What Dave says…. the 4e hate is absolutely unbelievable… at least ask them to play a demo game if you are going to buy the books anyway… chances are, if you are enthusiastic about it, they will too.
If the players trust you as a DM to make a game session a good one, they should trust you if you still believe 4e to be good after you read it.
The Chatty DM’s last blog post..Adventure Prep: My Rewind button
I ran into the same problem when White Wolf released the new World of Darkness. I thought it was excellent. Here was a chance at something completely new. New material, new tribes, new clans, more creative freedom…
Unfortunately the rest of the gamers on the board I was running didn’t seem to think so.
I brought the Apocalypse to an end in the game I had going, handed off the baton to my senior player and started a nWoD game.
I swear, I never heard so much whining in my life.
Nobody understood they had to treat the system as something different. If you went into it with no expectations or tried to compare it to the old system, it worked.
Now nWoD players are very hard to find, there’s still a lot of die-hard WtA players left. With any new system it’s important to keep an open mind. It’s also just as important to have a DM that can get you enthused about the game like TCD said.
After the whining was done, I did end up with a couple of converts, due largely to my storyteller skills and that of my co-mods.
Go ahead and take a chance, Bob. Where you lead, your players will follow no matter what edition or system.
Harrison McLeod’s last blog post..How to Stay on the Slopes when You’re Dealing with an Avalanche
The Sky is Falling syndrome happens whenever there’s a significant change in editions and direction to a much loved way of doing things.
I’m also a veteran of the shift from oWoD to nWoD, and I think it’s helped me keep an open mind to the possibilities of a new edition for D&D.
While it’s true that some people will never get around to accepting it, being open to the new edition will benefit you more since you’ll be fine in playing either when you have the opportunity.
“The Sky is Falling Syndrome”, I like that.
It is true that the shift does make you more versatile. As a GM it’s important to know as many systems as you can, even if you never get to play them.
And much like our chosen occupations, it’s important to keep up with the “new technology”.
Harrison McLeod’s last blog post..Harry Falls from Grace, the Beatles Reunite and Twitter
@ Dave – I think house rules will probably be my best option, but I hate the thought of all of that work.
@ Chatty – They’ve all agreed to play through Keep on the Shadowfell. I’m going to run it 2 or 3 times, so that everyone gets to play once. No pressure here, but its my chance to convince everyone else how great 4E it is (if, indeed, it is great.)
@ Harry – The problem with leading and expecting them to follow is that I’m one of 2 regular DMs. Really, I need to convince Randy, I think. If we both go 4E, the players will surely follow. (Welcome to Twitter, by the way. I’ll be following you shortly.)
@ Pointy – you hit the nail on the head. All I’m really looking for from my players is openmindedness.
The DM’s last blog post..Get Angie’s Chinese New Year Cookbook FREE
We went through the exact same thing going from AD&D to 3.0 Boffo. I wouldn’t get all worried about it yet. Let the game speak for itself. I’ve personally tried to ignore all the hate and fan-boys alike. I’ll reserve my judgement until I sit at the table.
Been reading and did a test run of the new Pathfinder game. Looks to be a good route for those looking for a 3.75 alternative. Time will tell.
I think Ed Greenwood said it best. “If I wanted to throw handfuls of dice I would walk to my closet and pull out games that are much more fun for such than D&D”-Gencon 06′ The last time I had the opportunity to speak with him he was still playing 2nd edition AD&D and had no intention of changing. You play what is fun for your personal experience.
For the you pick it and players will follow angle I offer these personal experiences: Red Steel, Council of Wyrms, Star Wars, Ravenloft 1890’s, Oriental Adventures: Winter court. The exact mentions are for Mrboffo’s benefit.
What do they have in common? Players weren’t having fun so some players left… time to reform a new group and re-write campaigns. If you’re ready to press ahead against the wishes of your group, be prepared to lose your group.
Apis
I consider the biggest difference between the versions to be the license. I much prefer the open nature of the 3.5 OGL, over the closed license of the 4.0 version.
If anything, it will lead to a reduced support from the community in supplements, help guides and software. All of which are essential in my games.
Coles last blog post..The Careorraent Keep