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View Full Version : Idle Curiosity about 4e, age, and gender



Thrud
2008-06-22, 05:45 PM
Hey, I have some idle curiosity about age of players, gender, and likes or dislikes. I don't see a way to set up a poll on this forum, so we will have to do it the hard way, but I just was wondering if people would be willing to post their age, gender, and like or dislike of the system. I was wondering if there are any patterns there.

Now, if you don't want to reveal any of the above, obviously don't post that part. I for one don't care. If you prefer, you could post what edition you started with in lieu of age. And there are PLENTY of posts about why 4th ed is terrible or the greatest edition ever. Leave those posts for those threads. This is simply about idle curiosity.

The editions are D&D (This referrs to the very first edition ever. It came in a small box with 3 white booklets in it. The booklets themselves were not too much larger than a normal paperback book, and much thinner.)

Basic D&D and its expansions. (Basic, expert, etc, all the way through Immortals)

AD&D (AD&D and Basic are actually kinda woven together here. Basic came out just before AD&D, but expert, companion, master and immortal came out after AD&D. Still, not worrying TOO much here. They were all a long time ago.)

AD&D 2nd ed

3rd ed

3.5 ed

4th ed

O.K. I will begin. I started way way back at the very beginning with the first ever little boxed set of white booklets. I played through all the editions (Yes, even immortals. I confess, I made a god. Hey, I was younger then)

I don't much like 4th ed.

I am male. And I am forty-*cough, cough cough* years old.

Crow
2008-06-22, 05:53 PM
Mid to late twenties male.

First D&D was 2nd Ed. AD&D.

Preordered the books for my group, plus another set for myself, and am thinking of cancelling the books for myself before they ship. Not too thrilled with the new edition (detail in spoiler).

I was hoping that I would be able to buy the core three books and leave it at that, as I was expecting more versatility in what you could do with existing classes and with multiclassing. I am quite disappointed that I will need to buy splatbooks (which I will not) in order to play concepts which cannot be represented well with the material in the core rulebooks. I used just core before this edition and never really felt constrained except in a few instances.

nagora
2008-06-22, 05:59 PM
Hey, I have some idle curiosity about age of players, gender, and likes or dislikes. I don't see a way to set up a poll on this forum, so we will have to do it the hard way, but I just was wondering if people would be willing to post their age, gender, and like or dislike of the system.

43, male, if I play D&D it's AD&D, I play lots of systems, mostlythe GM's homebrew and mostly similar to this one (http://www.tekumel.com/gaming_advHTPT.html) (though not the setting, which my current group hates).

Started with the brown books. Not interested in 4ed.

Ralfarius
2008-06-22, 06:00 PM
Also mid-twenties, started AD&D 2E.

I love 4E thus far. Seems like it'll work much better for our games, as it feels like it better facilitates our interests in group dynamic and gives some nice ideas for skill challenges without bogging down in tons of superfluous skills that require tracking. It seems to give us the rules we'd prefer to have (i.e. combat) and leaves the role-playing to us as role-players.

Khatoblepas
2008-06-22, 06:03 PM
Nineteen.

First D&D: 3e, passed onto 3.5 after a couple of sessions. Played AD&D unwittingly due to videogame adaptations, but I don't remember much of those.

I don't like 4th edition.

THAC0
2008-06-22, 06:06 PM
Early-mid twenties, female.

Started with 1e AD&D.

I appreciate and enjoy 4e.

Kabump
2008-06-22, 06:08 PM
Mid twenties, male. Started with 3.5. Enjoy 4e.

Skyrocket
2008-06-22, 06:11 PM
Late 20s male. First D&D was 2nd. Liking 4E. :smallsmile:

Blackdrop
2008-06-22, 06:12 PM
16 Male. Started with AD&D, played a few games at 8 years old. Moved on 3/3.5 enjoyed it. Love 4e.

Dan_Hemmens
2008-06-22, 06:16 PM
Male, 27, played a *tiny* amount of 3.X but was far more interested in other things. Extremely positive about 4E.

For what it's worth I also play a whole mess of other systems (just most recent campaigns: Weapons of the Gods, REIGN, Dark Heresy).

Tengu
2008-06-22, 06:22 PM
Male, 22 years old. Despite possessing quite a bit of theoretical knowledge about DND 3.x and playing many other systems, 4e is my first DND. I like it a lot.

Killersquid
2008-06-22, 06:30 PM
18 Male, almost ready to start 3.5, but played 3.x Computer Games like NWN. Dislike 4e, have not tried earlier systems, but believe them to still be great systems.

JaxGaret
2008-06-22, 06:47 PM
Male 26 y/o

2e: Played one campaign as a child in an afterschool program. Enjoyed it.

Long hiatus in between.

3e: Started playing D&D again just before 3.5 was released. Enjoy it, but acknowledge its flaws.

4e: Enjoy it, and so far prefer it to 3e.

Yakk
2008-06-22, 06:52 PM
Started with the Red basic set (at least in D&D -- had played previous RPGs).

I find 3e crusty after playing with 4e. The system is just so much cleaner, with less crud.

4e also opens itself to system transformations easier than 3e, because instead of the baseline being "you win" (Wizard) or "you mix 12 different things to kill a target instantly", the baseline power level is pretty clear.

Skyserpent
2008-06-22, 06:55 PM
19 year old male.

kicked off with 3.5 a little after it's inception.

Played nigh-religiously all the way until 4e came out.

Solid supporter of 4e

Behold_the_Void
2008-06-22, 06:59 PM
22 years old and male. Started creating homebrew systems pretty early on during my youth without realizing the parallels. 3.0/3.5 was my first actual published system. I haven't yet had a chance to sit down and play 4e, but I own the books and am putting together a game for when I return to school in September. I like the way it works a lot though from what I have read, I agree with just about every design choice the developers made.

marjan
2008-06-22, 07:02 PM
Male 24.

1e - have no experience with it.

2e - only from video games. Judging from that overall pretty solid system.

3e - mostly video games. I consider 3.5e improvement in every respect.

3.5e - played it and liked. There are things that I don't like, but there are also things that make up for it. Requires good DM and players similar in respect to each other to be enjoyable.

4e - haven't tried out system enough to form long lasting opinion on it, but from what I have seen so far pretty good system, just very different approach compared to previous editions of D&D

Matthew
2008-06-22, 07:05 PM
29 year old male; introduced to D&D via the Red Box (Mentzer) Basic Dungeons & Dragons. It was not my first RPG. Not really fussed about 4e, though I plan to give it a shot.

KillianHawkeye
2008-06-22, 07:19 PM
Male, 28.

Started playing AD&D 2e in '99, then converted over to 3e when that came out. Played a lot of 3e/3.5 and own a lot of books. Also played some other systems (old World of Darkness, d20 Modern, Hero system, Mechwarrior, Fading Suns, Cyberpunk 2020, and a couple of others).

I am enthusiastically optimistic about 4e. I believe it is just right for me and my group, and will be glad to have more time to work on setting & story.

Krrth
2008-06-22, 07:27 PM
33 male, and started way back in basic. My dad told me "Hey, I found this great game..."
4th E....I'm ambivalent. Looks like it might be fun, but none of my group wants to give it a try.

The Necroswanso
2008-06-22, 07:59 PM
Male, 20.

I started with 3.e, and when my friend began DMing we played 3.5. I have played AD&D as well as the first edition.
I am very pleased with 4e.

Hoggmaster
2008-06-22, 08:16 PM
Mid 30s Male

basic d&d was first RPG experience, have played all incarnations of d&d.

I have read/played almost every rpg that there has been (one of the perks in working in a store that sells gaming material)

Dislike 3.5 as a whole (splat books et al.) but will play versions of it (Conan d20 specifically or 'core' only d20)

Interested in 4.0 but will reserve jugdement until an actual campaign is run with it (with my group, currently playing GURPs and Dark Heresy)

kjones
2008-06-22, 08:27 PM
Male, 19.

1st Edition: My first system. Fun, but I didn't really know what I was doing - the DM took care of all the "rules".

2nd Edition: First system I used to run my own games and design my own adventures. Again, fun times - when the rules got too complicated, we ditched them.

3rd Edition: First time running anything other than one-offs, first time I made a serious effort to actually play by and understand the rules. Good system, though after running four long-standing campaigns, its cracks are starting to show.

Haven't played 4th Edition yet, but would like to give it a try.

I also enjoy Hackmaster, Aces & Eights, and Spirit of the Century.

Golthur
2008-06-22, 09:10 PM
Male, 37, started D&D with the old purple Basic box set. Played every version of D&D and AD&D through 3.5e more or less steadily since the 80s. Played and ran numerous other game systems, as well - Call of Cthulhu, White Wolf, Paranoia, old Marvel Super Heroes, Gamma World, you name it (pretty much).

4E opinion is ambivalent. Goodness knows, 3.5 has a lot of rule cruft that needs to be cleaned out, and 4E has some neat ideas, but I think they went a bit too far and threw out some of the good stuff that really was the core of D&D.

Thus, I suspect, the general level of animosity out there :amused:

Jerthanis
2008-06-22, 09:15 PM
Male, 22 years old.

1st edition: no experience, from descriptions it sounds a lot like my memories of 2nd edition.

DMed a lot of 2nd edition, but it wasn't my first RPG. I liked it, but when I moved I didn't bother getting back into D&D until 3rd edition resparked my interest.

3rd edition: Liked it alright, there were lots of classes and races, and wizards didn't suck to play anymore. I wouldn't say it was miles ahead of 2nd, but I did like it a little bit better.

3.5: A minor improvement on a game I liked.

4th: Was cautiously optimistic going in and was won over during play. Still not my favorite RPG system, but it is my favorite edition of D&D so far.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2008-06-22, 09:21 PM
Male, 19

Started briefly with 3.0, which rapidly became 3.5. I'm currently undecided about 4e, having never actually played it. I like a lot of what I see, am skeptical about a good bit of it, and downright disapprove of a good chunk. Still, best to reserve judgment, in my opinion.

Starbuck_II
2008-06-22, 09:24 PM
I am 24, I started in AD&D 2nd Edition where we had resurrection survival rolls and 18/00 (I did get that once for a Fighter).

I played in 3.0 and 3.5, I really liked 3rd in how it was less cluttered in variants like 2nd.
Over time I saw how certain classes kinda were suckier than others.

Fighters were weaker in 3rd.

I like 4th, it brings back a better balanced 2nd Edition (D&D) feel. I haven't DMed it yet, but building encounters for (the coming) Wendesdays adventure was fun.

Before there wasn't much environment additions to every encounter: now you are expected to include stuff (like carpets for pulling below peoples feet etc).
Could just been my whole 3rd edition DMs (each) just didn't feel like including much.

My books haven't arrived (Stupid Amazon). But a Friend named John did get his so I have read it all.

Thrud
2008-06-22, 09:32 PM
Wow, that's a lot of teen and 20 somethings who played 1st ed? What, were you all using your parents game books? Sheesh, I stopped playing 1st ed when 2nd came out in 1989! Huh, maybe I haven't found anything concrete about 4th ed likes and dislikes yet, but I sure am surprised by the number of people who played editions of a game that went out of print right around the time they were born.

Sorry, off topic, but it is my thread after all. Err, o.k. fine. I'll go wander off into the corner and be quiet and start compiling results again.

*wanders off mumbling to self about young whippersnappers whilst chewing on stub of pencil.*

darkzucchini
2008-06-22, 09:36 PM
Male. 21 years old.

Started on that old D&D Box Set thing, whatever it was called, but soon moved on to 2e.

Decidedly unhappy with the turn that D&D has taken with the onset of 4e, though I did feel that 3.5 could have used some changes.

SamTheCleric
2008-06-22, 09:42 PM
Male, 26, Love 4e so far, started with 2nd Edition when I was 10... Stopped playing around the age of 16. Picked up 3e while in the USAF.

AmberVael
2008-06-22, 10:02 PM
Female, 19.

I started with 3E pretty much when it came out, and played it for about four years before moving over to 3.5 with a different group of friends. I was quite fond of them both (really, I saw very little difference between the two since the groups I had played with never really abused or made extraordinary use of the abilities we had, we were really story focused).

I've recently begun testing 4th edition, and my current opinion is that it does what it does well, but I'd like more options in terms of mechanics. The binary skill system and combat focus within class powers just doesn't do it for me.

ghost_warlock
2008-06-22, 10:32 PM
I'm male, 29-years-old.

I started with D&D and progressed through AD&D 2e to 3e.

Some images:

I started with a boxed set with this on the cover:
http://www.geocities.com/wrarx/easleyreddragon.bmp

A few months later, I picked up this and used it until I switched to AD&D2e:
http://www.geocities.com/wrarx/dd-rc.jpg

Jeff Easley rocks, btw. :smallsmile:


3.5 is my favorite edition of the game.

THAC0
2008-06-22, 10:34 PM
Wow, that's a lot of teen and 20 somethings who played 1st ed? What, were you all using your parents game books? Sheesh, I stopped playing 1st ed when 2nd came out in 1989! Huh, maybe I haven't found anything concrete about 4th ed likes and dislikes yet, but I sure am surprised by the number of people who played editions of a game that went out of print right around the time they were born.

Sorry, off topic, but it is my thread after all. Err, o.k. fine. I'll go wander off into the corner and be quiet and start compiling results again.

*wanders off mumbling to self about young whippersnappers whilst chewing on stub of pencil.*

The books are a heck of a lot cheaper. :smallwink:

EvilElitest
2008-06-22, 10:43 PM
16 male


I was 11 when i played 3E. I moved to 3.5 later. I sampled with some other games, then eventually when i was 15 went back to second edition which i actually liked, recently been playing 4E


2E- extremly smart game, just suffers mechanically

3E- Great Intentions, just bad balances issues

3.5- Minor fix, but couldn't solve the problems

4E- I can understand why WotC made it, i mean making a simplified D&D is great for business, but oh gods it revolts me
from
EE

Jack Zander
2008-06-22, 10:54 PM
Male, 19, been playing for about 5 years now. Started with 3.0, and then soon after 3.5 came out. Was reluctant to switch, but mostly just because we had only bought our books about a year or two before.

Tried 4.0. Had fun, but not the same kind of fun I usually have when role playing. It was more of a M:tG kind of fun. Do not like it for a role playing game one bit. Alright to use as a minis hackfest for one night though.

Tormsskull
2008-06-22, 10:54 PM
26, male. Started with the Red Box (Mentzer) Basic Dungeons & Dragons (damn you Bargle!).

Loved Basic.

Only played a smidge of 1e.

2e Was awesome and is still my favorite to this day (though I homebrew huge anyhow)

3e Meh

3.5e Meh and I have to buy more books!?

4e Excited about some things, not liking a lot of others.

EvilElitest
2008-06-22, 10:55 PM
damn i'm young
from
EE

Vortling
2008-06-22, 10:58 PM
Male, 24

I came in at the end of 3.5 and had fun both playing and DMing it. Mostly I'm ambivalent about 4e except for two things. First, the fact that so many are fawning over it when other systems do what it intends to do better than it does. Second, the fact that I have a host of 3.5 characters that I'll never get to play because of difficulties in finding a 3.5 game after the release of 4e and the complete inability to convert them to 4e and maintain their feel to my satisfaction.

Lady Tialait
2008-06-22, 11:23 PM
Female 23.

My first system was Cyberpunk 2020 Friday Night Firefight. As for D&D, my first was playing 1e with my dad (he still has a thing in a box with a bunch of stuff) but i was never allowed to touch his 1e stuff. Sacred that it is. As for 2ed I've only played one charitor, a dwarven cleric...She was awesome. Got killed by the DM's BBEG..almost died every combat...only combated every 6-10 sessions. Had loads of fun..3.0 never tryed it. Wouldn't know what to say. 3.5 I have DMed 3 campaigns..each spanning 4 real life years of acual play. Starting at level 1 and ending at level 40. Never had balance problems. Ever. But I can see how without how I play it would have been broken. So. Whatever. I havn't even touched 4e yet. Not sure when i will. My husband and me are moving at the moment and when we get where we are moving too I'll try to look into buying 4e.

Ravyn
2008-06-23, 12:56 AM
Female, 21.

First was 3.0, though that was right before 3.5 came out so most of my gaming was in the latter. Couldn't find D&D at my college, but there was a perfectly good Exalted group, and then they introduced me to Aberrant. First summer I got into an AD&D 2E game because it was the only thing available, and between the availability of games here and the group I semi-joined two summers later and the job I found nine months ago I kept up a connection with D&D 3.5...

Short version: I'll play 3.5, but it's not my first choice by a long shot, and what little I've seen of 4th hasn't impressed me.

Fhaolan
2008-06-23, 01:10 AM
Male, 40, started with the original white booklets when I was... 8, I think. My uncle was an art teacher at a community college, which had a wargaming club who introduced him to D&D, and he introduced me to it.

I've played all versions of D&D, except for 4e where I've only done theoretical run-throughs because my current gaming groups aren't interested in converting right now. I've also played a *lot* of other RPG systems over the years, including some written by right lunatics.

As an overall system, I prefer 3.x. That includes chargen, task resolution, etc. I do believe that the DCs of specific tasks are badly scaled in many cases, but I don't view that as a problem with the 'system' as such. I don't like the magic system, but then I've not really been happy with any of the editions' magic system. They just don't feel right to me.

As a player, I do feel like I had more fun in 2nd edition (before the Complete Books of Whatevers were published), but that might be more due to the age I was then, and the people I was playing with.

Dumbledore lives
2008-06-23, 01:17 AM
14 Male, Played a campaign and a half of some mixture of 3.X and earlier editions. Not planning on playing 4th Ed. as I use the SRD for the 3rd edition rule set. Indifferent about the system, though it looks promising.

Chineselegolas
2008-06-23, 01:18 AM
Male, 19
First experience with DnD was Baldur's Gate II. Still my favourite game and go back to it for a few weeks of nostalgia every few months.

First PnP game was with 3.5 and found it fun.

So far from what I've read of 4th Edition I like the look of it. Haven't played it yet so I'll reserve final judgement till then.

TheOOB
2008-06-23, 01:20 AM
21 Male, first started playing D&D with the blue box(basic D&D) I found in my parents closet. Then moved to (in order) 2e, 1e, 3/3.5e, and now I am happily playing 4e.

Tengu
2008-06-23, 03:00 AM
damn i'm young
from
EE

The correct term is "a kid".

Thrud
2008-06-23, 03:15 AM
The correct term is "a kid".

Naah, young is o.k. too.

You just have to add whippersnapper after it.

:smallbiggrin:

AslanCross
2008-06-23, 03:15 AM
Male, 24.

First experience with D&D was not tabletop, but with Baldur's Gate II, so I got a taste of 2E. That was in 1998, I believe. I began running 3.5 last year.

Picking up 4E eventually, but not dropping 3.5 just yet. I'm running a campaign that will be too much trouble to translate to 4E, and I won't be able to represent a lot of things in 4E.

XAnansiX
2008-06-23, 03:35 AM
Male 23

I became interested in D&D after baldur's gate 1 (good lord that was 10 years ago :-o damn i feel old), played a little 2nd edition and darksun and then moved on to 3e-3.5 and played a little riddle of steel in college. I have the 4e phb and really like what they've done to combat and feats ect..but i hate what they've done to skills and out of combat powers.... I'd play 4e but only a heavily modified version of it.

Comstar
2008-06-23, 03:38 AM
Male 34.

Started with Basic Red Box D&D (though Role Playing started with Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks and the RPG). Played some very limited AD&D and getting hopelessly confused and moving to 2nd Edition quickly.

Didn't play much 3rd Ed, 3.5 I only played Living Greyhawk and Living Arcanis (and never bought the manual's for 3.5 either).

Started DMing again now that 4th's Ed is out and loving the DM's Guide for the book I wish it had been 20 years ago.

Grynning
2008-06-23, 03:43 AM
Also male, and also 24.

Started with AD&D (I think) I was using an old set of books that belonged to my mom.

Played a bit of everything after that, really enjoyed 2nd Ed throughout elementary and Jr. High. Took a break during high school, had no one to play with.

3rd Edition was good, played in a Ravenloft campaign, in college, had fun. During this time I was mostly playing and DM'ing Rifts though (I know, I know...I still carry the shame...).

3.5 has to be my favorite. I had a blast making characters, and I still stand that it is probably the most versatile class-based game out there. I have an entire notebook full of "celebrity stats" with everyone from my dad to The Rock's character in The Scorpion King, and I haven't seen a character I couldn't make with Core and a splatbook or two. My two favorite characters I've ever played, Quo the Changeling Rogue/Cleric and Estlegard the human Fighter (Weapon Supremacy: Portable Cannon:smallbiggrin:) were 3.5 characters.

4th is...4th. I don't love it or hate it, I just acknowledge that it is a very different game than 3.5. I haven't had a chance to play it extensively yet (only DM'ed a session so far), so I won't make a call just yet...but I do miss the options already, and I find I'm not nearly as inspired as I was the first time I cracked open 3.5. So far when I've sat down to make a character...I pick a race, pick a class, pick a couple powers...and then I feel like I'm practically done, there's little point in writing anything else down if I'm not going to play them right away. The magic has gone out of character creation. Granted, the gameplay itself seems to be more fast paced and tactical, which I like, but couldn't they have done both?

Lord Herman
2008-06-23, 03:48 AM
Male, 22 years old. Started playing 3.5 just after it came out.

I absolutely love 4E. It fixes just about everything I thought was wrong with 3.5. Not entirely sure about D&Di yet, but the Dragon articles might win me over.

bosssmiley
2008-06-23, 05:46 AM
Male, early 30s.

Started playing BECMI in 1988, then AD&D shortly after. Finally had the books I wanted just as 2nd Ed came out (Doh!).

Played 2nd Ed through the golden age of settings. Fell out of love with D&D about the time Age of Wyrms and Skills and Powers arrived.

Got back into 3.5 a few years ago, mainly for nostalgia and because I had enjoyed the open-endedness of the DC-based d20 system in 3rd party games.

Have since tinkered with and re-tooled 3.5 until it suits me.

4E? It...doesn't appeal. It just feels to me like a bigger budget game of Warhammer Quest (minis, boards, dice, etc... sold separately). It seems like there's a certain something missing from the latest version of the game (something more than the shamefully omitted chalk or 10' poles).

Kizara
2008-06-23, 06:00 AM
23 yr old Male.

Started with 3.0 D&D.


I think 4ed is garbage with a few notewrothy and stealable improvements.

Dhavaer
2008-06-23, 06:27 AM
21, male, started with 3.0, played 2e via Baldur's Gate and didn't like it.

Approve of 4e.

Morty
2008-06-23, 06:30 AM
18, male, started with 3.5, ambivalent with leaning towards negativity about 4ed. While it solves a lot of issues 3ed had, it just feels too simple, poor and unimaginative.

DigoDragon
2008-06-23, 06:51 AM
30M, started playing AD&D-2e in highschool and still have those old books on a shelf next to the 3.5 books. Skipped 3.0, but that was because by the time I raised enough money to buy them the 3.5 edition came out so... timing is everything. :smalltongue: Seen some aspects of 4e, but haven't played it yet.

D&D 3.5 is my favorite edition, even if I only been a PC once. I usually DM and with a little houseruling to patch up a couple things and I can run a pretty smooth campaign. My wife (whom I met in college playing D&D) is still a fan of the more classical AD&D-2e and knows the THAC0 calculations better then ANYONE else I've ever met. Don't tell her, but secretly I still love the old edition too. :smallwink:

Roderick_BR
2008-06-23, 07:23 AM
Male, 27 y.o.

Started with AD&D 2nd edition at age of 14.

When 3rd edition came about, my group jumped at it (after I bought the books, of course).

When 3.5 came out, my old group was not very active, but I played with some others.

Thus far, 4E seems interesting because it gives you options in battle, although it still lacks some of the versatility in character creation from 3.x, but giving actually useful abilities, instead of the so-called "traps".

Xelen
2008-06-23, 07:27 AM
My group:

36 male; played everything since AD&D
36 male; played everything since AD&D
33 female; 2nd-4th
32 male; basic->4th
30 female; 2nd->4th
26 female; 3rd->4th

Every single one of us prefers 4th. Why? Because we can sit down and have a quick game after all the assorted small children are in bed and accomplish something without staying up until 3am and getting 2-3 hours sleep. 4th ed is built an awesome system for a casual player. It also lends it self to remote, game table playing very very well which saves a crap load of cash on babysitting.

Closet_Skeleton
2008-06-23, 07:28 AM
Wow, that's a lot of teen and 20 somethings who played 1st ed? What, were you all using your parents game books?

Yes, that's exactly what I did. Except I only had the PHB.

18 year old male, started with some starter set I don't know the name of, then moved on to 1st edition AD&D, then changed to 3.0, included 3.5 material but kepy playing with 3.0 books. I've also played Baldurs Gate.

Not yet tried 4e but I can't be bothered to learn it and all my money is currently going on comic books and Star Wars Saga Edition.

Dragor
2008-06-23, 07:33 AM
15, male, and I've only played 3.5 D&D. I smatter in White Wolf products too, but I play both of them in decent amounts.

I am almost ecstatic about 4e.

nepphi
2008-06-23, 08:29 AM
24, male.

Began with 2nd edition ADnD, which I enjoyed because it had a complex and entertaining way of modeling game mechanics. In particular I adored weapon speed as a mod to initiative, even though I know why they left it out of 3e later.

Played 3e on and off since it came out, in both 3.0 and 3.5 iterations (I'm still in a 3.0 spelljammer game, and a 3.5 dungeoncrawl classic). I adored the addition of a functional skill and feat system to the core rules (the single best addition over 2e that 3e came up with, period).

Very happy with 4e, but only so far as an initial opinion. I have yet to sit down and play it. However from a design standpoint, it's still DnD, and I'm happy about that.

elliott20
2008-06-23, 08:35 AM
Male, 26 years old.

Started with 2E AD&D.

Went through 3E. I now play mostly indy games.

I really want to get excited about 4E but quite honestly I'm not sure if I'll ever get into it.

Epinephrine
2008-06-23, 09:40 AM
Thought I'd already posted...

Male, mid 30s

D&D - Began with the red box (well, actually, the blue box, bought the red box after); very simple, lacking in mechanics though.

AD&D - Played this seemingly forever. Great system, a 6th level fighter will always be a "Myrmidon", it's a back stab, not a sneak attack, and they're called thieves, not rogues (and how funny is the term "magic-user"?). I replaced this with GURPS though.

2e - only played a little.

3e - never played

3.5e - Just started, it's enjoyable. The vast number of classes and prestige classes and feats lets you customise to a great degree. Unfortunately, it's still not as flexible as point-based systems, so when you have a character idea you have to cobble it together through multiclassing, bizarre PrCs and house rules. It's really prone to abuse, and things certainly are not all created equal. I feel it needs real DM intervention, house rules and the like, it's simply too munchkin otherwise.

4e - haven't tried it, and likely won't unless someone buys the books and starts running it. I'm not investing in another system.

Wizard_Tom
2008-06-23, 10:14 AM
23 Male.

Started with 3rd edition and 3.5 kinda thrown together. It was a good way to waste an afternoon, but sometimes I just didn't feel like going.*

My only gaming experiance with 2nd Edition was a Birthright game.

I primarily play indie-rpgs like Spirit of the Century, With Great Power, TROS, and others.

I really like 4th edition so far. As a player, I no longer have to worry about whether or not I'm useful in the party. As a GM, it's been a pleasure running monsters and planning encounters. I've even home-brewed about a dozen monsters for my adventure module.




*There are 2 exceptions to this, a 3rd edition Birthright campaign, and a certain Ravenloft campaign I was in.

Helgraf
2008-06-23, 11:44 AM
Male, 34, started at age 8 with Dungeons & Dragons (game run by my father at that time), quickly switched up to AD&D (1st ed). Began running games at age 14. Switched to 2nd ed a while after it came out, switched to Skills & Powers / Combat & Tactics shortly after it came out, switched to 3rd ed about six months to a year after its release, upgraded to 3.5 when it came out. Preordered 4th ed via FLGS, have built characters as experiment, have not had chance to play yet.

Enjoyed all, thought 3.0/3.5 went a long way forward toward system unification and removing unneccesary artifacts (Exceptional Strength, I'm looking at *you*. Also, only fighters getting hp benefit from Con over 16. Among many other things).

I've looked over 4th ed. I see a lot of potential, but as noted, have not had the chance to actually play or run it yet.

Indon
2008-06-23, 12:54 PM
Mid-twenties, male.

Started playing D&D at AD&D 2'nd edition. Some experience with a smattering of game systems, and I've played White Wolf products rather extensively.

Ambivalent about 4'th edition.

EvilElitest
2008-06-23, 01:25 PM
The correct term is "a kid".

are you implying something
from
EE

hamlet
2008-06-23, 01:58 PM
Male, 27, cut my teeth with AD&D 1e, but 2e was my first set purchased. Played it for years, won't ever stop until I'm dead.

D&D 3.x: I can see the allure, and I can understand it, and I think I might possibly enjoy it with the right group, but for the most part, I can't stand it.

D&D 4: From what I've seen, I just can't deal with it. Not what I want in a fantasy RPG.



Female, 21.

First was 3.0, though that was right before 3.5 came out so most of my gaming was in the latter. Couldn't find D&D at my college, but there was a perfectly good Exalted group, and then they introduced me to Aberrant. First summer I got into an AD&D 2E game because it was the only thing available, and between the availability of games here and the group I semi-joined two summers later and the job I found nine months ago I kept up a connection with D&D 3.5...

Short version: I'll play 3.5, but it's not my first choice by a long shot, and what little I've seen of 4th hasn't impressed me.

Marry me.:smallsmile:

imperialspectre
2008-06-23, 02:59 PM
Male, age 21.

Started out with 3.0, but only in the computer adaptation (Neverwinter Nights). First tabletop experience was 3.5, but then my gaming group at college plays mostly a heavily house-ruled "2.5" with most of the Player's Option books. One of the guys in my group at home introduced us to Exalted 2E at the beginning of the summer, and we're playing mostly Exalted and World of Darkness over the summer.

I'm very skeptical of 4th Edition. We had already taken most of the changes I liked as 3.5 houserules (skill consolidation is pretty much all that comes to mind). I feel either ambivalent or flat-out opposed to the other changes, and liked casters in 3.5 and saw no real reason to change them (in the group I played in, a little bit of player restraint and teamwork plus heavy ToB use and no real opposition to a bit of cheese pretty much solved most balance issues).

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-23, 03:29 PM
Male, 28

Started in 2nd ed. AD&D.

Played pretty much since, though I've never been as satisfied as I've been running the Ravenloft grand conjunction pair of quests.

Played 3.5 until I just got tired of either making a character concept that's neat in theory and crap on paper and being bugged by other players to make a newer 'better' character, or DMing a group that cares nothing for RP and just wants to hack'n'slash. I moved to Dark Heresy as soon as it came out and never looked back.

Haven't tried 4th ed. yet, but i have the books and can't wait. Though I do agree with Crow that the Splatbooks will cause a (huge?) flood options that should likely have been in core in the beginning.

Jack Zander
2008-06-23, 03:37 PM
23 yr old Male.

Started with 3.0 D&D.


I think 4ed is garbage with a few notewrothy and stealable improvements.

Best post in the entire thread.

Tengu
2008-06-23, 05:00 PM
are you implying something
from
EE

Why would I? (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uc6uMi8EA90)

Thrud
2008-06-23, 06:31 PM
Marry me.:smallsmile:

Hey, no hitting on that rarest of all beings 'Gamerus Femalicus', or you will scare them all off.

:smallbiggrin:

Sorry, interesting so far. Oddly enough I don't seem to see any real patterns emerging, which is surprising. Still, I might compile the results and throw them into an excel spreadsheet and graph em out.

Or I might not. That seems like way too much work to satisfy idle curiosity.

Antacid
2008-06-23, 07:38 PM
Male, 27, started with the Basic Set. Even had the Rules Cyclopedia (best bargain ever). Played that, then 2nd Ed Planescape for a long time, 3e more casually (never a long campaign). Think 4e is the best edition all round. The straightforwardness of the rules feels a lot like OD&D in some ways.

Conjurer
2008-06-23, 11:06 PM
30 year old male.

Started with AD&D 2nd Edition, but I don't plan on playing it again, given that, IMO, both 3rd and 4th are simply better.

As far as D&D goes, I enjoy 3rd and 4th, and I'm currently playing both.

EvilElitest
2008-06-23, 11:11 PM
Why would I? (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uc6uMi8EA90)

must kill Tengu, must invade poland, must....oh pretty colors
from
EE

Zeta Kai
2008-06-23, 11:24 PM
I'm a 28 year old male.

I started with AD&D, 2nd Edition. I moved on to Vampire: the Masquerade & other WoD books for a while. I've dabbled with Palladium, Champions, GURPS, etc. I finally jumped onboard the 3rd Edition bandwagon just as 3.5 came out.

I am extremely wary of 4th Edition, for reasons already discussed elsewhere. But I am able to admit that there are probably a number of design flaws that 4E has probably fixed (although I can already see how it has shown flaws of its own).

John Campbell
2008-06-23, 11:30 PM
34, male, started with Basic D&D (the '81 Moldvay red box) and played every edition up to 3.5. I won't touch 4e with my standard-issue 10' pole. I'm not real fond of 3.x, either - 2e AD&D's the best version, IMAO, and even that isn't really a good system in an objective sense. (Shadowrun 3e is my preferred gaming system.) But D&D's kind of like the crazy grandpa of role-playing. You've gotta make allowances.


Male 23

I became interested in D&D after baldur's gate 1 (good lord that was 10 years ago :-o damn i feel old),

You feel old? I started playing D&D before you were born.

JaxGaret
2008-06-23, 11:37 PM
Sorry, interesting so far.

It is interesting, isn't it.


Oddly enough I don't seem to see any real patterns emerging, which is surprising.

What do you find surprising?


Still, I might compile the results and throw them into an excel spreadsheet and graph em out.

That would be awesome. I love stuff like that.


Or I might not. That seems like way too much work to satisfy idle curiosity.

If Thrud doesn't do it, is anyone else interested in throwing it all together? I'm not much of an Excelhead.

ALOR
2008-06-24, 12:38 AM
age 29, male

Started out playing D&D out of the rules cyclopedia, which I liked. Then moved on to 2e, which i liked. Moved onto 3e and 3.5 which I loved. Don't care for 4e all that much.

Thrud
2008-06-24, 12:49 AM
What do you find surprising?


Well, I manage a bookstore as my primary job, and help out at a friend's gaming/comic book store on the side.

I have seen lots of older people come in, read the 4th ed books, put them down, and leave(edit - that didn't come out right. I do talk with my customers, and know a great deal of them by name. What I was trying to say here is that many of them flipped through the book and expressed displeasure to me). I have had multiple people return their 4th ed books. They were all older too. All of my players are older (35+) and they all dislike the system.

I have had many younger players come in. They are all excited. I haven't had any returns from younger players. Certainly I have had older players be excited and not return books, but the trend I have seen tends to be towards older players not liking 4ed, and younger players liking it. Still, it is not like we have a statistically useful sample size here, but there doesn't seem to be much of a correlation here at all, compared to my own experiences.

Werewindlefr
2008-06-24, 01:01 AM
I've never played pre-ADD2 editions. I've actually started Role Playing Game with ADD2 (after s short session of Vampire) more than 10 years ago. At D&D (any edition), I've almost exclusively been a DM. Today, though, I would rather poke my eyes with pointy sticks than DM ADD2 again.

I've played D&D 3 and 3.5 extensively. Ran a long campaign that lasted for years and near-TPKs. Had lots of fun. I have even more fun now with my beloved Arcana Evolved, which I consider the best "D&D" out there.

I've tried 4e. I don't like the feeling, mostly because it's not really satiusfying for my customizing, simulationist approach. Also, I think I don't like the new design mentality from WotC; I'm talking about the bit where they say that they designed classes and other things in 4e wondering what would be balanced and good gameplay-wise, when in 3e they would wonder: "Hey, what should a wizard be like" and tried to modelize it. Anyway, 4e is fun for a quick game with doors flying and monsters being smashed to bits, so I'll play it occasionally.

Otherwise, I'm 26 years old male (and still a student :smalleek: .)

Lord Tataraus
2008-06-24, 01:09 AM
19, male - I started with 3.5 and have played a number of other systems as well, terribly dislike 4e.

Edit - I can also speak for 2 of my main players, both about my age who dislike 4e, though like me see it as a very good and probably enjoyable war game not as a RPG.

Veera
2008-06-24, 01:32 AM
Early twenties, female. Started with 2nd edition, didn't like it. Too complicated for me. Fortunately, a friend talked me into trying his 3rd edition game before I gave up totally on DnD, and I enjoyed that much better. The rules were still complicated, but they were intuitive at least. We switched to 3.5 soon after it came out, and our group is in the process of switching to 4.0 now; we played a session and really liked it.

hamlet
2008-06-24, 08:37 AM
Hey, no hitting on that rarest of all beings 'Gamerus Femalicus', or you will scare them all off.

:smallbiggrin:



Yer just jealous cause I thought of it first.;)

I don't find any of this surprising, really, since I don't think that the trends would be linked to age, sex, or anything like that.

Instead, I'm pretty sure that the real question that would reveal the trend is "What is it that you look for in an RPG? Entertainment? Or Hobby?" You'll find a more solid correlation there I think.

And for the record: both.

EvilElitest
2008-06-24, 11:33 AM
So thud, i'd be an exception to the rule
from
EE

Tam_OConnor
2008-06-24, 11:51 AM
19 and male; I started at the tail end of 2nd edition AD&D, before 3.0 came out, but after they had stopped restocking the older stuff. I couldn't actually find any other gamers until 3.0, so that was the first edition I really played. Switched to 3.5 when it came out, and gamed my weaselly black heart out.

When signs of 4.0 began, I tried Serenity, and liked it. My group (including Werebear) bought the 4.0 books, but since I'm home for the summer, I haven't got the try it out yet. I did leaf through them in the bookstore, and wasn't floored or anything, but I didn't hate it on sight either.

Haruspex
2008-06-24, 11:56 AM
Male, 22.

Played 3.0 with acquaintances, thought it was cool but time commitments cut the campaign short. Haven't played a pen and paper RPG since (sigh).

Started reading as much as I could to keep up with the game as well as learn about 1e, 2e, and 4e. They all look interesting for different reasons, earlier editions seemingly more complex and 4e looks more streamlined. If I could I'd try any of them, even 3.0 again.

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-24, 11:57 AM
I can take all the information we've received and compile it into spreadsheet format, and maybe put it up on my webpage or something (or convert it to a table in the forums). In fact, I think I'll get started on that right now.

Myatar_Panwar
2008-06-24, 12:16 PM
Male 17.

Started with 3.0 in Junior High then moved to 3.5 during my Freshman year of highschool. Am thouroghly enjoying 4e so far.

Mojo_Rat
2008-06-24, 12:18 PM
35 male

Istarted 1st editio AD&D in grade 5

Played alot of Basic edition as a child then switched back to 1st edition

But pretty much played most versions of the game since then though 3rd was probly the priefest before geting into 3.5 and Now finally 4rth.

Most of our group seems to like it though we have one player being grumpy

SMEE
2008-06-24, 01:59 PM
28 Female

Started with the red box ODnD during 1997, which was enjoyable.

Moved to ADnD 2nd edition at the middle of 1997, which we loved and played long campains. Simple adorable game, even considering TACHO.

My group started playing 3rd edition shortly after it was released... The 3 core rule books were the first thing I ever imported... We played it for a long time, until our DM moved to Japan.
We didn't get to play DnD 3.5, but I currently play it online and I love it. So many options to max strengths AND weakness... I'm in heaven.

4th edition... I've read the rules and I'll give it a go, but I'm not really impressed with what I've seen thus far. :smallfrown:

Baxbart
2008-06-24, 02:17 PM
21, Male.

Been playing RPGs since I was 11 (GURPS, almost exclusively until the last couple of years) but didn't actually pick up D&D seriously until about a year ago. My first experience would have been when 3rd ed first came out, but I never really got into it.

I have a lot of 3.5 books, and a bit of a photographic memory for rules - so learning them was never a problem, especially since I'm usually looked to as the law as far as RPG rules-calling goes in pen and paper games with my normal group.

I picked up 4E as soon as it came out, and I love its streamlined feel - its pretty much replaced 3.5 as my preference for fantasy gaming (Usually stick with Shadowrun for Cyberpunk, and GURPS for... everything else).

WickerNipple
2008-06-24, 02:57 PM
31, Male.

Played first edition as a child probably around '86 or '87 and loved the creativity and the storytelling. Was in line to buy a copy of AD&D 2nd the day it came out and played 1-3x weekly til college.

Much less time since then. :)

I love 4th tremendously so far. It's exactly what I want - extremely simple, streamlined, fun and tactical - precisely what we need so that the story and creativity never gets hampered or distracted by bookkeeping minutia or combats taking up so much time that there's no time to do anything else.

Gorbash
2008-06-24, 03:35 PM
20, Male.

Started playing 2nd edition Planescape some 8 years ago, transfered to 3.5 when it came out, loved every moment of it, still playing it. If I wanted a simplified system and casual play I'd go online and play NWN, so no 4ed for me. I'll probably switch to Pathfinder once it comes out, or at least give it a try, so far it looks promising...

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-24, 04:48 PM
Some statistics for the statistically statistical:

(Note, I can't find anywhere with info on how to make tables {I'm guessing it's using the {table] tag, but I"m not sure what other info's required, so I'll post the basic stuff here in non-table format. If anyone know where I can find more info on making tables in a post, I'd be much obliged -> if it's the same as HTML, then that's not a problem)

Data taken up to WickerNipple:
Total Users: 86

Gender
Male: 71
Female: 9
Not Given: 6
% Male-Female-Not Given: 82.5% - 10.5% - 7%

First D&D edition played :
Users started before 2nd ed.: 32
Users started with 2nd ed.: 22
Users started with 3.0/3.5: 27
Users started with 4th: 2

Not Given 3
Feelings towards 4th ed.:
User likes 4th ed.: 37
User dislikes 4th ed.: 20
User is unsure about 4th ed. : 22
Not Given: 7

I'll post more nitty-gritty stats tomorrow.

Thrud
2008-06-25, 12:59 AM
I'll post more nitty-gritty stats tomorrow.

Woo hoo, the simple tactic of actually having to go to work and thus being unable to compile stats myself works again, so that I don't have to do any compiling myself.

Yay to work!

Wait, that doesn't make any sense at all.

Never mind, I'm gonna go with it.

:smallbiggrin:

Ceiling009
2008-06-25, 02:26 AM
hmm... 23 Male, first actually started with Star Wars d6. Then I picked up d20 modern, then GURPS. I started playing DnD 3.5 a little bit afterwards... Also in the middle of it all, played Star Wars revised edition, and Besm 2e. Then I started running Besm 3e. Also read GURPS 4e. Played on game of Vampire the Masquerade, the newest edition. I so far love what I've read and tinkered with in DnD 4e. I think it's hard to say what I prefer in a gaming system, cause I'm more a homebrewer and consummate DM, so I never play, but I'll constantly write ideas, campaigns, and npc templates... So I think my favorites are probably 4e out of DnD and Besm 3e over all.

starwoof
2008-06-25, 02:57 AM
18, male. I started with 3.0 when I was ten and slowly upgraded to 3.5 due to overinvolvement in play by post games. That was about 2 years ago. From what I've seen of 4th ed I do not like it, though I am convinced I will give it a try at some point and maybe even enjoy it.

I prefer not to think about that day.:smallannoyed:

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-25, 04:36 PM
Ok folks, here's a more in depth look at the statistics. I'll try to get it in pie-chart format or something. I found out the arcane ancient lore involved in creating tables on the message boards, so it's all pretty now. Values in percentage format (let me know and I can update it with raw number values). Also, I lumped up all pre-2nd ed. editions together and both 2nd ed. and 2nd ed. AD&D together for 'starter editions'. Without further ado (and good up to Starwoof):

Players Aged 10 to 19
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
80%|5%|15%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
15%|5%|60%|5%|15%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
30%|40%|30%|0[/table]

Players Aged 20 to 24
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
80.77%|15.38%|3.85%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
19.23%|23.08%|53.85%|3.85%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
53.85%|19.23%|26.92%|0%[/table]

Players Aged 25 to 29
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
90.48%|9.52%|0%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
33.33%|52.38%|14.29%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
47.62%|19.05%|19.05%|14.29%
[/table]

Players Aged 30 to 34
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
81.82%|18.18%|0%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
63.64%|36.36%|0%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
36.36%|18.18%|18.18%|27.27%[/table]

Players Aged 35+
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
100%|0%|0%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
100%|0%|0%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
33.33%|22.22%|33.33%|11.11%[/table]

Players - No Age Given
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
0%|0%|100%[/table]

{table]Obviously :smallbiggrin:[/table]


First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
50%|50%|0%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
50%|50%|0%|0%[/table]

If I'm missing any info, or something seems..... awry, let me know and I'll recheck the numbers, though I'm confident Excel (and by extension my ninja-like Excel skills) shall not let me down. Also, I may further seperate it into a more accurate table, like what the user thinks of 4th ed.: Bee's Knees/Loves/Likes/Unsure/Dislikes/Hates/Despises. Under the current system, someone who simply 'doesn't like' the system is on the same level as someone who 'wishes woes of biblical proportion to the designers of 4th ed.' But I digress... Enjoy! (and keep the submissions coming!)

Diamondeye
2008-06-25, 09:27 PM
32, male.

Started with red box D&D; liked it at that age

Played 1E in middle school, liked it.

Played 2E through highschool and college, liked it even better

Played 3.0/3.5 till now, loved them

Other systesm I've tried are RIFTS (loved it), Palladium RPG (loved it), Shadowrun 2E (liked pretty well), Earthdawn (disliked) and Vampire (despised and thought utterly ridiculous)

As for 4E, well... no nice way to say it: I hate it. I absolutely refuse to ever touch this steaming pile of crap.

That's about as restrained as I can be on the subject.

John Campbell
2008-06-25, 10:48 PM
Your "first edition played" numbers for the 10-19 bracket don't add up. Is it supposed to be 60% for 3.x?

Blackdrop
2008-06-26, 12:08 AM
I actually am noticing a slight trend. The percent gap between people who "like"
and "dislike" 4e seems to get smaller as the you progress in age.

34.62% difference between 20-24
28.57% difference between 25-29
18.18% difference between 30-34
11.11% difference between 35+

In fact, the only group who seems to indicate a majority dislike, is the group most people think the target audience is: 10-19 years olds

Thrud
2008-06-26, 02:31 AM
I actually am noticing a slight trend. The percent gap between people who "like"
and "dislike" 4e seems to get smaller as the you progress in age.

34.62% difference between 20-24
28.57% difference between 25-29
18.18% difference between 30-34
11.11% difference between 35+

In fact, the only group who seems to indicate a majority dislike, is the group most people think the target audience is: 10-19 years olds

Yeah, totally not what I had experienced in RL. That was why I posted this in the first place, to get a larger sample. Pretty interesting so far, even if my RL experience seems to be something of an aberration. Hmm, and me without my Aberration bane weapons.

:smallbiggrin:

Matthew
2008-06-26, 05:51 AM
Yeah, totally not what I had experienced in RL. That was why I posted this in the first place, to get a larger sample. Pretty interesting so far, even if my RL experience seems to be something of an aberration. Hmm, and me without my Aberration bane weapons.

It is possibly because a lot of older players don't actually hang out here. :smallwink:

Eldariel
2008-06-26, 06:01 AM
22, male. Started with AD&D 2nd Edition.

4e frustrates me. I really want to like it, but I really can't find a single reason to play it over 3.0; so dislike it.

Jimbob
2008-06-26, 06:24 AM
Male 22, started with AD&D 2nd edition

Only having read the books and played only 2 encounters so far I have enjoyed it and look forward to playing more

SamTheCleric
2008-06-26, 06:35 AM
A bit before 4e was launched, I did a survey of age, gender and opinion of 4e and tried to get the percentages. I wonder how close it is to the current percentages.

Time to go find that thread.

Edit: Here it is (No thread necromancy in it!) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79494)

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-26, 12:03 PM
Your "first edition played" numbers for the 10-19 bracket don't add up. Is it supposed to be 60% for 3.x?

Good eye! You are correct, it is supposed to be 60% (and it has been changed). And just so you know, my Excel sheet had the right numbers. I think I started copy/pasting from 20-24 and beyond.

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-26, 12:05 PM
I actually am noticing a slight trend. The percent gap between people who "like"
and "dislike" 4e seems to get smaller as the you progress in age.

34.62% difference between 20-24
28.57% difference between 25-29
18.18% difference between 30-34
11.11% difference between 35+

In fact, the only group who seems to indicate a majority dislike, is the group most people think the target audience is: 10-19 years olds

:smallbiggrin: Does this mean we've done more market analysis than WotC?

marjan
2008-06-26, 12:08 PM
:smallbiggrin: Does this mean we've done more market analysis than WotC?

Do you really wanna know answer? :smallwink:

Tormsskull
2008-06-26, 12:11 PM
In fact, the only group who seems to indicate a majority dislike, is the group most people think the target audience is: 10-19 years olds

That is not surprising really. Assuming that most 10-19 years who participated in this survey started on 3.x (60%), and further assuming since they participated in this survey thus meaning they frequent an online message board dedicated to gaming, we can assume that most of these 10-19 year olds are dedicated gamers.

As such, they were dedicated to 3.x. Keeping in mind that 3.x is quite different from 4e, and that those who started on 3.x have never gone through a total edition change, the fact that most of them do not like 4e seems likely.

EvilElitest
2008-06-26, 12:12 PM
A bit before 4e was launched, I did a survey of age, gender and opinion of 4e and tried to get the percentages. I wonder how close it is to the current percentages.

Time to go find that thread.

Edit: Here it is (No thread necromancy in it!) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79494)

yeah i remember that, but we never got an excel sheet
from
EE

SamTheCleric
2008-06-26, 12:12 PM
yeah i remember that, but we never got an excel sheet
from
EE

Yeah, I'm lazy. :)

Blackdrop
2008-06-26, 12:16 PM
That is not surprising really. Assuming that most 10-19 years who participated in this survey started on 3.x (60%), and further assuming since they participated in this survey thus meaning they frequent an online message board dedicated to gaming, we can assume that most of these 10-19 year olds are dedicated gamers.

As such, they were dedicated to 3.x. Keeping in mind that 3.x is quite different from 4e, and that those who started on 3.x have never gone through a total edition change, the fact that most of them do not like 4e seems likely.


That's what I'm saying. Most people on other sites (and on this one, but much less frequently and less harshly) seem to think that 4e is a kiddy game designed for pimply, nerdy teenagers. It would be a shock to them to learn that a majority of the age group prefer 3.x to 4e.

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-26, 12:18 PM
Yeah, I'm lazy. :)

Give me a bit of time and I can probably get some info tables going for it. It didn't take too long for this thread. I'll check out your previous thread.

hamishspence
2008-06-26, 12:20 PM
assuming a 19 year old has played since 3rd ed came out, that would be a pretty big chunk of their life, so not surprising they would be leery of switching systems. Howeevr, not all young gamers will have played from that young.

Flawless
2008-06-26, 12:22 PM
24 years old male.
I really loved AD&D 2nd Edition, it was the first version of D&D I played.
I kind of enjoy 3rd Edition although not as much as 2nd. I just had to play it because all of the people I play with prefer it.
I just got my 4th edition rules today and I must say they really look neat. The cover arts are fantastic, really old-school but high-quality. I can't say much more about it as I haven't been able to read the books yet. But from what I#ve heard so far it seems to be more like 2nd edition, so that's a good thing for me :)
All that 3e multiclassing was ridiculous...

Tormsskull
2008-06-26, 12:29 PM
All that 3e multiclassing was ridiculous...

You earn 1 Old School Gamer Point :smallsmile:.

Proven_Paradox
2008-06-26, 12:42 PM
21, male. My first taste of DnD was through Neverwinter Nights, which I played religiously for quite a while. Eventually me and a bunch of guys who lived in the same dorm in high school who all loved NWN decided to get together and try actual DnD 3.0. That group fell apart and I upgraded to 3.5, which I enjoy immensely in spite of its flaws.

I am incredibly unimpressed with 4E so far. From what I've played (which, I admit, isn't too terribly much) it seems geared for casual players and lacks depth. There are a few cool ideas there, but I will be sticking with 3.5, and someday soon I'll be looking into Pathfinder. Future homebrew may include ideas gleaned from 4E.

jaw6
2008-06-26, 03:07 PM
Male, 29. Aside from a random session of AD&D (possibly 2nd edition?) in grade school, my first D&D was early 3.5 and I sorta hate it. (Joining a group mid-way through City of the Spider Queen was a rough introduction.) I'd role-played plenty before that, though, things like GURPS, FUDGE, Marvel Super Heroes (the 80s TSR game), some scattered White Wolf here & there. I DM'd a lengthy Arcana Unearthed game, which was fun, but mostly despite the rule system.

Anyway, these days, I much prefer the various indie games (Spirit of the Century, Shadow of Yesterday, Universalis) to D&D, but I'm very (unexpectedly) excited about 4E. I've even DM'd one session of 4E and had a blast.

Edited for clarity.

Sucrose
2008-06-26, 03:53 PM
Male, 20.

First D&D experience was either Diablo II or Final Fantasy remade for Playstation I. Since then, I've gotten slightly closer to the source, with sessions of Lord of the Rings roleplaying game (don't know the publisher, but it wasn't D20), and 3.5 edition D&D. Presently playing in a Paizo Pathfinder game, and I find the classes and feats in there to be very interesting, a great improvement over 3.5 Core.

I'm rather on the fence about 4E now; most of my hesitation is from the reports that characters have fewer options than Tome of Battle melee classes; I like Tome of Battle melee classes.

I'll play the game if I get into a local gaming group that wants to start it up, and I'll probably pick up the PHB at some point, but all outside factors being equal, I currently favor playing 3.5+splat, just for the sheer customizability. Still, I do like some of the design ideas, like skill challenges, decreased gear reliance, and increasing the importance of tactics.

EvilElitest
2008-06-26, 03:54 PM
Yeah, I'm lazy. :)

Unforgivable, two more shifts in the mines
from
EE

Flawless
2008-06-26, 04:15 PM
You earn 1 Old School Gamer Point :smallsmile:.

Well, don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against fighter/wizards, fighter/rogues or even fighter/rouge/wizards or anything like these.
It's BattleSorc4/Paladin2/AbjurantChampion5/Spellsword1/EldritchKnight8s that're getting ridiculous.

ShaggyMarco
2008-06-26, 04:34 PM
27 male.

Brought to DND through various AD&D 2ed computer games (Commodore 64 Dragonlance; Balder's Gate I and II) and a quasi-DnD board game (Dragonstrike)

Didn't actually play real DND until 3rd edition and have played 3 and 3.5 (which I loved) since. I have taken occasional forays into Star Wars (WotC), Star Wars (Saga edition), Mutants and Masterminds, D20 modern, D20 Rokugan, and Call of Cthulu (D20)


I started playing my first 4ed game this past Tuesday night (Heavily modified KotS) and LOVED it. I am pretty positive towards 4ed.

Tsadrin
2008-06-26, 08:54 PM
I had to stop lurking and register just to respond to this thread.

Male, 35.

I was first exposed to D&D through the Moldvay edition. My first game was run by my step-sister. I loved the game but she didn't. (She preferred In the Labyrinth at the time.) Since then I've played all the various editions of D&D (except for 4th which I've only just read the rules). I won't discuss my extensive experience with other games in this thread, just to keep this short.

AD&D - I played this a lot in Jr. High and 9th grade. I enjoyed it and had fun but I always made time to play D&D with my friends' younger siblings.

AD&D 2nd - I bought this edition when it first became available and I was at first excited, but I eventually began to hate the rate at which material was published and the lack of focus on core archetypes and classes. After about a year I went back to playing AD&D.

D&D 3.0 - I played it off and on, but never really 'liked' it. The Multi-classing/PrC rules were awful and abused. I didn't think it could get worse.

Until...

D&D 3.5 - I hated these rules, with a passion. Splatbook bloat was worse than it had been for AD&D 2nd. I had given up on using anything other than my homebrew rules or D&D for fantasy gaming.

Until...

D&D 4th - I have read these rules and I've played around with character generation. I will be the first to admit that this edition is NOT D&D. It is however a great set of fantasy rules. I have actually been looking forward to playing and have checked into finding a FLGS to put together a new FTF gaming group. (I mainly game online these days.)

As long as the splatbooks are made with the same level of quality and are not put out at an obnoxious rate I'll buy into the system.

Andras
2008-06-26, 09:52 PM
19, got into D&D by means of 3.0 back when it had just come out, played until highschool, stopped, started again in early 2006ish. I also had some vague 2E experience through Baldur's Gate and such, but that hardly counts.

I think 3.5 is a good framework which really just needed some balance a la the goal of Pathfinder (though I don't think they're going about it the right way, but that's neither here nor there).

I was initially excited about the idea of 4E, but the implementation turned me off severely, especially things like the homogeneity of the classes and races. My group and I will be either sticking to 3.5E or moving to other systems. Or maybe both.

SoD
2008-06-26, 11:11 PM
Male, 18. Only played 3.5, and I like it. Not too keen on 4e, but, having not played it yet, I don't have a valid opinion on that.

Hadessniper
2008-06-27, 01:04 AM
Male, 18, started with 3.x, played 2ed and loved it. I like fourth so far, but I don't feel like I am playing d&d when I play it. It isn't bad at all, but it isn't really d&d. I mean all the older editions feel just about the same, this one feels very different.

It seems like a fun game but I think it's like popcorn, thoroughly enjoyable when your playing it, but thoroughly forgettable when your done.

valerette
2008-06-27, 04:03 PM
Female, 32.

2ed AD&D, really enjoyed it. My group did not enjoy the transition to combat that needed miniatures with 3/3.5, but we eventually adjusted.

Overall, I don't like 4e as a d&d replacement. I mean, it's ok. My group tried it, mostly at my urging. We came to the conclusion that 3.5 has more of what we play d&d for--character customization and non-combat focused class abilities.

I'll probably play 4ed with my kids and when I want a quick game, but as far as DMing, keep my campaigns in 3.5 or try pathfinder.

Talya
2008-06-27, 04:05 PM
35 (today!), female. Generally dislilke 4e.
1e/2e were okay.
3.5 was great.

Exalted 2e rocks!

Thrud
2008-06-27, 07:54 PM
35 (today!), female. Generally dislilke 4e.
1e/2e were okay.
3.5 was great.

Exalted 2e rocks!

Happy birthday.

:smallbiggrin:

SpikeFightwicky
2008-06-30, 10:28 AM
Here's another update of the numbers along with a shout-out to everyone else that has to work the Monday before Canada Day (would it have killed them to make it a 4 day weekend? Possibly... But that's a price I'm willing to pay). Previous values are on Page 4 of the thread. Without further ado (and up to date up to Talya with a belated Happy Birthday!):

Players Aged 10 to 19
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
78.26%|4.35%|17.39%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
13.04%|4.35%|65.22%|4.35%|13.04%[/table]

Likes/Dislikes 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
30.43%|39.13%|30.43%|0%[/table]

Players Aged 20 to 24
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
83.87%|12.9%|3.23%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
16.13%|29.03%|51.61%|3.23%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
51.61%|22.58%|25.81%|0%[/table]

Players Aged 25 to 29
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
91.3%|8.7%|0%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
30.43%|47.83%|21.74%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
52.17%|17.39%|17.39%|13.04%[/table]

Players Aged 30 to 34
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
76.92%|23.08%|0%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
61.54%|38.46%|0%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
30.77%|30.77%|15.38%|23.08%[/table]

Players Aged 35+
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
90.91%|9.09%|0%[/table]

First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
81.82%|0%|0%|0%|9.09%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
36.36%|27.27%|27.27%|9.09%[/table]

Players - No Age Given
Gender Demographics
{table]Male|Female|Not Given
0%|0%|100%[/table]

{table]Obviously :smallbiggrin:[/table]


First D&D edition played
{table]Pre-2nd Edition|2nd ed./2nd AD&D|3.X|4th|Not Given
50%|50%|0%|0%|0%[/table]

Like/Dislike 4th ed.?
{table]Likes it|Dislikes it|Unsure|No opinion given
50%|50%|0%|0%[/table]

If I'm missing any info, or something seems..... awry, let me know and I'll recheck the numbers, though I'm confident Excel (and by extension my ninja-like Excel skills) shall not let me down. Also, I may further seperate it into a more accurate table, like what the user thinks of 4th ed.: Bee's Knees/Loves/Likes/Unsure/Dislikes/Hates/Despises. Under the current system, someone who simply 'doesn't like' the system is on the same level as someone who 'wishes woes of biblical proportion to the designers of 4th ed.' But I digress... Enjoy! (and keep the submissions coming!)

nagora
2008-06-30, 10:44 AM
If I'm missing any info
Any chance of an "overall" set of tables?

The only other thing I'd like to see would be the sample size of each category.

Good work.

RebelRogue
2008-06-30, 11:27 AM
32 year old male chiming in:

I've been playing various other games before buying the D&D Basic set (the red box) and subsequently played OD&D for a long while, actually rejecting AD&D for a long time, until finally my gaming group switched to playing in a new member's campaign world. It was a mix of 1st and 2nd ed rules, but eventually we switched to 2nd ed. I played this for a long time, but then we changed to Werewolf which we really enjoyed for a couple of years, even after 3.0 came out. However, after getting a job where I had to play lots of 3.5 I learned the system, and almost instantly loved it. Now, looking back I never remember shifting to a newer edition without later thinking "I'm never going back to that old cr*p!", and so my expectations for 4th ed were high, especially since I liked all the excerpts I read about it. When I actually got the 4th ed books, I was slightly disappointed, but now, after playing it for a little, I must say it's been a fun experience so far. I'm not saying that I'm definitively done with 3.5, but I really do like 4th ed. Time will tell what we/I end up playing in the long run.

DeathQuaker
2008-06-30, 11:32 AM
32 y.o. (birthday was 10 days ago). Female.

"First game" is hard--technically, probably the solo adventure in D&D Basic (red box). I had read that and also read AD&D original books in library, but was 12 and the (also 12) boys I knew who played D&D looked at me like I was an alien when I expressed interest in playing D&D with them and proceeded to completely ignore me. Gotta love 12 year old boys. :smalltongue:

So despite previous familiarity, first game actually played with other people was AD&D 2nd. (Also played lots of "Gold Box" video games based on AD&D 2nd).

Have played a lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 3.5 eds. Have only played through 4th minimally, but have tried to get a good feel for the game.

Generally prefer 3.5 (w/ house rules).

Ambivalent about 4th.

Tistur
2008-06-30, 11:55 AM
22 y.o. female.

I had heard of Dungeons & Dragons in middle school, thought it sounded cool. I picked up a used "REVISED" AD&D 1 DMG at a used bookstore (this is still one of the books I turn to in a crisis. LOVE that book.), and began playing when some people I knew invited everyone to play (2e). We played one-shots, mostly, monthly (they had other games going on), and I decided to pick up the PHB.

I went to Amazon, only to find out there was a new version being released the next month, which I promptly ordered. All of my gaming friends picked up a copy within a month of it being published. I began to game more reguarly with the same people, and tried to run a game with some people from my shul. Didn't work out so hot, though I still game with them on occasion.

When 3.5 was released, about half my friends bought the books, and we played 3.25 for a long time. Then I played in a weekly d20 Modern game, which inspired one player to write up a complete re-write of 3.5, inspired by Modern. Another 2 friends of mine also wrote up new core rule sets, based on 3.5 but deviating fairly heavily. I'm currently playing in 2 of those 3 rewrites.

Of my 2 groups of friends, 1 group tried 4e (I was there - a lot of fun but not D&D) and returned the books. The other (homebrewing) set started playing Castles & Crusades (or "1st edition d20"), and not a one has bought any 4e. Some of these people have parents that played the white set and kept buying, and some of my friends bought splatbooks on a regular basis. Fourth ended that.

So, yeah, I have friends that have played 1st-3.5 and have broken ties with the game. In the 17-25 age range.

Sorry for the babbling.

Raltar
2008-06-30, 01:08 PM
I am 24, I started with AD&D 2nd edition and I have played all the way though to 4e. I like most of the mechanic changes in 4e, but I hate the fluff changes. Thankfully, the fluff changes can be dealt with as long as you have a good DM that can adapt old fluff with the new mechanics.

LatemYvaeh
2008-06-30, 01:44 PM
37 Male

Started with Red Box in Sep of 1979 and moved to AD&D in Dec of 1979
Played ever edition since good points and bad points on all of them
DM'd my first 4E session this past weekend
I am willing to run adventures in it but not sure if I would want to run it as a campain we will see

Tough_Tonka
2008-06-30, 09:54 PM
19 years old and male

First book I bought was a AD&D players hand book during 7th grade. My first session was on 3.0 in 8th grade, but the bulk of my first year or so was spent DMing 2nd AD&D. A kid in my high school anime club bought me the 3.5 core books in exchange for DMing a campaign with him and some friends that new I DMed. After that I stuck with 3.5, but occasionally went back to 2nd ed and OD&D.

I really like 4e since I mostly DM sessions with newbies and I find this system very user friendly in that regard.

The Grim Author
2008-06-30, 11:28 PM
20, male.

Began with 3.5, have had great fun with it.

I haven't played any of the older editions.

I've read through the 4th edition books and the edition looks pretty awesome, can't wait to actually play it.

Yahzi
2008-07-01, 01:03 AM
My first game was "Melee/Wizard" and then Traveller. Then Hero System and Gurps. We were too pure to play D&D.

I'll let you work out how many cough-coughs that works out to in age.

:smallbiggrin:



35 (today!)
Happy Birthday! :smallcool:

Zukhramm
2008-07-01, 06:43 AM
Male, 17 years old.

My first conntact with DnD was 3.0E though Neverwinter Night, but my only experiences actully playing have been 3.5E.

Overall, I like what I have seen of 4E, though I have not actually played it.

Jayabalard
2008-07-01, 07:22 AM
early 30s, Male

Started playing with Basic/Expert/Master/Companion D&D, played most of my D&D gaming in 1e AD&D

Feelings for 4e are a resounding meh; not planing on buying it.

Raum
2008-07-01, 07:50 AM
Just in case you're still looking for numbers - I'm around forty, give or take a bit, and male. First experience with D&D was one of the early boxed sets though I played more Gamma World than D&D. In the early 90's I moved on to AD&D and played more Shadowrun than D&D while in the late 90s it was almost solely AD&D. Recently I'm playing more Savage Worlds than 3.5.

I don't particularly dislike 4e, I'll play it if that's what friends want to play. However it's not compelling enough to make me go purchase until / unless friends start playing it. There's half a dozen games I'd prefer to play.

leperkhaun
2008-07-01, 08:12 AM
mid-late 20's. Started in AD&D.

played 3-3.5. havent tried 4E yet.

Iv played a bunch of other systems.

AKA_Bait
2008-07-02, 12:22 PM
Let's see here...

26, Male.

My first RP experience was obviously running around the school yard with my friends pretending to be greek gods or comic book characters (I was typically Apollo or The Riddler).

My first official D&D exp was either AD&D or AD&D 2e, I don't really remember. Only played a session or two and then rejected it in favor of what was a basically free form game my friends nicknamed P&D (Patrick and Dragons).

Didn't play much between the ages of 12 or 13 and 20. I was too busy doing other things, like highschool and college.

Came back to D&D through some friends of my then girlfriend at the very back end of 3.0. Loved 3.5, like 4e. They are quite different systems in my mind, including design intent, and I don't really see why you can't like each one for it's stregnths and also be aware of its weaknesses.

Geostran
2008-07-02, 05:51 PM
Sorry to have not answered before this but we were travelling. I do that a lot now that I've retired.

I am a 59 year old male who was happily playing wargames with miniature figures until I heard of first, Chainmail, and later, D&D in its white box with the three booklets. I subscribed to first, The Strategic Review and later the Dragon magazines. I have played every edition since, until this last 4e. I cannot give you my impression of this new edition, as I have not yet received shipment of my books. As I am the DM for the group, we will have to wait until I have the books, and continue to play our 3.5 game.

My players range from their mid-to late 40's to one who is my elder by two years. We have three females and five males in the core of the group and another three females and two males who do not make it to very many sessions. Two of the above mentioned females are wives to two of the core players.


My first game was "Melee/Wizard" and then Traveller. Then Hero System and Gurps. We were too pure to play D&D.

I'll let you work out how many cough-coughs that works out to in age.


I also enjoyed Melee/Wizard and Traveller. I still do play Traveller, very occasionally; The Hero System and Gurps not for a very long time.

I chose Geostran (it means 'yesterday') as my name after lurking on many forums for a number of years - I realized, I was much older than most of the posters.

take care
all

Bob the Urgh
2008-07-02, 08:48 PM
20, male, in the Navy. only played 3.5, wouldn't mind trying 4e

Brother Numsie
2008-07-02, 09:04 PM
Age: 28
Gender: Male
First DnD experience: Dungeons and Dragons Rules Compendium

I started playing at age 12 and I remember the very first character I made, it was a dwarf and I named him Gordon (if I remember correctly that was the name of ALF also, my favorite TV show at the time)... I played him all the way into name levels... oh man, the memories... before that my very first roleplaying experience was Hero Quest... still own all that stuff, some of it used only once and some not at all... (no I won't sell any of it so don't send me a message)...

never really went through the AD&D or 2nd edition as most call it but I played it, then went into 3e and 3.5... and now I'm really into 4e...

won't stop playing 3.5 tho... I'm starting a World's Largest Dungeon with my friends and me as the DM... also gonna be playing a Wizard in 4e in a game my friend is DM'ing...