Day 2 – Which is your favourite edition?
4th Edition!
Just kidding!
I tried the original version of D&D for a session or two back in ’79, but eagerly moved to AD&D once I earned enough pocket money to buy the rule books. I never understood the reasoning behind Expert Edition and dismissed it as a cash-grab by TSR. When AD&D 2nd edition came out in the late 80s I picked up the new volumes as they were released, but at that time my friends were losing interest in the game and my own real-life time pressures were increasing. Gaming of all kinds came to a screeching halt and I missed versions 3 and 3.5 entirely.
My interest sparked anew about 6 or 7 years ago and I recall dropping in to Infinity Games (now called Good Games) and buying the 4th edition Player’s Handbook. Interestingly, the bloke who worked there (Andy Deanovic) tried to talk me out of it. He suggested Pathfinder instead, and in hindsight I completely respect his honesty. I headed home with the book and was a bit shocked to discover just how much the game had changed since 2nd edition.
I have a better idea of the history of the changes now of course, and how it led to Pathfinder making such inroads, but at the time I decided to press on with 4e and give it a go. Didn’t last long. The rules were (in my opinion) ridiculously complex and the normal flow of game play just seized up as we hunted through the rules to understand which powers can be used when. Some bits of it I did like, but it was too far removed from the core game and absolutely none of the adventures I’d written (or bought) were compatible. There’s a post about it here if you’re interested to read it.
Within a year though, 5th edition was released and the natural order of the universe was restored. Here was an edition that returned to the original concept, simplified the game again, added some nice refinements and let you get back to the ‘rulings, not rules’ approach that made for enjoyable storytelling. I think Wizards of the Coast took a hammering for 4th edition, but to their credit, took the criticism well and did an excellent job with the new version.
A side note here: despite my reluctance to play the 4th edition, I did buy up a reasonable number of volumes in the set (see photo). They contain a wealth of useful material that I will happily mine for future adventures. Also, note how well worn the DMG and PHB for 1st edition are!
We’ve played several sessions using 5th Edition now and, for me, it is the best version to date. But is it my favourite? No, not yet at least.
1st Edition AD&D is still at the top of my list because it has had the most lasting effect on my gaming life.