D&d Miniatures
<div class="IPBDescription">People's thoughts?</div> I started playing Dungeons and Dragons a few years ago, in 3rd edition. I loved the game from the start. In fact, one of the reasons I loved the game so much was that it was only limited by one's imagination. Every person probably sees every encounter differantly, and thats the beauty of it. By allowing imagination free reign, players can all enjoy the game to the fullest. 3.5 simply enhanced this.
Now I read www.wizards.com and find that the plan seems to be for 4.0 to be almost entirely miniatures based. That means imagination out the window, with your wizard now looking like "generic elf #3". But wait, it gets even better. When buying miniatures, you can't select them. No, you get random ones.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The new Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures are ready for action and adventure right out of the box. No Glue. No Paint. Just crack open a box and start playing D&D.
The first expansion, Harbinger, releases in September, giving you access to 80 different characters, villains, and monsters taken straight out of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual.
The minis will be randomized, fully assembled, pre-painted, collectable plastic miniatures complete with double-sided stat cards (one side for use with the D&D roleplaying game, the other for fast, head-to-head miniatures combat). You can pick up your D&D minis in two different types of box: Entry Packs and Expansion Packs.
Here's what you'll find when you rip open an Entry Pack (for just $19.95):
16 randomized miniatures (1 rare, 5 uncommon, and 10 common) with double-sided stat cards
Complete Basic rulebook for head-to-head miniatures combat
When you tear open an Expansion Pack (for only $9.99), you'll get a heaping handful of minis to add to your collection and D&D campaign:
8 randomized miniatures (1 rare, 3 uncommon, and 4 common) with double-sided stat cards <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Now if anyone is sitting there thinking "Hey, that sounds bloody familar", you'd be correct: it's almost identical to Magic: The Gathering, which by the way Wizards of the Coast also publishes. Apart from imagination, another fantastic thing about D&D was the low cost: once you'd bought the books, all you needed was a little photocoping. But with the miniatures system, you'll be shelling out bulk cash to try and get that essential miniature for that campaign you had planned. Or worse, trading. Talk about mass commercialisation!
I for one have no intention of playing under this new system. None of the people I've spoken to who play D&D have expressed interest in switching over either. I just wanted to get the opinions of other people on this matter.
Now I read www.wizards.com and find that the plan seems to be for 4.0 to be almost entirely miniatures based. That means imagination out the window, with your wizard now looking like "generic elf #3". But wait, it gets even better. When buying miniatures, you can't select them. No, you get random ones.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The new Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures are ready for action and adventure right out of the box. No Glue. No Paint. Just crack open a box and start playing D&D.
The first expansion, Harbinger, releases in September, giving you access to 80 different characters, villains, and monsters taken straight out of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual.
The minis will be randomized, fully assembled, pre-painted, collectable plastic miniatures complete with double-sided stat cards (one side for use with the D&D roleplaying game, the other for fast, head-to-head miniatures combat). You can pick up your D&D minis in two different types of box: Entry Packs and Expansion Packs.
Here's what you'll find when you rip open an Entry Pack (for just $19.95):
16 randomized miniatures (1 rare, 5 uncommon, and 10 common) with double-sided stat cards
Complete Basic rulebook for head-to-head miniatures combat
When you tear open an Expansion Pack (for only $9.99), you'll get a heaping handful of minis to add to your collection and D&D campaign:
8 randomized miniatures (1 rare, 3 uncommon, and 4 common) with double-sided stat cards <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Now if anyone is sitting there thinking "Hey, that sounds bloody familar", you'd be correct: it's almost identical to Magic: The Gathering, which by the way Wizards of the Coast also publishes. Apart from imagination, another fantastic thing about D&D was the low cost: once you'd bought the books, all you needed was a little photocoping. But with the miniatures system, you'll be shelling out bulk cash to try and get that essential miniature for that campaign you had planned. Or worse, trading. Talk about mass commercialisation!
I for one have no intention of playing under this new system. None of the people I've spoken to who play D&D have expressed interest in switching over either. I just wanted to get the opinions of other people on this matter.
Comments
Classic>Newage
Game-wise, D&D is better without any rules at all, attentive players and an imaginitive yet fair DM. Let's face it, without dice and rules to check the game flows much quicker and allows for more creative games. A good DM never says no ^~
It is, isn't it!
[on topic]
I've been thinking about getting D+D for ages. I'm definately not getting V4 though. Not judging by what it's going to be like. V3 looks good and I don't know about earlier versions. Which would be better to get?
Btw CWAG, in one of our games the half-orc and the halfling kept having sex with one another. That created some interesting mental images.
Pfft to those simplified n00b magnet 3rd edition rules, gimme THAC0 and my AC modifier darnit. I don't think the minatures would matter too much, if you ever played a D&D based pc game, you already can imagine what some of the characters look like (although they tried to shy away from hero appearances).
I will put in my one gripe about 3.5 inthat then never released said CHEAP books that will alow you to use 3.0 books in 3.5 BLECH (I am not rebuying my stuff)
NOW ON TOPIC!
If you want something along the lines of what WotC is doing simply go over to wizkids and play clicks games (more people play them thus you will have people to play AGAINST)
now if you simpyl want Minis for your D&D games head over to <a href='http://www.reapermini.com/' target='_blank'>Reaper</a>
Everytihng is pewter, looks fn great, and then you get to do self painting. Also you know exactly waht your getting <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
YES I AM A GAMER GEEK
yes my room mate and his GF are reps for Reaper <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
DROP THE STUPID MY GEEK **** IS BIGGER THAN YOURS SHPIELL!!!!!
every one likes their own stuff, I actualy tend to play Shadowrun v3 the most, and I like the system better then 3.0 or 2.0
If you realy want me to show you all of the ups and downs of each system I CAN, yes I am a freaking geek, yes I do play stupid amounts of RPGs (more then most of you can probably name, and don't even think of bringing up computer RPGs b/c those don't count)
My room mate designs systems, I am one of the few that understands his designes.
Yes, I do understand how 2nd ed works, and I know the flaws of 3rd also.
just drop the my **** is bigger then yours b/c I still play 3nd ed <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
back on topic. 4.0 sounds horrible. I like using miniatures personally, but that's because I could pick out ones that looked exactly how I imagined my character, paint it how I wanted, etc. They can help a lot for setting up combat situations in which you really know how far away things are from eachother (but pennies can work just as well for that)
4.0 does not sound like roleplaying in any real sense. Its rollplaying.
'nuff said.
(my housemate makes some rather disgusting ones <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->)
and for another system to look at that you can deal with things like that try Shadowrun <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> (one shot to the head will kill some one)