Just How Dead, is D & D 4th Edition?

Razor 007 · September 03, 2019, 11:52:35 PM

Are there 500 4th Edition games still in play worldwide? 250?

Not just people who have some 4E books sitting on their bookshelf, gathering dust; actual game play.

Doom · September 04, 2019, 12:25:48 AM

I'd put it at "very" dead. It's not the new hotness, it's not remotely compatible with any other RPG, and there's not even a computer game (where the ruleset might have been viable at mid/high levels) to carry a torch.

thedungeondelver · September 04, 2019, 12:39:54 AM

Oh there were certain circles who rent their clothes and threw ashes on their heads when 5e was announced, claiming that "4e [was] objectively the best D&D rules ever created" and their howling only got worse the more test documents got leaked out for 5e, so I imagine those people are bitterly clinging to 4e.

ShieldWife · September 04, 2019, 12:50:31 AM

It's not only merely dead, it's really most sincerely dead.

Seriously though, I never hear about anybody playing it, praising it, or even talking about it. It did have a few good ideas along with some bad ones. Just too far removed from D&D though.

Kyle Aaron · September 04, 2019, 01:05:58 AM

It has died the death it so well deserved.

"Twenty minutes of fun packed into four hours," remember. Never forget Mike Mearls' contribution to making D&D shit.

Razor 007 · September 04, 2019, 01:16:29 AM

Surely someone will post up about a current game?

There were people who ran full length 30 level campaigns.

Shasarak · September 04, 2019, 01:34:14 AM

Yeah people are still playing 4e, of course they are.

This is data from Roll 20 which shows 4e is still solidly in the top 20 game systems.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3798[/ATTACH]

S'mon · September 04, 2019, 01:36:08 AM

Well I ran a 4e campaign 2017-18, the restricted scope of play made it a bit dissatisfying for me compared to 5e but the crunch-oriented players enjoyed it.

Spinachcat · September 04, 2019, 04:07:35 AM

I run 4e's Gamma World and plan to do a fantasy version of it soon.

Most of the 4e fans I know are now playing 13th Age which is a nicely done 4.5e. That seems to scratch the itch for them.

Unsure if I'd run a 4e game again, but if I did I'd probably rerun my campaign that only used PHB2 and 3. However, 4e's Gamma World really is the best of 4e distilled in actual play so I'd most likely just focus my efforts there.

Razor 007 · September 04, 2019, 05:48:21 AM

Not even one half of one percent of Roll 20 players or games, are using D & D 4E. Even Dungeon World is ranked slightly higher.

Over half of all Roll 20 players are playing D & D 5E.

There are four times as many Pathfinder 1E players, as 3.5 players.

Omega · September 04, 2019, 05:57:45 AM

Quote from: thedungeondelver;1102207Oh there were certain circles who rent their clothes and threw ashes on their heads when 5e was announced, claiming that "4e [was] objectively the best D&D rules ever created" and their howling only got worse the more test documents got leaked out for 5e, so I imagine those people are bitterly clinging to 4e.

They also tried to organize to sabotage the playtest by filling out the surveys with bad or hatefull advice. The 4e fanatics anics actually convinced WOTC to drop support even faster. According to others who were there they also fucked up the WOTC forums, apparently well before 5e was even in the works.

Over ob BGG there are still now and then some holdouts who extoll that 4e is the most balanced and perfect RPG everrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

4e was a clusterfuck of fuck ups at nearly every step and cause Habro to leash in and then tighten said leash on WOTC.

Shasarak · September 04, 2019, 06:14:43 AM

Quote from: Razor 007;1102234Not even one half of one percent of Roll 20 players or games, are using D & D 4E. Even Dungeon World is ranked slightly higher.

Yeah, so 4e is more dead then Dungeon World and less dead then ADnD.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3800[/ATTACH]

DeadUematsu · September 04, 2019, 06:52:51 AM

So 4E isn't dead? Good. We can discuss more important things now.

TheShadow · September 04, 2019, 07:10:14 AM

There probably isn't a single obscure title OOP for 35 years that doesn't get dusted off occasionally by someone somewhere and given a one-shot. 4e is probably played by thousands still.

Melan · September 04, 2019, 07:26:52 AM

It is still around, more or less on the level of a second-tier game. It is a fairly good game for people who want a crunchy, solid tactical game. What disappeared, however, is the loud and obnoxious fanbase, who mostly seem to have just confessed to actually hating D&D, and hitching their fortunes to Dungeon World, Monsterhearts, and other genderqueer dating sims.