Alright. Sounds like you know how an RPG works and all.

Skip the Red Box entirely, you won't miss anything. Instead, if you want to give Essentials a try, go for Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Rules Compendium instead. With the DM's Kit and Monster Vault to be released.

Quote from: Walking Paradox;408099I wanted to know if this was just the same old 4th Ed. rules re-hashed or if there was something new in it, like making this a 4.5 edition or something like that.

It's not "4.5" in the sense that it's compatible with the rest of the 4th edition of the game. It basically uses the same processes, the same rules. The Essentials game is essentially simplified by trimming the game down to its bare bones (with Fighter, Cleric, Thief and Wizard only in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, for instance), and also presents variants of the classes that makes them feel a bit more traditional, in the sense that Fighters don't have "Daily powers" but instead "stances" and "auras", which are continual effects, basically, or Thieves and their "tricks", and so on.

If you're searching for less tactical emphasis and such, no "treasure parcels", no "level appropriate encounters" and such, this might not be it, though. It's still very much the tactical game it was when it first came out. But immersion might be easier on you, depending on your inclinations/play style.

Ack! Walking Paradox I humbly apologize. For the record, I love D&D, as do quite a few others here. Haven't played 4e but I would, especially because I'm intrigued by the skill challenges and how well they work in play.

FWIW, welcome to therpgsite!

Pete

You need info on the Red Box?
I've been doing a ridiculously comprehensive coverage of it at my blog in handy comic book format.  (Click the link in my sig line and scroll down for the current 4 installments.  Probably a 5th sometime this week.)

Its not really an RPG, but more a tabletop Strategy RPG ala Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea with some MMORPG/anime styled twists.

If that is what you are looking for (or like me can't find anyone willing to play anything else) the D&D Essentials line isn't bad.

As a good RPG?

Yeah.  No.

With games like Tunnels & Trolls 5.5 or 7.5, early 80s Basic D&D, X-Plorers, Call of Cthulhu and the like out there, D&D 4e in any guise isn't your best bet for RPG greatness.

But if you want a tabletop tactics wargame with a GM and persistent PCs it isn't a bad choice.

(As I recommend on my blog, find a FLGS with a Wednesday D&D Encounters game going on and try it for yourself to make your own mind up about things.  Maybe you want extremely powerful PCs fighting 100+ HP monsters at level 1 on gridded battle maps all day long.)

So for marketing, not only has WOTC created the Bus of Awesomeness focusing on classic D&D art:

http://cyclopeatron.blogspot.com/2010/09/wotc-recycles-classic-trampier-art-on.html

With the interior of Awesomeness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN8FmQcUm9A&feature=player_embedded

But now the TV Spot of Awesomeness focusing on classic D&D art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1j4MZerR7Q&feature=player_embedded

Note the "Also Available at Target" at the end?

Quote from: Captain Rufus;408135Maybe you want extremely powerful PCs fighting 100+ HP monsters at level 1 on gridded battle maps all day long.)

If that was your actual impression of the new Red Box, I imagine most of your blog readers are going there to laugh at your inanity.  

Seriously, maybe a SLIGHTLY less biased and exaggerated opinion on it might be a bit more helpful?

Quote from: Mistwell;408181But now the TV Spot of Awesomeness focusing on classic D&D art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1j4MZerR7Q&feature=player_embedded?

Wonder who did the heavy metal sounding music for this ad.

Quote from: Mistwell;408183If that was your actual impression of the new Red Box, I imagine most of your blog readers are going there to laugh at your inanity.  

Seriously, maybe a SLIGHTLY less biased and exaggerated opinion on it might be a bit more helpful?

Sorry dude.  But 4e is still 4e.

1st level PCs with 20-30 HPs.   Both the starter set fighter build AND my built using the first Heroes book Knight have +8 to hit doing D10 +5 damage at first level with a 2H Sword.  (Not counting combat stances of course.  Apparently the Essentials Knight averages 89 HPs of Damage Per turn.  At level 8.)

1st level non minion GOBLINS have more HPs than some 2nd Ed AD&D Ravenloft DARKLORDS did.  

There is some serious numbers inflation going on here.  My D&D Minis Balor has 630 HPs.  The Balor in the 1st ed MM maxxed out at 72.

I have another mini whose card gives it 1400 HPs.   NO SHIT BRO.

D&D 4 is a Braunstein.  And everyone has lots more numbers.

Default PCs have NO minus attributes at level 1 unless you go Specialized array and want to START say your Strength at 20.  (18 for the Spec array, +2 from a STR based race.)

I think my coverage is pretty fucking fair especially given I am coming at it from a negative opinioned mindset.

So far most people seem to be enjoying the coverage outside of 4e fanboys who only want it to get a big sloppy virtual blowjob.  (I know this is shocking to people, but there are more than either TOTALLY GREAT or IF YOU LIKE THIS YOU EAT BABY in opinions on things.)

Which it sure as fuck won't get from me, though I will be giving it around an "OK" overall score on my 3 tier system.  (Bad, OK, Good)

Though as a successor to the D&D we all know from 74-99?  Yeah.  Not so much.  

So quit your bitchin Mistwell.  Im spending hours covering the game with well thought out examples and reasoning.  

You think I am bein all mean n shit?

Do your own review then if you want to give it a handie.

I don't think you're being mean.  I think you're so biased it's causing you to make wild exaggerations (like "hundreds of hit points at first level"), and that effects your ability to analyze the game objectively.  It just makes your review useless and inane, not mean.

Dude, I don't care if you like or dislike 4e. Play what you like, bash what you like, whatever.  But, in a discussion of the new Red Box, accurate data is more useful than ridiculous ranting.  There are lots of folks here who don't like 4e, whose opinions I respect.  But your list is mostly meaningless and vapid, and sure isn't particularly useful to someone curious about the new Red Box.  Here's a hint - there's no Balor in there.

Guess what was sitting on the shelf - actual physical copies! - at the Wal-Mart last night? The Red Box!

Seanchai

Yet there are none in the Barnes and Noble right by my office, which has an otherwise reasonably well-stocked D&D books shelf. I even looked in the board game section.

Weirdly, I can't bring myself to order it, because I don't want to buy a game I probably won't play, yet I have wandered over there twice and looked for it. My lizard hind-brain is driving me...

It will be in most places sooner or later.  Give it time.  Just look out cuz it might make you want to play it.

It did me.

Quote from: Mistwell;408181So for marketing, not only has WOTC created the Bus of Awesomeness focusing on classic D&D art:

http://cyclopeatron.blogspot.com/2010/09/wotc-recycles-classic-trampier-art-on.html

With the interior of Awesomeness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN8FmQcUm9A&feature=player_embedded

But now the TV Spot of Awesomeness focusing on classic D&D art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1j4MZerR7Q&feature=player_embedded

Note the "Also Available at Target" at the end?

Of these, only the last is of any real significance. And yes, Available at Target is the most significant thing there. If it really is, then THAT is a huge development.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Captain Rufus;408373It will be in most places sooner or later.  Give it time.  Just look out cuz it might make you want to play it.

It did me.

I sort of hope that it does. I feel like D&D is my old high school friend, that I love getting together with once and a while to tell old stories, but if it wanted to go on a road-trip together, I'd make up an excuse and be all like "Oh, uh, sorry, D&D ... I'm swamped with work stuff right now ... but let's catch up and get a beer in a couple months..."

So if the new red box D&D suddenly makes me WANT to go on that trip, so much the better.

Quote from: Seanchai;408330Guess what was sitting on the shelf - actual physical copies! - at the Wal-Mart last night? The Red Box!

Seanchai

You're in Colorado, right? That is super good news.

Quote from: Benoist;408479You're in Colorado, right? That is super good news.

I'm in Colorado. I saw it at a store up in Northglenn. Tonight or tomorrow, I plan on visiting Target. I'll see if it's in a store there as well...

Seanchai