More 4E stuff.

[subplotkudzu]

 This review captures my concerns about 4E. I still haven't read 4E, but while this guy's tone is favorable overall, everything that irks him irks me even more - except perhaps the animation.

Comments

[brianrogers.livejournal.com]

I'm also frustrated by the lack of character development paths. Yes, AD&D 1E didn't have much by way of these - your fighter had a choice of weapon proficiencies and armor - but 4E gives the illusion of choice by filtering you onto a number of pre-set paths as opposed to the 3E array of skill choices and prestige classes. if AD&D1E had Prestige Paths for characters at 10th level at up I would have thought it great. 20 to 30 years later it's a throwback rather than a feature.

In many ways it reminds me of Earthdawn with the highly specific character types that had X powers that could be purchased at Y "circle", but that ritual feel was built directly into the game world so it felt real (if confining). And, as with Earthdawn, there's no class that says "here, this is simple, you can play this without having to learn a bunch of crunchy bits".