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the_gneechKeith Baker (primarily known as the creator of Eberron) has a long thread on ENWorld (he's "Hellcow" on that board) that basically boils down to "4E is actually much better than it sounds." In particular, he referenced its use with the Eberron setting, but he also talked about it in conjunction with his experience as an old-school Fantasy Hero guy -- which naturally got my attention.
His take on it, as somebody who's not a WotC employee directly but is contractually bound by a nondisclosure agreement, is that the released materials are leading to very skewed perceptions about what 4E is like, and while he can see why people are coming to the various conclusions they're coming to, they're not accurate and he wishes he could say all the things necessary to counteract the perceptions people have, but that his contract basically forbids it.
I can sympathize with this a bit, having been under NDAs myself once or twice (although usually I didn't have any juicy stuff worth disclosing); and Keith has a reputation for being a pretty stand-up guy who communicates well with the fandom. That, combined with the fact that WotC marketing seems to be consistently screwed up, leaves me inclined to take him at his word on the topic. That doesn't mean I'm now a 4E convert, but it does make me a little more willing to actually pick up the thing and read it when it finally comes out.
I also gave him a standing invitation to come do some HERO gaming whenever he's in D.C., as he has relatives in the area. So maybe we'll see him at the table sometime.
-The Gneech
His take on it, as somebody who's not a WotC employee directly but is contractually bound by a nondisclosure agreement, is that the released materials are leading to very skewed perceptions about what 4E is like, and while he can see why people are coming to the various conclusions they're coming to, they're not accurate and he wishes he could say all the things necessary to counteract the perceptions people have, but that his contract basically forbids it.
I can sympathize with this a bit, having been under NDAs myself once or twice (although usually I didn't have any juicy stuff worth disclosing); and Keith has a reputation for being a pretty stand-up guy who communicates well with the fandom. That, combined with the fact that WotC marketing seems to be consistently screwed up, leaves me inclined to take him at his word on the topic. That doesn't mean I'm now a 4E convert, but it does make me a little more willing to actually pick up the thing and read it when it finally comes out.
I also gave him a standing invitation to come do some HERO gaming whenever he's in D.C., as he has relatives in the area. So maybe we'll see him at the table sometime.
-The Gneech
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Date: 2008-03-24 02:18 pm (UTC)btw, This> and This are damned amusing, if you haven't seen 'em yet.
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Date: 2008-03-24 02:27 pm (UTC)I'll have to check those out when I get home -- not supposed to stream stuff here at work!
-The Gneech
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Date: 2008-03-24 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 12:27 am (UTC)