It's a fair point, I think, that the classes are far more similar in 4e than they were in previous editions of the game. Powers have been standardized a
la Guild Wars or WoW to the point where it's often difficult to tell which powers belong to which classes. I also think one can legitimately question
whether 4e incorporated too many tactical-combat elements and too little role-playing improvisation. I've actually had several people at cons talk about
how roleplay-friendly the new edition is because they can more precisely position their minis and are better able to make personality-laden one-liners in so
doing, which certainly isn't what most of us mean when we talk about role-playing.
That said, however, the success of Guild Wars and WoW strongly suggests that most gamers want powers to be balanced across levels and aren't particularly interested in out-of-combat roleplaying experiences. And from that perspective, one can hardly blame WotC for seeking to attract these gamers in order to increase D&D's market share, which ultimately provides spillover benefits to all of us in the form of more products.
Will longtime gamers miss some of the iconic-yet-unbalanced elements as they fade into oblivion? Sure -- I know I do. Did the designers go a bit too far with their standardization and lose some of the "feel" that makes D&D classes special? Yes, they probably did, especially with respect to previously flavorful classes like the wizard and the cleric -- though this has to be weighed against the clear flavor increases afforded to the fighter. But on the whole, the designers have done a reasonable job addressing 3e's acknowledged shortcomings while updating the game to be more suitable for today's audiences. And on the role-playing, let's face it -- that's something that can be done with any edition, as long as the players and DM are willing...
That said, however, the success of Guild Wars and WoW strongly suggests that most gamers want powers to be balanced across levels and aren't particularly interested in out-of-combat roleplaying experiences. And from that perspective, one can hardly blame WotC for seeking to attract these gamers in order to increase D&D's market share, which ultimately provides spillover benefits to all of us in the form of more products.
Will longtime gamers miss some of the iconic-yet-unbalanced elements as they fade into oblivion? Sure -- I know I do. Did the designers go a bit too far with their standardization and lose some of the "feel" that makes D&D classes special? Yes, they probably did, especially with respect to previously flavorful classes like the wizard and the cleric -- though this has to be weighed against the clear flavor increases afforded to the fighter. But on the whole, the designers have done a reasonable job addressing 3e's acknowledged shortcomings while updating the game to be more suitable for today's audiences. And on the role-playing, let's face it -- that's something that can be done with any edition, as long as the players and DM are willing...
