My wife made me clean the basement yesterday. This is a better deal than it sounds because the basement houses the game library/game room. It had gotten a bit overgrown with lots of games that needed to be reshelved/reorganized. So, I spent pretty much the entire day working.
When I got done, I stood back and admired my work. You can actually see the carpet and, as I vacumed, its clean. I dusted too!
Looking up at the shelves, I was hit by two strong feelings.
1) In the entirety of my 3x collection, which is not inconsiderable, there were only two GH products - Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and Expedition to the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk. Shelves worth of 3x material and precisely TWO GH products, identifiable solely and immediately as such. My response was a soft "wow." For all that 3x saw GH here and there, the actual, dedicated output was less than either 1e or 2e. Counting Troll Lord's Zagyg material and Arneson's Blackmoor, the count got a little better but the sum of primary and secondary GH related material can't even fill a shelf and pales next to the 1e and 2 e GH shelves next shelves over. Wow.
2) I've said this previously but the feeling is so strong in me right now, I'm going to repeat myself. Forgive me if you've already read this.
With only scant months to go until support for 3x D&D virtually vanishes, I have started to feel a certain freedom, even elation, that my 3x collection will be "completed" - nothing more to buy - I've got it all (or at least all that I want). Its kind of like standing back from a job well done and admiring the work that has been completed. It feels good.
This is not to say I won't try 4e and maybe adopt it; it is IMO simply too early to pass final judgment on a game that hasn't even been published yet. However, my initial inclination is to stick with 3x and this feeling of "completeness" only reinforces my inclination.
No more integrating anything new into my game beyond the scads of 3x material I have already. No more anticipating new releases and worrying about how they might, could or should impact my game (I'm looking at you PHII and DMG II etc.). No more money flowing out of my wallet on a regular basis.
Time to work with all the 3x material I already have. Time to appreciate a "finalized" rules set in all its abundance. More money to spend on other things - maybe some Dwarven Forge stuff, which has been a bit pricey given my other 3x purchases.
Yup. There is definitely something to savor in this moment. I find my thoughts run to this, maybe with it coming on autumn and all, more than angst/anticipation about 4e. 4e will arrive in due course. For the moment, I'm definitely savoring 3X.
I've got less than no idea what 4e will bring to GH. 3x was IMO the best of times (PaizoHawk, default, Living GH) and the worst of times (only RtToEE & ERCGH) for the setting.
Given what we now know about 4e and how the Realms is being made to change to accomodate 4e, I'm feeling pretty good about GH sitting 4e out initially. Maybe its autumn in the air but I feel like hibernating and GH with me by a warm fire. _________________ GVD
You said a mouthful GVD. My "3.5 shelf" is mainly paizo magazines and that is what I'll miss most. I got off the splat book train back in Complete Divine(!) and after that only got Expedition and Hordes of the Abyss. When I filled my frequent reader card at the game shop I chose The Watchmen graphic novel for free instead of another game book, that was the best acquisition I made to this year. I fully understand what you mean about sitting out this one initially. What happens to FR is a good litmus test for any future GH development and not to sound crass but I feel some redemption (should I?) too. Without paizo and wizards also, I feel more focused on what WE at CF are doing too. These next couple years shouldn't be too bad.
Believe it or not, there was a time I had every TSR product ever published. I remember how totally frustrating it became soon after that when TSR's output began to outstrip my miniscule pre-teen income. As a teen-ager with a job I was further frustrated by my income's ability to keep up with an ever-growing catalogue of products. I got so ticked off I skipped most of 2e, and didn't even realize there was a 3e until 2003.
What a joy it was to be an adult at that time and have enough income to buy anything I wanted. Later, when I actually became part owner of some LGSs I was even more thrilled to see my collection growing. Then WotC began putting out a series of (IMO) garbage products and I again became frustrated because I'd spent so much on having a complete collection and now I didn't even want to bother continuing with it.
And now 4e's coming. I definitely share your feeling of satisfaction at having every 3.5e product that I want (except, perhaps, for 1 or 2 that haven't come out yet). I'll get 4e if it looks like I'm going to be publishing anything in the future, but in my own games I'm sticking with 3.5e. I really don't like some of the things WotC's done lately, but as far as my own game goes, I'm thoroughly happy.
My players and I met up this weekend for the first session since the announcement of 4e and we all agreed on the subject; we're sticking with 3x because we know what we've got and we know that nothing new is coming to throw any spanners in the works.
That's not to say that we're not going to shamelessly rip any good bits from 4e; but it will be just that, plundering wotc for a change, rather than having to constantly reconfigure a campaign nearing its 30th birthday.
It's still quite scary that some bloke you've never met is thinking your thoughts though.
The "cold wind" blowing for me is a near certain belief that 4e will last six years only, maybe eight, before 5e gets announced and, if I dumped 3X for 4e, I would in short order be dumping 4e for 5e. Brrrrrrr!!!!
Call of Cthulthu and other games have done new editions more frequently that D&D but, with few exceptions (Vampire etc.) there are not the scads of books beyond core that are redone. Nor do many other games "new editions" so completely rework the rules as to make material for older editions obsolete (Call of Cthulthu etc.).
These too factors chill my thoughts of 4e. Whereas, 3x (and my 1e and 2e material) feels warm and toasty. _________________ GVD
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