D&D Fourth Edition: Mainstream or Bust
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Third Ed.'s heavy focus on combat and stale rules were likely sending a lot of their veterans into the virtual worlds based heavily on WotC's very own system; if you're going to play a hack-and-slash loot fest, why bother with the dice rolling? Just the same, those rules are perfectly serviceable in their own right. Longtime players could give you a raft of complaints about running a game, starting with the grapple rules and ending with encounter building. Just the same, while they're not airtight, they work. They work better than any other edition of D&D ever has have attracted plenty of fans.
So why change the rules now? What does WotC hope to gain with this newest revision? This is nothing less than a grab for mainstream acceptance. Revisions for the new edition are supposed to "support the way the game is actually played," rather than forcing a style of play onto players. People will be able to run games online, on a "virtual tabletop." Even beyond the d20 and digital realms, with projects like Gleemax (a social-networking site targeting tabletop gamers) and a focus on organized play, all signs point to WotC aiming very high with its ambitions.
