So, how will it be, E6 or 4e?
That's a damned good question. I think it needs to start with the question: "what would be fun?"
First of all, the question I can't answer by myself: what do the players think would be fun?Second, the question I CAN answer by myself: what do I think would be fun?- I think it would be fun to play in the Diablo 2 setting -- to run a game in the Diablo 2 setting. This means a fair amount of dark, gritty fantasy. The PCs are all humans because the setting emphasizes the loneliness mankind faces in the struggle against the unrelenting tide of Darkness -- humans are alone in the cosmology, having been abandoned by Heaven, they're preyed upon by Hell. Not only that, but humans are divided as a race, with different nations warring with each other, they're like a pack of rabid, scavenging dogs.
- I think it would be fun to build monsters for the Diablo 2 setting without having to commit lots of thought to balance and design theory. There's a lot that can be done with a tabletop game that can't be done with PC game at the tactical and strategic level.
- I think it would be fun to run a game where there wasn't a lot of individual worry about optimizing characters or pushing them to the limits -- this is why I suggested E6 to begin with. I believe optimization is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Optimization is important because it realizes that the game system is inherently flawed, despite the best intentions, and tries to make up for it. I appreciate players who are level-headed but I'm discouraged by heavy levels of optimization because I've never been all that good at it myself.
Now, here's where my head has been the last couple days: "4e6". Fourth Edition was built with the idea of a party taking on multiple similarly-powered enemies simultaneously. It was also built with the idea of making combat encounters dynamic without changing too much of the basics over the course of 30 levels. Mostly "effects just get bigger to compete with rising hit point totals" seems to be the idea. Now, I don't like the idea of committing to learning 4e. I just want to try it and see if some of the stuff works the way I imagine it does. I think I could stand the first 6 levels, though.
What does 6th level mean in 4e? 2 at-will powers, 2 encounter powers, 2 daily powers, 2 utility powers, and 4 feats.
From the DM's standpoint, I look at 4e and it says this to me:
- Use a number of monsters equal to the number of players.
- Designing appropriate monsters is easier.
- Monsters can be within one level of the party without making too big a splash.
- Interesting encounters are easier to design.
- Scaling monsters to different challenge levels is easier. (Hey! Zombies again! Wait ... these ones are on fire!)
- Action points seem pretty cool.
- Each member of the party becomes exhausted at about the same time -- when everyone's run out of dailies and healing surges.
- Fewer skills to take into account when designing noncombat encounters.
...
Anyway, I have a feeling that expressing these feelings probably signed the death warrant on this game.