My gaming group didn't know about 4E till I told them about it. One for sure doesn't want it and the other three don't care.
The thing is I DM and WotC haven't done any work to try and win me over. If I switch the group would switch. If I don't they don't.
Apathy is a good term all around.
The running gag when any time we question what can be done in a turn action is, "Well when 4th Edition fixes EVERYTHING we won't have to worry about this!"
Similar with my group, but the running joke is, "That's how they do it in 4th Edition." No matter how ludicris or innane idea someone says, like "Can we level up right now?" "We're in the middle of a battle." "Well that's how they do it in 4th Edition."
Gamers Don't Let Gamers Fall Into 4E Apathy!
I believe the PAIZO fans that post on these threads are very informed, and many feel they need to be because some heavy handed propaganda is occurring (a la change-justifications found in Races and Classes) in hopes of persuading the players of dungeons and dragons to believe that their new product is "the same game." It will be sold as Dungeons & Dragons but it is not the dungeons and dragons many have played for 30+ years....
If your playing D&D 3.5, D&D 3ed., 2nd AD&D, and 1st AD&D, the red box D&D game, then your not playing the same D&D game that you were playing 30+ years ago.
Most of the players in my gaming group are under 30 and have only played 3rd edition. They are apathetic about 4th edition, because they see no reason to for a new edition, they have only played one version of the game.
I'm the only player in the group looking forward to 4th edition. I also have the most experience playing 27 years, from the basic red box set (I picked out of a Sears catolog for Cristmas), through 1st AD&D, 2nd AD&D, 3rd D&D and 3.5 D&D. I think my long experience D&D and it's various forms, makes it easier for me to accept and even look forward to changes in D&D.
The thing is I DM and WotC haven't done any work to try and win me over. If I switch the group would switch. If I don't they don't.
That is where I'm at. I'm the only Dm with any staying power in our group (We have another long term GM for space marines, but he can care less about d20 system and those funny dice; he uses the Heroes system.). If I decide to play 4th edition, the rest will play, even if reluctantly, at first.
Why? cause I got skills.
It's not the game system that makes the game it's the Gm running the game system that makes the game.
All of my players are very "Meh" about it - there is at least a metric buttload of things I haven't done yet with 3.5 (heck, I'm just now getting to SCAP), I have no reason to switch at this time. My players are "meh," and finding players to play is kinda key to the game.
I even took my favorite blonde joke and rewrote it to fit 4th edition.Okay, I'm curious, what's your "4E blonde joke."
Paizo seems a little more of a mixed audience for 4th edition so I don't know if everyone will appreceiate it (and maybe no one will think it is funny.
Ok, here goes....
A 4th edition tiefling warlock, a dragonborn paladin, and a eladrin cleric are walking along the beach. The paladin stumbles, looks down, and sees a bottle sticking up out of the sand. He reaches down, picks it up, dusts off the sand and......out pops a genie.
The genie looks around, puzzled for a moment, and finally says:
"Well normally I give one person 3 wishes, but because there are three of you, I will give you each one wish".
The dragonborn paladin looks at the genie and says:
"Well, I don't like all this bad press I'm getting being associated with 4th edition, so I want to be something more respectable."
The genie raises his hands, speaks some magic words, and POOF! the dragonborn paladin turns into a 1st edition gnome illusionist.
The eladrin cleric turns to the genie and says:
"You know I also don't like all the attention I'm getting from 4th edition, I too want to be something more respectful."
Once again, the genie raises his hands, speaks some magic words, and POOF! The eladrin cleric turns into a 1st edtion half-orc barbarian.
Finally, the tiefling warlock turns to the genie and says:
"You know, I like all the attention I'm getting from 4th edition, I'd like to turn into something that will get me even less respected."
So for the last time, the genie raised his hands, spoke the magic words, and POOF!
He was a 4th edition game designer.
He was a 4th edition game designer.
*LOL* nice.
I am the primary DM and rules guy in a group of about 18 others (3 regular groups + some irreglar games)- they will most likely do what I tell them (because I run the games, or organise others to run them). Probably about 6 of them will curiously investigate 4e when it comes out, the others will just play whatever game those of us that care about rules say is worth playing. So yeah, they dont care.
I am interested not because I want to swap (also have about 10 years of 3.5 gaming stored away - just started SCAP after 9 months we are about to reach 4th level, havent done any other adventure paths) but because I am always interested in other people ideas about how to make the game work better.
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Only one of the other players in my group and I care enough to pay attention to WotC's previews and such. He loves buying and reading game books, and gets just about everything that's put out for D&D. But neither of us like what we're reading.
The other core gamers in the group seemed mostly annoyed that the edition even exists, let alone how the game works.
Then there are the more periferal players who don't really care that much about the system, but just like to hang out and role-play. Honestly, many of them don't know the current rules that well, so if we did change the rules on them, I foresee a lot of confusion and disinterest forming.
So, yeah there's a lot of apathy with some anger and negativity. But then most of us are generation x, so I guess we're prone to that kind of response.
To answer the original question, between the two groups I game with, the attitude towards 4E ranges from downright contempt to mild interest, with most feelings falling definitely towards the negative. I think the breakdown of 11 players (including myself) would be this:
3 = very negative
2 = negative
4 = apathetic
2 = curious
No one is actually enthused about 4E.
One gaming group has mostly negative feelings towards 4E, and the new edition has been mocked regularly. The other night we were in a dicey fight with a powerful opponent and one player needed to make a save against a nasty special attack (not quite save or die, but definitely save or be-really-messed-up). He held his d20, then waited and waited and waited. Someone finally asked "What are you waiting for?" His reply: "I'm waiting for the fourth edition release so I don't have to make this save!" The table erupted into laughter.
...He was a 4th edition game designer.
Something similar has cropped up around the table. Whenever someone rolls a natural "1", the comment is "Oops. You Mearls'ed it!"
Two players in my group are pretty apathetic about 4.0, but I was kind of expecting that. One of them is a new player (well, returned after years away) and the other just isn't interested. They both are pretty well anti-4.0 from what we've told them though.
One player is whole hog into 4.0, but then he will buy ANYTHING (seriously, he buys stuff we will never play or ever use - he bought Ptolus and never offered to run it for the group). Another player is very anti-4.0, to the point of making jokes about 4.0 as others above have (although he was anti-3.5 before it came out too, but then tag teamed me with the buy anything player to get me to switch). I'm not liking much of what I've seen (although some things I've actually proposed as house rules in my game), even though I see the drawbacks of 3.x (but it most definitely IS fun).
I have another group that plays Savage Worlds, nobody there cares one bit (other than me).
I was at a local Con last month and asked around for opinions on 4.0. Not a whole lot of caring, in fact most people said they were having too much fun playing other games (moslty Savage Worlds). Take it for what it's worth though, D&D was never a big draw at this Con (you would think Paranoia was the most popular RPG ever if you judged by this Con).
My local group has little to no interest in 4th.
A play-by-post site I am involved with that has over one hundred active members(and looking for new players soon if anyone is interested). There is practically no talk at all amongst that large group.