I wasn't going to get this, but it was marked down to $15 and ... can't ... resist ... pretty ... box. So now my Mentzer books have a nice, new home and I've got a new starter game to check out.
But where are the character creation rules? Do I really have to decipher a character out of an encounter with some goblins EVERY TIME I want to create one? That's not so great. I mean, I'd just barely made peace with the lack of 3rd level advancement, and now THIS. It just doesn't seem like a great introductory set - if this was MY introduction to the hobby, I don't know if I would have enough tools to develop an ongoing interest.
The best thing about the old Moldvay box I got ever-so-many years ago was that everything about it was pure, largely open-ended, imagination fuel. The new box seems like too linear an experience. I still hope the future role-players of the world love it, though!
Yeah...and don't try to buy any new equipment either, because there's no equipment list.
oh, and you can't pick up and use the weapons that the goblins drop either.
Sigh.
The more I hear the more I think I will pass on the new Red Box. It sounds like they missed the mark. To get the full play experience of the old Red Box it sounds like you need to buy the entire Essentials line. I'll probably pick up the Rules Compendium and skip everything else. I'll try the Dragon Age Set 1 to see if that is a better all-in-one intro to role-playing box.
I think a light RPG could be created out of 4E and put into one box, but I guess it isn't going to happen. Is it too early to make a retro-clone of 4E? As it is, I think this set is really intended to be a loss leader to jump start new players into the hobby. We'll see if it works.
It's too bad, I really wanted this set to be a great starter box. I have nieces and nephews that are starting to get to the right age.
Honestly I think if you want a rules-light 4E, the best thing you can probably get is Castle Ravenloft the boardgame. Only its not cheap.
I don't know if I agree. I can remember decades ago when I had no clue what Dungeons and Dragons was and wanted to learn to play. The box set was a giant jumble of options that made little sense that seemed to be holding back some secret. The introduction read like it was for a six-year old and was tedious. The straight rules read like an encyclopedia and were intimidating. I powered through it and luckily found a friend with a much better grasp of how it worked. Even once I understood the game, using the box set to teach other people the game never seemed to work. The options ran counter to the rules. The game was based on fantasy, where you were only limited by your imagination, yet here were options that your character couldn't use with little to no explanation (your magic-user can only use a dagger or staff, no swords for you).
This seems to a solid introduction to roleplaying. It jumps in by asking you how you imagine your character responds to events, building your character as you go. It roots the game in the player's imagination, and seperates it from board games, something most people unfamiliar with rpg's associate them with. It doesn't need to give full creation rules or equipment lists, because those rules are in the PH's or the Essentials books. This is just a bare-bones introduction, and there I think it succeeds.
About a year ago I taught my wife to play 4e, and again, the options overwhelmed her. She liked playing, but building her character was a mess. She was presented with a lot of choices, but no real basis for making them. And when one of her choices didn't work for her in play, she felt like she did something wrong by picking it. We're rebooting a game soon, and I hope that this method of creation will help her realize the character she wants to play instead of trying to find the "right choice" among a myriad of options.
Maybe it won't give you all the options the old sets gave once you've figured out how to play D&D, but it looks like it will do its primary job better. I would have loved to have more, but for the price ($17 at a FLGS) I think its worth it. Imagine you are picking up D&D for the first time ever and have no clue how RPG's work. Would this box set teach you and is it affordable?
Honestly I think if you want a rules-light 4E, the best thing you can probably get is Castle Ravenloft the boardgame. Only its not cheap.
That is on my (admittedly long) list of things to check out. I own Descent, so I'm not afraid of expensive board games when my budget allows.
Maybe it won't give you all the options the old sets gave once you've figured out how to play D&D, but it looks like it will do its primary job better.
Nice to see someone with a more positive outlook - I didn't want this to devolve into "bashing," and I'm glad people are adding their opinions. Hearing something like this gives me hope. I guess the real test would be to give it to some kids and see what happens...
I've been teaching my eleven year old a stripped down version of Pathfinder, and it's been going ok, but still very difficult.
Picked up the Red Box today and it's going to be perfect for him. The solo adventure in original red box is how I learned to play the game.
I flipped through the contents and read the first few pages. I think it's excellent, for a brand new and young players. The character and creature tokens are awesome. I also really like the large, double sided map. I'll probably borrow both for my Pathfinder games.
It's all about the kids on this one. Unless you're brand new to the game, or prepubescent, you might want to skip it.
Still remaining hopeful for an official Pathfinder basic edition for my kids.
isnt the street date the 7th? how are people getting these?
The more I hear the more I think I will pass on the new Red Box. It sounds like they missed the mark. To get the full play experience of the old Red Box it sounds like you need to buy the entire Essentials line.
Yes - this is exactly what WotC wants to happen. The red box is there to give the complete neophyte an introduction into what RPGs are and how they work. Once you've got that you 'graduate' to the Essentials line or, if you are so inclined, the full-on 4E experience with the PHB, DMG & MM core books.
The red box sounds to be exactly what I expected - a simple introduction to RPGs designed to hook the player and get him/her interested in trying out the full experience through Essentials or the Core Books.
You guys are looking at this through the lens of all your experience with D&D and other RPGs - I would be much more interested in seeing how a player or group who had never played a table top RPG before reacted to the red box.
Yeah...and don't try to buy any new equipment either, because there's no equipment list.
oh, and you can't pick up and use the weapons that the goblins drop either.
Sigh.
True...but the demo for levels 1-3 of the Character Builder is free. That might be enough...though I'm not sure if the Red Box makes that clear or not.
i see, we dont have any priemeir stores here. :(