D&D Rant

The premier rant is going to be about Dungeons & Dragons.  This is by far my favorite role playing game (as I'm sure it is for most people).  I think it is mainly my favorite due to the nostalgia aspect it has for me.  I remember back in grade 8 playing D&D in "silent reading" time which was allowed because my teacher used to play D&D back when it first came out (it also helped that we were playing with the D&D Basic rules that she was familiar with).

What I don't get is all of the factionalism and heavy debate over 3.5 versus 4th!  Here are a few quotes from a forum that I read:

"why fix something that wasn't broken"

"4.0 is a land of over-simplified rules where common sense does not exist."

"how often have you read about fantastic fights, where Drizzt and Wolfgar are felling Furbolgs, or Giants with quick deadly accurate attacks... yet in D&D 3.5 it takes serveral hits to bring down big guys."

So, as I'm sure you can see, there's griping on both sides.  This is my stance on it:

Shut up for a second!  :)

For all those people who say, "Why fix what isn't broken?"  If corporations stopped coming out with new editions they would go out of business.  Then after they went out of business, you would all be saying, "Stupid company going out of business, I'm bored now without any new modules or material!"

I feel there is a time and a place for BOTH systems (and even OD&D or Basic D&D Revised).  Call me crazy, but I think this because in my view they work differently.  I feel 4th is best if you want to play a high magic, high combat dungeon crawl.  Nothing gets you through it faster, smoother, and with as much fun (and what wizard player doesn't appreciate NOT dying?).  Now I think 3.5 is better if you want to play a campaign that is more diplomatic or stealth based.  I just feel the rule mechanics (if the DM knows them well) work better in this edition for that type of campaign.  Also, say you want to just play a few games for fun one weekend; pick up Basic D&D Revised in Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortals and have a blast with all of the great simplicity it offers (good ol' elves being a class, and, "What do you mean my halfling can only advance to such a low level... he sucks!").

Why don't we all just get together and embrace the love of different systems and rejoice in the fact that D&D did not die when Wizards of the Coast bought it from TSR.  I know not all of you will agree with me, but I guess if everyone agreed with me I would be Grand Emperor of the World...  *imagines*