Who has played (or is playing) DnD Next?

[Matt James]

What are you unbiased thoughts and appraisal? The Internet has a way of molding people's opinions and I just want to know what people think.

Caveat: I am not an employee of Wizards of the Coast. I don't have a secret bat-phone to them, nor do I have anything to do with the development of the new game--other than being a playtester. Some people see that I do freelance work for them, and they assume I am an employee.

[Phaezen]

Really enjoying it so far, love the 2e feel that it has.

I think the next year or so are going to be interesting

[Matt James]

I'm enjoying it as well.

[Darth Jerod]

I am a very vocal supporter. I am a playtester and enjoying almost everything I have seen.

I am a bit disappointed they took out some of the specialties that related to combat. I liked where they took the rogue and a bit worried that sneak attack will go back into the class abilities, it was so overpowered I felt before this latest packet. I loved that they gave them maneuvers especially after a lot of people cried to include them they now want them gone.

I think one of the things that grew stale with 4e for me was that the classes seemed to blur at some point. You could min/max so easily in there that it became, at least for me, a contest with my players who made the better character vs encounter.

I see every edition in the game so far. Some of my friends and players see one edition over another while a few of the players who only played 4e see bits of it in Next but beyond that they just see a fun game to play

I am happy where Magic is right now, I hope they do not change the casting to much.

I often get worried wotc makes knee-jerk reactions when people get critical of them whether they admit it or not.

[gaming tonic]

I have and am playing D&D Next. I have been a vocal supporter since I first got my hands on it last year. The open playtest seems to have an effect on the direction of the game and the new mechanics and changes I have seen support that. I am glad they are really locking down some of the core D&D elements and drawing upon mechanics and feel of the game from all editions. It has also been really cool to get a couple of early D&D modules to playtest with. The Isle of Dread was so much fun in my early days of gaming and I am happy to have had the opportunity to show my current group how much fun early adventures were to play. Getting to use a system that feels like the way I used to play in my younger days with the wisdom of the years in between applied can't be a bad thing.