2nd ed stands as the worst system I’ve seen (I’ve never looked into 1st ed). The “saving throws” system especially stands out in my mind, as bad RPG mechanics go.

3.5 was pretty much the pinnacle. The D20 system streamlined gameplay without sacrificing detail and verisimilitude. The skill system filled a big gap, and feats, Prestige Classes, and 3rd ed multiclassing allowed ulimited, open-ended options for character generation without threatening game balance too much. 3.5 clarified many rules that the DM uses, such as customizing monsters, and adjusted the balance of the classes.

4th ed represents the point where they’ve given up on maintaining variety, detail, and open-ended character generation, in favor of the most stripped-down system they could get away with. I feel like I’m playing an “Introduction to D&D” board game. Hack’n'Slash combat seems to be the focus, and all of the charcters have been equalized in terms of complexity/simplicity. As such, I quickly scrapped my Wizard in favor of a Fighter, since the Wizard’s been oversimplified so badly, and all we do is attack every round anyway.

The system’s still novel for me, and there are a couple of newbie gamers in the group, so it’s fun…for now. I don’t think these romp-and-stomp battles will hold everyone’s interest forever, and I already miss the 3.5 Cleric I was playing before.

I have no intention of running my own games in anything but 3.5.

SHADOWDANCER!!! *the room immolates with green fire which is fueled by pure awesomeness that only the Shadowdancer can fuel*

Remember the Psionic handbook for 3.0 and the Expanded Psionic Handbook and complete Psion for 3.5?

A further related problem: Every other class got all sorts of “Powers” added to them. Now, when a standard fighter makes a successful hit on an enemy, he can magically cause every other character in his own party to be healed. Or all sorts of crazy similar things. Every character is now a WoW superpower, with all kinds of magical effects stemming from almost any action they take in combat. It’s just a power-leveling madhouse…which was one reason TSR made 2nd edition more limiting than the originals…because to many players were claiming to have 74th level Granddaddy of the GrandMasters Monks with Irresistable Quivering Palm Strike that could instantly disintegrate an ancient dragon.

I bought only the PHB and DMG of 4e (only the first ones…didn’t bother with PHBII and DMGII), simply so I could have an objective opinion of 4e and WotC’s work on D&D. Damn shame what they’ve done to it, and how they’ve ruined AD&D by trying to convert it into a power-crazed computer game on paper. 2nd edition had lots of good, and some bad…Original AD&D, with plenty of additions from Dragon Magazine, was the best version there has ever been.