I have been a full-time gamer for over 20 years. In that time I've tried everything from D&D to Cyberpunk; The Realm to SWTOR; Monopoly to 'Zombies!'. In all that time I have never really made an attempt at running a game, it has always been that (sort of) unattenable feat that I was never really prepared for. Most recently, however, I have tried my hand at the craft of Mastering a Dungeon (as it were) with the new 5th Edition D&D.
Having started with the classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition when I was much younger. Resisting, the relenting to the AD&D "Black books", hating 3rd Edition, but thoroughly enjoying 3.5, redacting in every way, shape, and form 4th edition (it never existed), I can honestly say I am looking at 5th Edition with very hopeful eyes. For the first time I feel you can look at the old source books from decades past, put some effort into modifications and make it work with the new system. I feel that Spelljammer is possible again!!! I really enjoy the role-play aspects that WotC has subtly inserted into the book (i.e. Backgrounds).
All the basics are there, race, class, magic, skills, customization. Yet they have managed to make the system modular enough to work and streamlined enough to breeze through. The new spell system is, easily, one of my favorite changes. The combat/proficiency system is extremely straightforward and streamlined. Armor class has been made even more easy to resolve. Easily one of the biggest shifts in my opinion, was the reduction in overall statistics. By default 5th Edition seeks to lower the stat bar from the previous "MUST GET ALL THE 18's" to "Hey listen, 15 is a really impressive stat; lets start there". This 'lowering of the mechanics bar' is a big win across the board for RPers and gamers in general (I'll make another post focusing on stat mechanics later). With all these updates and modifications, I really feel that Wizards of the Coast has pulled from all the pre-4th Edition stuff that worked, and taken some of the 'easy button' items from 4th to create an enjoyable hack-and-slash, Role-Play heavy, or Hack-and-RP adventure in moments.
So, <opinion> yes 5th Edition is really good </opinion>, but there are some learning curves and hurdles to working your way into the new normal. The skills system will take a bit to get used to. With the streamlining of mechanics the skill system is a bit dumbed down and, perhaps, too easy. The Proficiency system really smooths over all the dice rolling, but it could make a player feel that their skill focused character doesn't get all the love they should. The new spell system, is a definite learning curve to understand how spell slots vs known spells vs memorized spells all work together. Then overlaying that on Clerics, Druids, and any other spellcasting class may cause some questions and conversations. Some of the classes have been toned down from their original EPIC-HAWTNESS to accommodate the new 'toned down power' levels. The biggest example of this is <opinion> the Bard</opinion>. In most previous editions the Bard was one of the best party buff classes around; sing a few songs in combat "+1 to all". Now the class seems to only affect a single party member at any time; a bit disappointing.
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition does a lot of wonderful things to bring the game back to the gamers and still make it an easy thing to switch to from those weird computer MMO gamers (which I am one of). The new streamlined mechanics can make an old 3.5 session long combat go by in about an hour, maybe two. It also allows for quick character creation and puts some subtle focus on the "good ole'" role-play aspects of the game. Alternatively the new system can make the old "skill monkies" not feel any love. Regardless, I highly recommend stepping away from Pathfinder for a month and taking a good solid look at its new and improved Grand-Father. You may be pleasantly surprised.
