It could be better.
The new format isn't that horrible, although a minimum of 2 pages per critter is pretty hefty. I shudder to think how many books it will take for monsters in 4E.
The "Critters in Eberron" and "Critters in Faerun" are just wasted space as far as I'm concerned. If WotC is going to have settings that are so divergent from the core rules that they need conversion information for monsters, then that conversion information should be put in setting books, not in the core books. That is a waste of space for everyone else.
The sample encounters aren't that bad, but when they are expanded with maps and the like it becomes padding. If WotC can't sell a book of encounters and doesn't want to give it away as a web enhancement then I'd rather see more direct content.
A major waste was all the NPC monsters. Again, this is either a separate supplement, which I guess won't sell, or a web enhancement. I don't need a bunch of sample orcs with levels in a monster book.
The new stt block isn't bad. Mostly is just requires getting used to. I expect in due course everyone will just accept it. The ecology could possibly have been handled better, with a simple one line entry, but given that is so constantly ignored I can see why it was abandoned. The typical treasure entry is actually a lot more useful than "Standard" and the like.
Overall, I'm not particularly impressed, but I'm not particularly unimpressed. It could have been better, and I'd hope WotC won't repeat the web enhancement/cross product silliness in the future.
The "Critters in Eberron" and "Critters in Faerun" are just wasted space as far as I'm concerned. If WotC is going to have settings that are so divergent from the core rules that they need conversion information for monsters, then that conversion information should be put in setting books, not in the core books. That is a waste of space for everyone else.
Now that you put it that way, I am quite unhappy with WotC's treatment of books. MM 4 looked good to me for its GH content, but I stopped buying them after Fiend Folio because I just wasn't using their new monsters, too many were lame to me.
It would seem we're all going to have to get used to this kind of hand-holding, overly-marketed, newbie-friendly, "you-obviously-don't-know-how-to-use-this-stuff-so-we're-going-to-tell-you" approach from WotC.
I stopped after III and the Fiend Folio. To me all the essentials were covered and I use the Tome of Horrors series books for all my nostalgia type monsters. Although its a realms book, the Monsters of Faerun book is good for Greyhawk.
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