Gavinmad
Mr. Poopybutthole
The simplification of the game system made it so much easier to gain and retain new players. I was helping manage a game store when 3rd dropped and the shit just spent the next year or so flying off the shelves at warp speed. Enthusiasm was so high that there wasn't even much bitching when 3.5 was announced barely 2 years later and it turned out to be a much needed polishing of the rules rather than just a cash grab.3ed. Came out at the waning years of my pen and paper days. I haven't played tabletop since the early 2000's, and I think 3ed. came out in like 2000? Also the thought of paying like 50% more for every new book was bullshit at the time.
I quit gaming not too long before 4th edition came out so ~15 years at this point, give or take.