Switching to 1. d4

I've been a e4 player from when I first started playing chess, but I've been thinking that I should switch my opening to d4. There are a lot fo different variations and everything - where should I start?

What were your e4 lines? 

four knights

4 Knights against everything?  

First let me just start by saying that if you would like to switch to 1. d4, be prepared to drop some rating points while playing this opening. e4 and d4 are two different openings. e4 is more aggressive, while d4 is more relaxed and more closed/quiet. If e4 has gotten you this far in your chess career, what is the point of switching? Although if you have some serious time to invest in d4, then by all means, switch to it. I ran into to this same situation. I started playing e4 but then switched to d4 and the queens gambit. Only switch you are extremely stuck, have the time, and are looking for a change. If this were me, my opinion would to becomea very strong e4 player, rather than switching to d4 this late in your career. 

Best of luck,

~Happy

first of all, your 1798, i would rather stick with 1.e4, second, if you don't care about you elo, (chess.com score) just try random openings and see which ones fit best for you (or which opening will counter their opening etc.)

If your entire repertoire can be summed up by the words "4 knights", then I'd probably just stick with 1.e4.  

Maybe he's 1500 otb looking at his online rating

You could try some themed opening tournament's to experiment with something different.

ok!

Here's my tip: If you're used to playing symmetrical positions like the Four Knights in KP openings, check out the Austrian Defense in QP openings, and also the Symmetrical Tarrasch Defense, which can arise from the Austrian Defense after a few more moves. I claim the Austrian Defense is the most analogous QP opening to the Petroff Defense, and that the Symmetrical Tarrasch is roughly analous to the Four Knights.

I think the only downside to switching to 1.d4 is that it's a smaller ecosystem to memorize than 1.e4, and if you play it for many years and become set in those ways, it can be challenging to ever go back if you want to, because then you have to learn the many, many good answers Black has to 1.e4 at the new level you're playing, later in life when it might be tougher to take on extremely different (and often very sharp, memory-dependent) positions.

Why not play both ?!  

Just play both moves and don't worry about theory. Play what moves seem logical, and if you''re good at chess, you'll win! :P

I started out an 1 e4 player and switched to 1 d4 after moving to Europe in 97 , now I play both depending on various factors . I actually score better with 1 d4 but enjoy 1 e4 games more .... weird I reckon ?   I did find though that there are more defenses to prepare for when playing 1 d4 than 1 e4 . 

Really? I would have thought it was the other way around.. That e4 has more defenses.

Just get out there and play it, you'll pick up the theory soon enough :)

good idea to switch

The Pirc is awesome..

Take it from primarily a d4 player (occationally e4): the Queen's Gambit as White is equivalent to cheating!!