D&D 4E Revisions based on 4e..

Scribble · Aug 17, 2007

Yay another 4e thread!!! (But I was tricky and hid it with a non-d20 tag which it is but isn't...)

So when 4e comes out, it doesn't seem to be just a revision of D&D it seems liek a revision of D&D in general...

So what will this do to the d20 "based" games out there now... Like Iron Heros, True 20, spycraft, et al...

Do you think we'll soon see revisions of said games based on changes to the core d20 system?

Hjorimir · Aug 17, 2007

I don't think you'll see a True20 revision any time soon; I'm not really up to speed on the other games you mentioned.

trancejeremy · Aug 17, 2007

I don't think you can see changes in those systems, unless 4e is released under the OGL. Sure, they could probably still make them, like OSRIC was reverse engineered but they risk a lawsuit. (As companies tend to be far more protective of new products than 30 year old ones no longer in print)

And a lot of the changes seem to deal mostly with making it more lean for combat. Like reducing the skills to just combat/adventurer orientated ones. If I read the R&D thread correctly, anyway.

Scribble · Aug 17, 2007

trancejeremy said:
I don't think you can see changes in those systems, unless 4e is released under the OGL. Sure, they could probably still make them, like OSRIC was reverse engineered but they risk a lawsuit. (As companies tend to be far more protective of new products than 30 year old ones no longer in print)

And a lot of the changes seem to deal mostly with making it more lean for combat. Like reducing the skills to just combat/adventurer orientated ones. If I read the R&D thread correctly, anyway.

From what I've seen 4e will still follow the OGL and have its own SRD...

But either way, those games are for the most part "based on a d20 story..."

They aren't really d20 enough to say they're d20, but based off of some of the design philosophies.. so if the basic philosophies change I wonder if they will decide to change with it, or stick with their currents...

TerraDave · Aug 17, 2007

There is supposed to be a 4th ed SRD at some point. And I think it causes a fissure.

4th ed D&D and newer games will work one way. Older games another. Which might hurt the older games.

Though another way to look at it: it just gives them an excuse to do a revised edition.

Whizbang Dustyboots · Aug 17, 2007

I imagine all of the games mentioned will eventually pick up any new changes in the SRD that further the vision their creators have for their games. (Some of said changes, of course, started with these spin-off games, in the wonderful OGL feedback loop.) Of course, it may be that nothing about 4E really furthers the vision for C&C, True20, M&M or what have you.

Scribble · Aug 17, 2007

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
I imagine all of the games mentioned will eventually pick up any new changes in the SRD that further the vision their creators have for their games. (Some of said changes, of course, started with these spin-off games, in the wonderful OGL feedback loop.) Of course, it may be that nothing about 4E really furthers the vision for C&C, True20, M&M or what have you.

Thats pretty much what I'm getting at...

OGL and d20 sort of created what amounts (in my mind) to an RPG arms race...

In the olden days games might have been based off of D&D... but they couldn't just up and use the D&D mechanics they thought worked and ditch the others... They had to make their own sustems... which led to their own drawbacks...

The new systems of d20 were based on d20, and what I assume, the designers felt could have been done better...

Now along comes 4e... It makes its own approach on the above and I'm willing to guess takes some cues from the spin offs as well...

So now I'm wondering if it will inspire the spinoffs to redo their products or will we see entirely new spinoffs... (I'm assuming both...)

Greg K · Aug 17, 2007

Scribble said:
Yay another 4e thread!!! (But I was tricky and hid it with a non-d20 tag which it is but isn't...)

So when 4e comes out, it doesn't seem to be just a revision of D&D it seems liek a revision of D&D in general...

So what will this do to the d20 "based" games out there now... Like Iron Heros, True 20, spycraft, et al...

I don't think it will do anything to True 20. Then again, I personally, consider True20 to be an almost perfect d20 class based game (more so with the Companion) whereas there are already several things being revealed about 4e that I am not liking and will lead me to not purchase it (assuming things don't change). Of course, I don't think WOTC does d20 right! (a play on Green Ronin's motto, because Green Ronin actually does, imo)