WotC Seeks Unity with a New Edition

M.L. Martin · Jan 10, 2012

Walking Dad said:
Interesting citation from the Forbes site. It implies you drop miniatures for "lots of fighting". For what do you want miniatures then? Social games? Trapfinding?

I believe the quote actually says "drop in"--i.e., add them. To be precise . . .

Forbes said:
Mearls says the new edition is being conceived of as a modular, flexible system, easily customized to individual preferences.

“Just like a player makes his character, the Dungeon Master can make his ruleset,” says Mearls. “He might say ‘I’m going to run a military campaign, it’s going to be a lot of fighting’… so he’d use the combat chapter, drop in miniatures rules, and include the martial arts optional rules.”

“You can have as little or as much customization as you want,” he says. “It’s about letting people find their own way to play.”

I've been pushing for something like this for at least two and a half years, and if they can pull it off (it's a big if, but they've got the people and resources to do it), it just might work.

Nemesis Destiny · Jan 10, 2012

Scott_Rouse said:
People shouldn't put that much stock in what I say, in fact I may have turned into just another message board troll.

No, perhaps they shouldn't, but they will (in fact, it's already started). I figured, being a marketing guy, you would realize the weight your words carry.

People are going to cling to anything you say, good or bad, because of your past with WotC, and as such, anything you say automatically carries greater "weight" or clout. "The Rouse said it, so it must be true." Et cetera. People will use those words to lend strength to their own POV in arguments. It's showing up in signatures (naturally without context).

Anyway, that's why I thought you were bitter with WotC (that and the rumours).

Scott_Rouse · Jan 10, 2012

Steel_Wind said:
To paraphrase this man:

"Let's not start rolling each other's dice quite yet."

Paizo is three and a half year's in to their cycle. Whether they get to "8-10" years is very much a fact not (yet) in evidence. I appreciate the sentiment, but it's still too early to be planning that parade route.

You sending the Wolf?

I feel better now!

Scott_Rouse · Jan 10, 2012

Nemesis Destiny said:
No, perhaps they shouldn't, but they will (in fact, it's already started). I figured, being a marketing guy, you would realize the weight your words carry.

People are going to cling to anything you say, good or bad, because of your past with WotC, and as such, anything you say automatically carries greater "weight" or clout. "The Rouse said it, so it must be true." Et cetera. People will use those words to lend strength to their own POV in arguments. It's showing up in signatures (naturally without context).

Anyway, that's why I thought you were bitter with WotC (that and the rumours).

People have been miss-attributing the stuff I say for years so I guess it is nothing new.

Maybe it's because I've been pretty silent on stuff like this in the past. Sure I said something provocative but this should not be new news to anyone. It's all been said by the members of the community a million times before and by people in the industry as of late (looks at Escapist article which was pretty spot on).

Nemesis Destiny · Jan 10, 2012

Scott_Rouse said:
People have been miss-attributing the stuff I say for years so I guess it is nothing new.

Maybe it's because I've been pretty silent on stuff like this in the past. Sure I said something provocative but this should not be new news to anyone. It's all been said by the members of the community a million times before and by people in the industry as of late (looks at Escapist article which was pretty spot on).

Sure, it has been said by other members of the community, but to many, you aren't just a member of that community - you represent it.

Anyway, I'm not trying to pick on you. It's just that us 4e supporters will be doing damage control on that one for quite some time, I'm afraid.

I've otherwise very much enjoyed having a conversation with a legendary (at least semi-legendary) figure in the D&D community.

I'm A Banana · Jan 10, 2012

Some folks have an axe to grind, and they're not above taking things out of context to grind it. :erm:

TheAuldGrump · Jan 10, 2012

ColonelHardisson said:
Ah, here we go; actual footage of Scott Rouse parachuting out of Wizards after the release of 4e:

Skydive Escape - YouTube

Sorry, I need to correct your footage.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXYfnWRp1Q0]Skydive Rescue[/ame]

The Auld Grump, that scene still makes me laugh....

nnms · Jan 10, 2012

GregoryOatmeal said:
But I'm not quite sure that "design by committee of 10,000 internet nerds" approach is the direction WOTC is going to go. It's hard to imagine anyone would sign off on that approach and it appears WOTC has already made some big decisions about where they want the game to go independent of the online community. I think they'll use the community to get the kinks out and obtain feedback, rather than allowing them to dictate major decisions. I'd say it worked out pretty well for Pathfinder, and it appears that's the model they want to follow.

I think you've got the right idea here.

WotC already has their processes and procedures that have been expanded upon in various interviews and panel events.

Design --> Development --> Playtesting

If you want to see what WotC expects of its playtesters, take a look at the Barbarian PDF that came out for playtesting before 4E PHB2. Or the Assassin PDF that came out for playtesting before Heroes of Shadow.

I think we'll see that WotC has a particular vision for their product and are not looking for everything to be first subject to the approval of random internet people.

Unless they are planning on a 2014+ release date, the rules wouldn't get done in time if they were designed or developed by internet volunteers.

Scott_Rouse · Jan 10, 2012

Nemesis Destiny said:
Anyway, I'm not trying to pick on you. It's just that us 4e supporters will be doing damage control on that one for quite some time, I'm afraid.

Us 4e supporters need to stick together so fire up that bat signal thing I'll come in and roll some heads. :devil:

I've otherwise very much enjoyed having a conversation with a legendary (at least semi-legendary) figure in the D&D community.

thanks

Sincerely,

Scott Rouse
The semi-legendary soon to be 5e supporter

Lanefan · Jan 10, 2012

That they seem to be trying to hearken back to earlier (as in, much earlier) versions - at least to some extent - gives me hope.

If the end result is merely a 3e-4e hybrid, however, I'll be sorely disappointed.

Lan-"and the number shall be five; not six, not four..."-efan