How do you feel about the future of D&D after the official announcements?

Morrus · Jan 11, 2012

This is the first of a series of polls we'll be taking here on EN World to try and gather the community's feelings about specific issues in a snapshot. We'll start with an easy one:

In one word - positive, neutral, or negative - please select how you feel about the future of D&D after the recent announcements about the next edition. Feel free to elaborate in the thread, but the poll is just to take a very general snapshot.

If you're viewing this on the news page, you'll see the poll to your right. If you're viewing the thread, you'll see it at the top of the thread. If you're viewing this on one of our mobile apps, you'll need to click through and view it in your mobile device's web browser. If you're viewing it in the newsletter, you'll need to visit the site, also. If you're viewing it some other weird way that I've not thought of, then I have no frikkin' idea - just visit the EN World home page.

Talinfein · Jan 11, 2012

Definitely positive. It's not going to be easy doing all they want to do, but the goal is worthwhile. I think the next edition will be significantly simpler at its core, and that may very well be a good thing. I personally like the complexity of 4E, but not everybody does. In the end, good design goals for me are balanced classes, cooperation among players and easy prep for the DM. How they go accomplishing that I don't particularly care.

shamsael · Jan 11, 2012

It seems like they're admitting that the way Paizo created Pathfinder was the way they should have handled 4E. Not in the sense that Pathfinder was so close to 3E, but in the sense that Pathfinder was the result of extensive public play testing and input, as opposed to something designed and developed in secret.

Pour · Jan 11, 2012

Positive for the community during design phase, as this will help unify people toward a common and noble goal, but personally negative. I'm a content 4ther, my group plays and loves the autumnal edition, and there's no OGL or Paizo-like entity that will preserve it come 5e. Just far too short a lifespan.

And as much as I want this universal edition to be glorious and true to its mission, the specifics are puzzling, and the concept, though aspiring, sounds truly difficult to implement and preserve what all of us love of the game. Modular services many, but I wonder about the down sides, like a coherent identity. Could mutability actually fracture things even more with highly-specific system combinations players and DMs prefer, down to the way combat runs, magic works, availability of feats, etc: options making more fences than bridges.

delericho · Jan 11, 2012

Relieved. Hopeful. More than a little glad that we don't seem to be seeing a lot of Edition Warring - maybe people really are ready for reunification.

But not confident. I fear making a D&D that is all things to all people is an impossible task, I fear that WotC may still be labouring under impossible requirements from Hasbro. And I can't help but remember thinking that they were doing exactly the right things with 4e, right until they took an horrific wrong turn.

So, positive, but with significant reservations.

Stoat · Jan 11, 2012

Neutral to Negative.

WotC's promise to make a modular system that appeals to all gamers everywhere sounds like pie in the sky to me. I'll believe it when I see it.

Ranes · Jan 11, 2012

Positive. Sceptical but positive. And curious. Will I join the 5mind? Maybe.

Henry · Jan 11, 2012

"5Mind"? Awesome. First I've hear it. Beats "3etard" and "4ron."

Short term - Positive; I always get enthused when a new edition is in the works. Long Term - Negative for the future of the hobby; while I don't worry for my gen (we've got it!) I do feel like future generations who only know MMO guilds or Facebook networking and don't have something to help keep the joy of "meatspace" friends alive a little longer, will be missing something. Now, if something comes along or is revived that does encourage people meeting face to face for playing games, RPGs could wither further I'd I'd be OK with it. But as it stands the future of gaming is as impersonal as MMOs and "Words With Friends."

So I answered Neutral -- it's a wash.

UngeheuerLich · Jan 11, 2012

Positive:

Someone care´s about improving my favourite game.
Do i believe it is a strategy to make money! Hell, yes... and I hope they do. Because if they make enough money with 5th edition (and maybe 4th edition combined, as I see no reason to pull it down with DDI working nicely) chances are, that the need for new editions is over.
IF 5th edition is modular as they want it and if the core of the system is just a little bit more solid than 4e, then I really see no reasons why 5th edition can´t be profitable for more than 4 years.

3.5 was solid enough to be played for 12 years now, ADnD 2nd editon lasted even longer than that (IIRC).
4th edition did not last that long, as it, although a great improvement, limited itself by a too strong effort to have a static rules system that was promised to be unchangeable from the beginning.

With essentials, we have seen, that some loyal fans were very unenthusiastic, because it allowed for more freedom.
IMHO it was just what 4e´s initial launch missed! Chances for development!

enrious · Jan 11, 2012

My feelings are fairly well summed up by Henry.

Short term this means WotC and D&D is back on the front page and let's face it, the evidence seems to suggest that WotC couldn't afford to do nothing, so it's positive in that regard.

On the downside, is it too late?