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

UngainlyTitan · Jan 11, 2012

Neutral, I really like 4e and think it had soo short a life. I am also sceptical about the ability of the desginers to reach their stated goals. I also wonder if they have enough experience now to deliver on the digital support side of the game.
The other problem is that I simply cannot afford to buy another edition of D&D.
It would want to be bloody awesome and make my tea to sink another 6 - 700 euros into the game.

Osgood · Jan 11, 2012

I picked neutral. I love 4E, and I am hopeful the new edition can support that style of play... but I am pretty doubtful that it can be all things to all people.

DaveMage · Jan 11, 2012

Between Neutral and Negative.

Since I'm happy with Pathfinder, that's all the "D&D" I need, so I'm Neutral.

But since WotC still has control (and they seem dysfunctional when it comes to how to treat the D&D property and team), I'll go with negative.

frankthedm · Jan 11, 2012

Negative. The Information provided in the last weeks backed up what used to be speculations I had about wotc's motives and business choices. That info killed a lot doubts that had been benefiting Wizards in my book. Hell, I now believe the Poison Pill nature of the 4E GSL was conceived by wotc themselves, which I used to assume was FORCED on them by Hasbro Legal. Now I'm struggling to hold back many ban worthy comments about WotC.

ferratus · Jan 11, 2012

I'm going to start using "5mind" to refer to boosters of 5th edition. It fits in perfectly with the design goals of 5th edition (to be all things to all people) and WotC/Hasbro is a corporate entity who seeks consume the player base of other RPG's.

Like Henry says though, it isn't as denigrating as 3etard or 4oron, and it has a menacing borg-esque quality. It is something that can be used by both detractors (because you are going along with WotC's plans to resell D&D to you) and for boosters (because all your players will belong to us).

As for my feelings about a new edition... it is a little soon but I'm as disatisfied with 4e as I was with 3e when I dropped it. So both Pathfinder and 4e are not really options for me going forward. I pretty much have an idea of how I want my D&D system to look, and if D&D 5th edition allows me to do that reasonably well I'll go along with it.

I must mirror my skepticism of most of the posters on this thread that their design goal is even possible. However, I certainly will have a huge reservoir goodwill towards the project simply because it is about the most ambitious design goal ever attempted in table top gaming. I like to reward ambition.

I also think that having the playtesting be open is an excellent idea in terms of gaining even more goodwill from the fanbase. However, open playtesting isn't going to ensure necessarily that you will get the best rules. For example, crit confirmation rolls survived 3e into Pathfinder. To take something wonderful that only happens 5% of the time, and then immediately take it away 30%-50% of the time is just evil.

Danzauker · Jan 11, 2012

Positive.

4E is stagnant.

4E had many very nice concepts, IMHO, but it failed horribly in selling them to players. Marketing has been terrible.

A new editio, which takes what was good in 3E and 4E, cleans the stuff up and merges it would be the only way to clean the bad reputation of D&D and WotC at this point. And probably the best fantasy RPG ruleset ever.

But I'll believe it when I see it.

Dykstrav · Jan 11, 2012

I'm in the solidly neutral camp.

For one thing, I already have a game that I enjoy, and I'm not going to "squee" at the announcement of "the new shiny." I don't necessarily enjoy something just because it is new. In fact... WotC is going to have a tough sell on me--my feeling was that 4E was due around 2010 or so, I'm not all that interested in a new version right now.

I also can't imagine how they are going to design an edition that appeals to all players. When it comes down to brass tacks, some firm decisions about the game will have to be made and someone will feel left by the wayside. If the system is modular and customizable (beyond what individual DMs already do), I just can't imagine that we'll all truly be playing the same game. Not to mention the (now) sacred cow of playing by the rules-as-written, which is an attitude I've personally seen escalate from the 3E era into dogma in the 4E era.

Ultimately, I don't really feel like the issues I have with the game have anything to do with a rule set. My biggest issues with it have to do with the player base and the attitudes and personalities I have to deal with to get a game going. If people continue to flame and name-call each other into the 5E era, no awesome new edition will unify the fans or do much of anything to make my play experience better. Ultimately, I wonder how much effect a new edition will really have on people and their preferences.

All that being said, I fully intend to give the new edition a fair shake. I'll certainly do free playtesting and I'll certainly buy books if it's a game that I enjoy and can find players for.

Aeolius · Jan 11, 2012

It's an odd-numbered edition - it HAS to be good!

BobROE · Jan 11, 2012

Negative.

I think 5E (or whatever) will be successful, but I don't see how it can be successful enough for the powers that be and WotC/Hasbro. Not because it will be a bad game or because it wont sell well, but because the market just isn't large enough to generate the profit that they want.

So I feel that 5E will probably be the last edition of D&D as we know it.