thecasualoblivion
First Post
Actually, it doesn't miss the point at all, in fact I didn't even address the point you happen to be going on about (and you're right of course, WOTC cannot afford to completely alienate the 4E fanbase, no matter how much it behooves them to at least publicly downplay certain 4E elements for strategic/market reasons), because that wasn't the idea I was taking issue with.
I was taking issue with the success/failure of 4E having any bearing at all on this discussion. As for my point, I'd add that I don't believe WotC can condescend to the 4E fanbase in the manner you describe(the bolded part) and expect them to be happy campers. It didn't work during the last edition change.
I guess what I'm saying is that if you(the plural you, as I'd include those who've brought up this topic before) aren't going on about the failure of 4E to justify its replacement and/or its removal from 5E, I'm not sure where it fits into this discussion.
But while we're on the topic, let's not lie to ourselves; an edition which has created such strong feelings in the fan-base shouldn't necessarily be considered the go-to edition for mining for game-play elements.
Look, I love (LOVE!) anchovies, but I'm not daft enough to think that everyone else should therefore want some of those salty little treats on their 'za just because I think they're the cat's meow. 4E for better or worse is like anchovies; there's really nothing wrong with them at all, and for people like me, they are particularly yummy, but if I'm making a pizza to appeal to the greatest number of people, I'd really want to think hard about how many slices they appear on, yeah? Clearly anchovies are popular enough that pizza joints offer them as a traditional add-on, but that doesn't mean that a substantial proportion of the population doesn't want them any where NEAR their pie. Now, frankly, I think that's a bit much, but personal tastes are personal tastes, and if enough people feel so strongly about those little fishies, then their inclusion in a pizza for everyone should be done tactfully and in a fashion that doesn't scream, "Remember those toppings that you absolutely loathed that drove you to eat calzones rather than pizza? Well, they're back and a BIG part of what we have in mind for supper tonight".
Your analogy marginalizes the 4E community, which is a bigger slice of the D&D pie than the percentage of pizza eaters who want anchovies. I'd also say that there are also plenty of 4E fans who feel just as strongly against bringing back certain things from older editions. What you seem to be describing are people who are hostile to 4E being a part of 5E, and want that hostility catered to. I don't believe WotC can cater to that hostility without alienating 4E fans.
My prior post was addressed towards posters such as Hussar above (sorry dude, I'm really not picking on ya, yours is just the most recent post of its kind that I've seen over the last few months) who somehow want to act as if the early roll-out of 5E is not a big deal in regards to what it says about 4E's success in the market. Heck, some don't even want to say that it is an early roll-out.....
So, to sum up, yes 4E fans need to be sought as a part of 5E's target audience, but in terms of the (in many ways completely separate issue) notion as to whether or not 4E was a success in the marketplace and whether we can even glean some indication of this from the early release of the latest edition...well, I think that that issue should be considered done and done.
Cheers,
Colin
Again, to what end? No matter how we feel about it, whats done is done. 4E is over, and 5E is coming. How and why it happened isn't as important as the fact that 4E remains a large and important part of the D&D community. People who bring it up seem to be trying to use it as some sort of justification, justification for 5E itself and justification for 5E turning back the clock at 4E's expense. If that isn't the point, what does it have to do with 5E?