D&D 5E Tyranny of Dragons Panel at PAX East Today

Sonny said:

If this end up being correct, I couldn't be more happy. Much rather they miss their deadline than push D&D 5e out the door on time no matter the cost in quality.

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GX.Sigma said:

That seems likely to me too; the info on the D&D website still seems a bit tentative/experimental.

Which is fine; id rather they take their time and get it right. A rushed release of the core is the worst possible scenario.

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I don't think I'd mind nearly as much if they actually came out and said that. There'd be some nerd rage, but at least it would end speculation.

Yeah, it sucks. For people like me and @DMZ2112 who decided to go to GenCon banking on the release and a big show for the 40th and are instead getting Tyranny of Dragons. But I would rather get a solid game and I'd get over the disappointment quicker if I knew.
They don't even really need to give much of a reason. "We were hoping for a June release but found some last minute problems and balance concerns that we really need to iron out."
Cool. That's fine. Don't want a repeat of the skill DCs and expertise feats of 4e, or the 3.0-3.5 SNAFU.

But WotC trying to switch the conversation to something else just feels disingenuous. They're not lying to us per se, but it feels like a distraction.

"What's happening with D&D Next?"
"We're doing this great new adventure!"
"That's nice, but what about the core rules."
"It's a multimedia event set in the Realms with Tiamat and dragons."
"That's great but what-"
"We've partnered with WizKids who are making tie-in miniatures including a skirmish game!"
"That's nice, but what's the status of the PHB?"
"The adventure is standalone, containing all the rules you need to play the adventure!"
"But what about all your talk in 2012 about letting us tell our own stories in the Realms?
"Tyranny of Dragons!!"

Jester Canuck said:

Yeah, it sucks. For people like me and @DMZ2112 who decided to go to GenCon banking on the release and a big show for the 40th and are instead getting Tyranny of Dragons.

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Don't give up hope yet, Jester; Perkins apparently committed to a summer release of the core rules in the panel, and there's not a whole lot of summer left after GenCon is over in late August. I'm sure they /want/ to release at GenCon, if only because a Labor Day release would be pretty lame.

If that Summer 2014 date hadn't been reconfirmed I'd suspect a Christmas 2014 release over a GenCon 2014 release, but I think a Random Date in Autumn 2014 release is pretty unlikely.

Jester Canuck said:

I don't play in the Realms....I don't run WotC's pre-published adventures...

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OK, we get it, this isn't your thing. It is, however, some other people's thing.

It doesn't help that WotC's recent adventures have been subpar.

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I appreciate that's your opinion, but I hope you appreciate it's incredibly far from universal. I think the most recent adventures are some of the best D&D adventures, ever. The reviews on them also are strongly tending towards positive. So it's cool they didn't grab you, but I think they grabbed a lot of people, and this is a panel aimed at those people. And they're trying to talk about this new thing that was just announced that they are excited about, without being constantly told that it isn't what someone else wanted because it's not about a different topic that it was never supposed to be about.

I'm tired of wondering if I'm wasting all my money going to this year's GenCon.

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If you are going to GenCon purely because of 5e, and it would be a waste of your money to go if there is little 5e, then I think you should sell your tickets now. Because GenCon is AWESOME. It's going to be spectacular regardless of 5e, and you should just sell those tickets to someone who will enjoy it for what it is. Or (and I think this is the better recommendation) start looking for games to play there with fellow EnWorlders that you've never played before. Find an awesome one-shot con game to play, like a 1940s Mutants & Masterminds game, or a halfling muskateers game, or a game of Dread, or some fun thing you've never tried before. There will be plenty of time to play 5e - play something you will never get another chance to play.

Mistwell said:

And they're trying to talk about this new thing that was just announced that they are excited about, without being constantly told that it isn't what someone else wanted because it's not about a different topic that it was never supposed to be about.

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Not to call you on the carpet, but are you seriously suggesting that this panel was in any way and by any interpretation better than a panel that actually told us something about the core rules of D&D Next and their impending release? Because if you are, I don't believe you. Straight up. Wisdom save to disbelieve, natural 20.

If you are going to GenCon purely because of 5e, and it would be a waste of your money to go if there is little 5e, then I think you should sell your tickets now. Because GenCon is AWESOME. It's going to be spectacular regardless of 5e, and you should just sell those tickets to someone who will enjoy it for what it is.

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Judging by the signups for the RPGA D&D Next events there is going to be an utter pantload of D&D5 at GenCon. That said, if I'd known in January that D&D Next wasn't actually going to /hit/ until September, the 40th Anniversary alone might not have been enough to justify the expense. I am not a convention-goer, generally speaking. It's not my scene. That's a lot of money I could have put toward something else.

Or (and I think this is the better recommendation) start looking for games to play there with fellow EnWorlders that you've never played before. Find an awesome one-shot con game to play, like a 1940s Mutants & Masterminds game, or a halfling muskateers game, or a game of Dread, or some fun thing you've never tried before. There will be plenty of time to play 5e - play something you will never get another chance to play.

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Ew, ENWorlders. I hear they smell like Marmite and elitism.

This is sounding more and more like the "Self-Contained D&D Adventure in a Box that you can sell at Walmart" model that I was suggesting a while back. The big question mark is around how much of the story you get through any of these "platforms". How shortchanged will you feel if you only play the tabletop piece or the MMO piece or read the tie-in novel or whatever...

(But good for them for trying something new.)

lkj said:

I found this article informative:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2014/04/11/secrets-from-the-tyranny-of-dragons/

AD

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Wow that looks pretty awful

Nagol said:

Wow that looks pretty awful

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Could you elaborate? I didn't really see much in the article at all.

am181d said:

This is sounding more and more like the "Self-Contained D&D Adventure in a Box that you can sell at Walmart" model that I was suggesting a while back.

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D&D at Toys R Us. It's been a long time, and a long time coming.

The big question mark is around how much of the story you get through any of these "platforms". How shortchanged will you feel if you only play the tabletop piece or the MMO piece or read the tie-in novel or whatever...

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Yeah, I straight up hate this multimedia marketing crap, and if I gave two damns about Forgotten Realms I would be /pissed off/, and no mistake. World of Warcraft was just starting to get into this nonsense when I quit, years ago, with novel, comic book, and manga characters starting to show up as set pieces in game events without adequate explanation.

(But good for them for trying something new.)

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It's not new. It's not even new for them. They tried it with the Neverwinter release and screwed it up so badly no one noticed when it happened.

Mistwell said:

I appreciate that's your opinion, but I hope you appreciate it's incredibly far from universal. I think the most recent adventures are some of the best D&D adventures, ever. The reviews on them also are strongly tending towards positive. So it's cool they didn't grab you, but I think they grabbed a lot of people, and this is a panel aimed at those people. And they're trying to talk about this new thing that was just announced that they are excited about, without being constantly told that it isn't what someone else wanted because it's not about a different topic that it was never supposed to be about.

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Actually, I'm mostly relying on feedback for the 4e and the most recent adventures, which have received decidedly mixed responses. I've heard a whole lot of "bits are good, bits are bad" about the Sundering adventures.

Mistwell said:

If you are going to GenCon purely because of 5e, and it would be a waste of your money to go if there is little 5e, then I think you should sell your tickets now. Because GenCon is AWESOME. It's going to be spectacular regardless of 5e, and you should just sell those tickets to someone who will enjoy it for what it is.

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It's the airfare that's the problem. Western Canada to Indianapolis runs a good $1000 and is non-refundable.

I've been to GenCon before and it was fairly fun. I think the second time will be more enjoyable.

But I'm going this year rather than next year because it's the 40th anniversary (which WotC doesn't seem to care about) and because I wanted to be there at the launch of D&D5.
That'd be an exciting once-in-a-lifetime thing, as they're unlikely to launch an edition on an anniversary year ever again.
But it's shaping up to be just another GenCon. Okay, still fun. But I could have waited until next year. I really had to take a financial hit to go for this summer.

Mistwell said:

Or (and I think this is the better recommendation) start looking for games to play there with fellow EnWorlders that you've never played before. Find an awesome one-shot con game to play, like a 1940s Mutants & Masterminds game, or a halfling muskateers game, or a game of Dread, or some fun thing you've never tried before. There will be plenty of time to play 5e - play something you will never get another chance to play.

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Getting my home group to do a Dread or Fiasco or FATE one-shot is pretty easy. Because those games are so different, not being fantasy.

Getting them to play D&D5 when they're pretty happy with Pathfinder will be trickier.
Plus, getting to GenCon lets me play D&D5 instead of just running it, which will be my lot even if they do switch.

Jester Canuck said:

Getting them to play D&D5 when they're pretty happy with Pathfinder will be trickier.

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Those feels. I know them.

I have no clue when I'll get to play D&DN.