D&D 5E Edition Wars, WHY?

Morrus · Jan 23, 2015

SirAntoine said:
I think to fairly call 4e an outlier, you would need knowledge of the number of players it has compared with at least two other editions.

The term refers to difference in design, not population.

SirAntoine · Jan 23, 2015

TrippyHippy said:
Anecdotal evidence from people in the industry was that D&D’s playing population numbers were not great under 4E, although the decline was happening some years before under 3.5E too, to be fair.

However, that is not really the point. When my group and I played 4E for the first time back in 2008, the expressed consensus was that it was fine as a game, but it wasn’t D&D. It didn’t feel like the same game we were playing in under 3.5E at the time, nor in any of our previous experiences of D&D before that (or since 5E came out, either). It was different. That is not a value statement, it’s a simple expression of people’s experience. But in terms of it being the ‘odd one out’, then it is an ‘outlier’ of people’s experience of D&D.

I think that's a little too harsh, but you have a great point. It doesn't meet expectations.

SirAntoine · Jan 23, 2015

Morrus said:
The term refers to difference in design, not population.

It's almost in a different genre it's so different, but it will have a lasting impact that shouldn't be misunderstood by anyone looking to know all about D&D today.

Morrus · Jan 23, 2015

SirAntoine said:
It's almost in a different genre it's so different, but it will have a lasting impact that shouldn't be misunderstood by anyone looking to know all about D&D today.

I don't really know why you're saying that to me. But OK.

billd91 · Jan 23, 2015

Morrus said:
The term refers to difference in design, not population.

I think there's some debate on that topic. I agree that it is an outlier in design, but there are a substantial number of 4e fans who disagree with that statement.

Where I think the outlier term is harder to dispute actually is in the behavior and size of the 4e population. Between claims that only 30% of D&D players converted, the shortened product lifespan, the level of competition with Pathfinder right when Essentials should have been providing a boost, I think there's stronger reason to consider it an outlier - the market apparently decided it was one and treated it as one. And I think that would be true whether or not you believed it was truly a design outlier or not.

Morrus · Jan 23, 2015

billd91 said:
I think there's some debate on that topic.

Gosh, really?

(Sorry! Sometimes my mild sarcasm subroutine kicks in all by itself! Hopefully that came across as funny, not douchey...)

Lanefan · Jan 24, 2015

Best edition war story I've got didn't even happen online, but in person:

A social at GenCon 2011. 4 or 5 guys are at it hammer-and-tongs (but with lots of laughter) 3.5/PF vs. 4e - I stop by and listen in. Sooner or later one of them, I can only imagine looking for support, asked me which side I was on. Big mistake.

A few beers and a lot of roaring later I hadn't convinced any of them that 0e/1e was the way to go, but I had put a third side into the fray...and there was still lots of laughter all round. Good times!

Lanefan

D&D 5E Edition Wars, WHY?

Morrus

Well, that was fun

SirAntoine

Banned

SirAntoine

Banned

Morrus

Well, that was fun

billd91

Not your screen monkey (he/him)

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

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