Future of D&D Keynote Speech [UPDATE - with video!]

Nikosandros · Aug 19, 2012

Sonny said:
A proprietary viewer where my whole library of purchased books sits in the cloud and is available for download as needed, ala Comixology wouldn't be a bad thing.

I strongly dislike this method, but I'm afraid that it's rather likely that we're going to get something similar. I want to purchase the files and be able to copy, store them and watch them on as many machines as I like, without having to muck around with proprietary viewers and the like.

Cergorach · Aug 19, 2012

It's nice that they intend to make pdfs of all the D&D books available, but I'll believe it when I see it. If the play testing process will take another two years or so, I'll see Hasbro pulling the plug or drastically changing the project within the realm of possibilities.

Most of the 'scanned' 2E pdf were actually of very good quality, because they OCRed all the text and didn't use the text unders picture methodology. The pdfs were lean and of decent quality. 3E and 4E pdfs shouldn't be an issue at all. Also, with maybe the exception of the very first Chainmail release, everything would have been done on a DTP program. And if those files were still available (in backups for example), those files could be upgraded to newer software version, and eventually into current day versions of InDesign and easily converted to pdf.

There are tons of pdf to epub conversion programs available, why not use that? InDesign also allows you to publish to multiple formats, pdf, html, epub. Most folks prefer a nice looking pdf of the original book though...

Even if made available, I'm concerned about pricing. Although I already bought just about every 2E pdf when they were available for $3 each. Others aren't that lucky and if WotC most recent pdf strategy is any indication, full price pdfs of old material isn't very 'good'...

As for D&D Next (5E or whatever the hells the marketing department decides to call it), we'll see. I remember the early days of Eric Noah's D&D 3E site. Our group had ran afoul of 2E's limitations a tad bit to often and even the small hints of 3E made us all excited. I started my 3E campaign far before the actual 3E release, had to fill a lot of holes myself, but it was fun because going back to 2E filled us with dread.

We ran afoul of 3.5E's limitations many years ago and 4E just fell short in other departments. But Pathfinder is already available to scratch that 'D&D' itch, so I'm not really all that excited over 5E/Next to replace 3.5E/4E as I already have a perfectly good replacement. That doesn't mean I'm interested, but WotC track record the last half decade (plus) has left much to be desired and I'm skeptical. I'll take a look when it comes out (if it comes out) and get excited/disappointed then...

Silverblade The Ench · Aug 19, 2012

Alarian said:
Yea, lets create another version of D&D even more like 4th and watch even more people flee. Trying to make D&D play like a computer game sounds like a truly horrible idea. If I want to play a computer game I'll...get on my computer. Their goal is to bring old player back while drawing in new. Not ensure all the old players never return as well as make even more people who are hoping for the next great version find another system to call home for good.

Up until recently D&D was king when it came to RPG's. It no longer is. Lets hope 5th can put them back on the track to that goal. From what I'm seeing, I'm guessing there is a chance. I'm liking what I've seen so far and I'm only hoping it continues going down the same path.

you completely failed to grasp the problem and my point.
Most young people will not play D&D, no matter what system folk make, because they play *computer games*

If you all want D&D to flourish, you MUST get kids invovled, and sorry the majority of kids simply will not get involved with a "boring thing with books n dice" when they can plug in a game and get right into the action themselves.
And it is ACTION, it is not "whack a rat", standing there hitting each other once a turn...

Neverwinternights got huge number of folks into D&D who otherwise wouldn't.
This issue incereases as tiem goes on, D&D is not cool, is nto a fad, is outwith most kids lives.
How many kids go to *RPG/baord game shops*, or book shops?
Don't talk foolish, folks, jsut to "support D&D", the relaity is damn few kids go to such shops.

A Blockbuster ocmputer game would do vaslty more to boost D&D than anyhting else will.
And frnakly I don't see any such out there (the new Neverwinter and DDO....don't cut the mustard by a long chalk....go see Skyrim instead)

Nikosandros · Aug 19, 2012

Cergorach said:
Also, with maybe the exception of the very first Chainmail release, everything would have been done on a DTP program. And if those files were still available (in backups for example), those files could be upgraded to newer software version, and eventually into current day versions of InDesign and easily converted to pdf.

I don't know when they started using a computer, but it was way later than Chainmail. The AD&D reprints had to be basically retyped from scratch.

ggroy · Aug 19, 2012

Nikosandros said:
The AD&D reprints had to be basically retyped from scratch.

I wouldn't be surprised if they first used an ocr text scanner on good condition copies of the original AD&D books, and started the editing process from these raw text scans.

JeffB · Aug 19, 2012

I finally got a chance to watch this on the big screen last night. Most def a teleprompter of some sort was used. Every person there was staring at it every few seconds.

Kudos to PC for having the honor of doing this, but the rest of the speakers got on my nerves with the canned responses. I gave up halfway into the Sundering bit. I like Mearls and Ed a bunch, and I am not a WOTC hater by any means, but that felt like a big insincere sales pitch by corporate shmucks...even though they were obviously trying to avoid that by the content of their message. It came off that way though, to me anyway.

Id much rather watch something off the cuff and not scripted.

Baileyborough · Aug 19, 2012

Ha

JeffB said:
I finally got a chance to watch this on the big screen last night. Most def a teleprompter of some sort was used. Every person there was staring at it every few seconds.

Kudos to PC for having the honor of doing this, but the rest of the speakers got on my nerves with the canned responses. I gave up halfway into the Sundering bit. I like Mearls and Ed a bunch, and I am not a WOTC hater by any means, but that felt like a big insincere sales pitch by corporate shmucks...even though they were obviously trying to avoid that by the content of their message. It came off that way though, to me anyway.

Id much rather watch something off the cuff and not scripted.

Fair enough, and I get what you mean, but as someone whose job is essentially lots of pitches and presentations, I understand why this was done. To be fair, the stakes for screwing up even a little were quite high. Maybe the responses looked a bit TOO canned or whatever, but all in all, the information was put across. Well done to them for that.

pauljathome · Aug 20, 2012

variant said:
the whole thing with Drizzt killing adventurers who dared kill orcs was basically the last straw.

I don't follow Drizzt or the Realms at all but this caught my attention. Could somebody please give me a very brief explanation on why its no longer ok to kill Orcs in the Realms?