Is it just me...

Andor

First Post
Is it just me, or does it feel to anyone else like WoTC announced 4e kinda prematurely? The fluidity I'm perciveing about classes, races, spells, powers etc feels to me like they don't have anything like enough time to do adequate playtesting before the game ships. This is not quick run, print on demand stuff. They need to have the books locked down months before they ship, and it feels like they are still brain storming the basics.

I'm becomeing a bit concerned frankly.
 

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I don't think we honestly have enough information to say something like that. It's November, so I think they still have plenty of time. I would say they easily have four months to get a lot of work done. And, honestly, the way the rules sound right now seen to indicate that it's highly playable and pretty balanced and robust. I think now they are onto kicking out the kinks, and smoothing out edges that might be too rough.
 

I'm not particularly concerned.

The basics are the mathematical changes. Things like changing ability score bonuses to SCORE/2-5 to SCORE/2-2, or flipping saves, or adjusting damage dealing to account for the removal of iterative attacks.

Specific classes are important, but they're not the basics.
 

Andor said:
Is it just me, or does it feel to anyone else like WoTC announced 4e kinda prematurely? The fluidity I'm perciveing about classes, races, spells, powers etc feels to me like they don't have anything like enough time to do adequate playtesting before the game ships. This is not quick run, print on demand stuff. They need to have the books locked down months before they ship, and it feels like they are still brain storming the basics.

I agree. I'd have thought they'd have had much more solidified and resolved, ready for detailed playtesting, before making the announcement -- especially because they have such long lead times associated with actually finalizing editing, layout, and printing. At this stage, not having things worked out like mutli-classing concepts seems a bit high risk. Yes, there is plenty of time to resolve, but not enough time to both resolve and adequately playtest.
 

I've been thinking for the better part of a month now that we're going to see Beta rules ship. After all, why not fix them, put them out in the next year's book, and charge additional $ for it?
 

I'll start worrying when Morrus posts beta-testers comments saying similar things.

Until then, it's just that the marketing folks don't want you to know too much right now.

Cheers, -- N
 

I'm not all that concerned either. IIRC the first wave of playtests started over a month ago, the PHB has been set (except for playtest changes), and the book doesn't hit stores until June. I'm sure they've thought this stuff out.
 


They're in the final stages of test, I'll wager. Most likely working on the draft/blue lines of the document. Right now I'm sure they have 2-5 drafts of the final product and they're making choices on sections to leave in, alter if needed, etc before they submit the final edit copy.
 


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