D&D 4E Betting on 4e

[jgsugden]

In a casual reference, back when 3.5 was coming out, Andy Collins said that there were currently no plans *in action* for a 4E and that the best guess was that it would come around no earlier than 2008.

An important thing to rememeber, however, is that regardless of what the plans are in 2004, they can change drastically and in very rapid bursts when a large company like Hasbro owns WotC. I, personally, am not looking forward to 4.0. The odds are that it will not feature as much playtesting as 3.0 did (Hasbro is unliekly to be as patient - profit before perfection), so we'll see a lot more rules problems with the changes.

 

[pogre]

Please, please, please no 1.5" grids.

Did I say please?

I would say the release seems to be tailored to disturb current D&Ders in some respect. Adding to the likelihood it is a complete fraud.

 

[Psion]

This is what sent up red flags for me, Trainz:

To help support our fans who have bought the 3.5 core books we're going to be offering a 15% trade-in deal for the new fourth edition core books

 

[Grazzt]

This is what sent up red flags for me, Trainz:

To help support our fans who have bought the 3.5 core books we're going to be offering a 15% trade-in deal for the new fourth edition core books

Yep- me too. No way in hell that will ever happen.

 

[Trainz]

This is what sent up red flags for me, Trainz:

To help support our fans who have bought the 3.5 core books we're going to be offering a 15% trade-in deal for the new fourth edition core books

LOL !

Yeah... when you keep in mind the past, it is quite funny. That phrase is ironic in more than one way.

Heh... my mum always said: if you're not worth a laugh, you're not worth a lot !

 

[Qualir]

The Skullport site mentions fall 2006, and there's even a quote from Jonathan Tweet:

"It comes as a bit of surprise to some of our fans, perhaps, but a fourth edition of D&D is the logical progression of the game's evolution. To help support our fans who have bought the 3.5 core books we're going to be offering a 15% trade-in deal for the new fourth edition core books. We're excited about the work being done for the fourth edition and now that 3.5 is out it's time to start planning for the future. We're going to be doing things in this new game that no one has ever dared do in an RPG."

If it turns out to be true, this for me means that I will not buy a single book before 4th Ed. Not out of spite, not at all, but knowing that in exactly 2 and a half years my books will become incompatible, well I'll just run on what I have and house rules.

This announcement would be devastating on WotC's sales, it doesn't make sense: either it's phony, or either it's a leak (possibly from Tweet); in that case, I'm afraid someone else will be joining the ranks of Monte Cook et al.

I actually remember when this anouncement first appeared. April 1, (2003?). It was posted on WOTC's site for only a brief time before moving to archives due to the negative reaction and the immedite uproar. The whole thing was supposed to be a joke, not an official anouncement. WOTC apparently had no clue that nobody trusted them to be anything but money grubbing SOBs out for max profit even though it would kill the game to put out a new addition every three years.

 

[MerakSpielman]

If another edition comes out before 2010, I doubt I'll buy it.

Heck, the only reason I'm switching to 3.5 is because I'm starting a new group and I can't reasonably expect people to show up with an out-of-print book.

 

[DaveMage]

I think the new edition release date will depend on how well the miniatures do overall this and next year.

If sales are strong on the minis, then there is less of an incentive to come up with a new edition. (They would just keep up the release of new minis.) If, however, mini sales are lower then desired, then there might be pressure to release a new edition.

On the other hand, if the minis continue to sell really well, then a 4th edition might include revision which uses the minis (and their statisitcs) as the basis for the game. (That way all the minis are automatically compatible with 4th edition.)

 

[Ondo]

Personally ... I've gotten so sick of Xe or X.Xe ... why not just let the system sit for a while ... a long while. It seems to me that you have to be a millionaire to play a game these days ... even other companies have started in with their own systems (ie: GURPS 4e) ... I understand that people want to make money, but at what cost?

If 16 years isn't long enough to satisfy you, a company would have to be insane to try.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

I think the thing is a fake too.

If that was a real press release, i'd be shocked. How insane are they? With Eberron around the corner, completly designed for 3.5, why would they kill sales of that by announcing 4.0 for 3 years down the pipe?

If that thing was real I wouldnt buy anything but the occasional FR book till 4e came out.