D&D General Edition Changes and Brand Identity: Remembering New Coke

[Dragonhelm]

I remember New Coke. It wasn't about nostalgia for classic Coke for me. It just didn't taste good.

I once had a teacher say that Coke created New Coke on purpose to drive up sales of Coke Classic when it came back out. I don't know how accurate that is.

 

[Parmandur]

I remember New Coke. It wasn't about nostalgia for classic Coke for me. It just didn't taste good.

I once had a teacher say that Coke created New Coke on purpose to drive up sales of Coke Classic when it came back out. I don't know how accurate that is.

Totally baseless rumor people perpetuate to try and make the crazy make sense.

 

[CellarHeroes]

I found the taste-test analogy accurate towards my experience with 5e.

I started running 5e using the Adventurers League to help a couple of stores promote D&D and at conventions. Then I moved on to running one-shots in a friend's West Marches game. During that time I was also running the hardcover adventures, which I didn't enjoy but blamed on the quality of the adventures.
Finally, when it came to running my own long-term campaign, that's when I realized that 5e just wasn't a good system (for me).

I had enjoyed it in small doses with the one-shots, because its failings weren't as obvious. But when it came to sitting down and consuming a larger amount it wasn't as much fun.


Overall, with the 2024 version (which I haven't been following as close as most folks), it seems like they're merely adding a little more caramel coloring and reducing the carbonation. They aren't really fixing anything, just making some minor adjustments.

 

[Clint_L]

I found the taste-test analogy accurate towards my experience with 5e.

I started running 5e using the Adventurers League to help a couple of stores promote D&D and at conventions. Then I moved on to running one-shots in a friend's West Marches game. During that time I was also running the hardcover adventures, which I didn't enjoy but blamed on the quality of the adventures.
Finally, when it came to running my own long-term campaign, that's when I realized that 5e just wasn't a good system (for me).

I had enjoyed it in small doses with the one-shots, because its failings weren't as obvious. But when it came to sitting down and consuming a larger amount it wasn't as much fun.


Overall, with the 2024 version (which I haven't been following as close as most folks), it seems like they're merely adding a little more caramel coloring and reducing the carbonation. They aren't really fixing anything, just making some minor adjustments.

Exactly. They want to get away from edition warring and settle on an evergreen brand for D&D. Since 5e has been incredibly successful, they are sticking with it - for a huge swathe of players, it’s the only D&D they know.

It might mean losing a few customers like you who would prefer a different formula. That’s okay; no brand can be the right choice for every single customer.

As pointed out previously, 5e isn’t the new coke in this analogy, and the reason WotC are making minor adjustments is so that it doesn’t become new coke.

Edit: as an old-timer who came back to serious playing during 5e, I find it easy to do so because 5e immediately felt familiar to me. It felt comfortable.

 

[payn]

Seeing as we aren't doing a deep dive into design, Ima gonna follow the golden advice of Mama Snarf (If you can't be part of the solution, become a part of the problem).

While new coke is more accurate for the D&D situation, thinking of 4E as Zima of D&D is infinitely more entertaining.

 

[Parmandur]

Overall, with the 2024 version (which I haven't been following as close as most folks), it seems like they're merely adding a little more caramel coloring and reducing the carbonation. They aren't really fixing anything, just making some minor adjustments.

If it ain't broke...

 

[billd91]

While new coke is more accurate for the D&D situation, thinking of 4E as Zima of D&D is infinitely more entertaining.

D&D for metrosexuals?