Eric Noah's Info

[Kanegrundar]

It came up in another thread. I thought it was interesting. I didn't submit it as a scoop and would be just as happy if it hadn't been posted. I honestly didn't see it as that big a revelation.

Then you're not to one to blame. Sorry if I came off like a prick or anything along those lines, Eric.

 

[Scribble]

Collectible trading card "feats" (or manuevers)

Spell cards, magic item cards...

Monster stats come with the monsters, so as you buy monsters you get more stats, instead of books.

 

[Barak]

It came up in another thread. I thought it was interesting. I didn't submit it as a scoop and would be just as happy if it hadn't been posted. I honestly didn't see it as that big a revelation.

So it's basically the same silly stuff rehashed often enough, finally uttered by someone you sorta trust, and submitted by you..

Yeah, that sounds about right.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, 3E won't die, thanks to the OGL. When 4E hits, if there's any warning at all, we'll see the SRD cleaned up, a non-WotC advancement table added, probably some counterparts to the IP creatures and gods added and on sale at the same time.

Unless 4E is very different from what Eric heard, when the Fork comes, I'm taking the OGL/3E path instead. All of my books remain good, my campaigns continue without much of a hitch and, since it's all OGL material, it'll remain in print in some form forever.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I wonder if they'd sell off (really, license) the RPG portion of D&D and keep the mini and other profitable stuff in their portfolio. A smaller company could be happy with a return that would make the Hasbro beancounters cry. Hasbro would still have the RPG driving brand interest and visibility, they'd still have the big-ticket profit items (eg book and movie rights, computer games) to rent out. By making it a license they'd still have 'editorial' control to some extent.

It would seem to me that there is great potential in alienating two user bases by simultaneously. First, by making the collectibles game more complicated and more expensive (more, smaller books). Second by making the RPG less attractive to the core base and also more expensive, especially considering that third-parties could continue to produce 3.x material for as long as the (smaller) market would bear.

 

[EricNoah]

Oh definitely someone I trust and someone who would be in the position to know.

But really -- nothing all that surprising was said. I think we all knew that 4e had to be underway now or soon, and that minis were the wave of the future. I hadn't really considered the possibility of selling smaller "packages" of info, so that was a little surprising, as was the notion that Hasbro or WotC might be interested in letting go of RPGs entirely.

 

[Einan]

Well, 3E won't die, thanks to the OGL. When 4E hits, if there's any warning at all, we'll see the SRD cleaned up, a non-WotC advancement table added, probably some counterparts to the IP creatures and gods added and on sale at the same time.

Unless 4E is very different from what Eric heard, when the Fork comes, I'm taking the OGL/3E path instead. All of my books remain good, my campaigns continue without much of a hitch and, since it's all OGL material, it'll remain in print in some form forever.

Look at us. We're all turning into Diaglo and 4th edition hasn't even been announced yet.

Ha!

Einan

 

[sfgiants]

Two more interesting notes I thought of. First, how could 4e become more miniature focused? Secondly, theoretically if 4e comes out, one company could make some cash just selling 3.5 stuff, satisfying a sizeable market...

 

[BiggusGeekus]

 

[MojoGM]

Well if all this actually becomes truth we can always hope that nobody buys any 4E stuff and Wizards sells the D&D license to someone who will produce quality Pen& paper RPGs.

If that happens then rumor has it that:

1) A clear concise ruleset will be published with no forthcoming bloat.

2) supplements will be worldbooks, adventures, and other great fluff.

3) A banishing of the abomination that is D&D plastic minis- return to proper metal.

4) Reality sets in as we all realize that Hasbro would rather die sitting on the D&D license before letting anyone do anything useful with it.

I'm with you on all counts except #3. Pre-painted plastic minis are the best thing to ever happen to my game. I have neither the time nor inclination to paint minis, so this has allowed me to stop using dice or counters on my grid.

As for 4.0, if it comes, it comes. My 3.5 stuff is still good enough for me.