If you use it that way I do agree.
But since new games were also called editions, it all becomes very muddy.
We could also call 1e to 2e revision.
3e to 3.5 revision. It is what they are going for from 5e 2014 to 2024.
So I think it was a good idea not to refer to the new rules as new edition as that word was ised in too many context and bears no meaning anymore. At least regarding the amount of changes.
So we need an option in the poll: the word edition is useless.
You hit the nail on the head. The only answer that
I personally accept (not that anyone cares) is: "IT DOESN'T MATTER".
I don't know why I stepped foot in this thread, but I am unsurprised to see how heated it is already!
Sure, it looks like it's going to change the rules something similar to the 1e to 2e shift or the 3.0 to 3.5 shift. Note that both those things had different names!
2e itself had the original books, and the rearranged/errata'd
revised black books, which the upcoming revision is ALSO similar to. It looks like it probably won't be as big as the 3.5 to 4e or a 4e to 5e shift, though.
So what do we call that? Whatever they choose to market it as, JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS HAVE. It's not like 5e was
ever the FIFTH VERSION of D&D. So why do we feel like accepting THAT NAME and not stubbornly calling it 16th or 18th or whatever it "really" is? Because even us pedantic gamers are not THAT stubborn!
Honestly, what they've chosen to call it lately (that being a "rules revision") is the only thing that's totally true. The rules will be
revised. Revised from what and into what? Those aren't currently clear.
If you need a name for it RIGHT NOW, call it "2024" or "50th Anniversary D&D" (those are the same thing). Or "the upcoming revision". Or stick with OneD&D if you're talking about the playtest stuff.
/rant