Pace Yourselves

[am181d]

August 15th, 2013 is the first day of Gen Con 2013. If I had to put down money, I'd bet that that'll be the launch date for 5e.

*And it's over 18 months away.*

It's fair to discuss what you want to see, what you don't want to see, etc. but it is WAY too early for anyone to have any opinion on 5e except for vague optimism or vague pessimism.

There are no ideas so inherently flawed that they can't be executed brilliantly, nor ideas so perfect that they can't be royally botched.

We have the playtest process coming up (presumably) later this year. We'll get some more information then, but even that information will be "ideas that they're testing." We won't have anything really substantive/finalized for another year at least.

So discuss, argue, theorize, etc. but for Gygax's sake PACE YOURSELVES. We're going to be having this conversation for a LONG TIME.

 

[Tallifer]

I am really hoping that I can persuade my group to play in a Fourth Edition game during this twilight period of the next eighteen months.

 

[Raith5]

But it is sooo addictive to postulate without information. I can stop posting or xping at any time, I swear!

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

You're right. We're already starting to reach the end of what can be considered useful discussion based on what we know. In fact, debating small, vague points only causes us to start forming battle lines over different ideas. Ideas that we probably didn't even care about a week ago.

It would be wise, as individuals, to take a break, go play some games, and wait for more information. Cool stuff will probably come to mind as the current information settles.

 

[Blacky the Blackball]

But if we don't start now, we won't have time to get entrenched into our Edition War ranks (with a good supply of stock comparisons and stock criticisms) before the play tests start!

 

[vagabundo]

Well I'm a third of the way through starwars saga Dawn of Defiance and then I will probably run a 4e conversion of Savage Tide. Plenty to keep me busy while I watch how this unfolds.

 

[Gary N. Mengle]

August 15th, 2013 is the first day of Gen Con 2013. If I had to put down money, I'd bet that that'll be the launch date for 5e.

It's my thought as well that this is the earliest credible release date. I wouldn't be shocked to see it pushed to 2014, though - I have the general sense that the project is very early in its development cycle.

 

[Yora]

To me, that is the latest probable date. That company wants to make some money from its brand and you don't want to two years without sales because you start public playtests so early.
I've heard that 4th Edition didn't see much sales last year, and it will be significantly less now.