D&D 5E Thoughts on 6-7-13 Playtest Packet

[delericho]

Huh. I finally manage to find some time to look at playtest materials, just in time for a new packet to be released... and no email notification.

Looks like I have some reading to do.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Yeah, I think you hit in the head what I've been getting frustrated with re entry, that the playtest has turned i to a bit of a PR stunt and that the "real game" is at a very different place.

I don't know about that. The changes they've talked about will require a pretty substantial re-working of the entire system, which will take lots of time to put together, so it makes sense for them to just give us little bits of it to see how we react so they're not doing it blindly. They also don't need to give us much content, because they probably don't want a million posts about how X monster isn't good enough, or X character option is broken, when all they're really doing at this point is figuring out how the major components will fit together.

 

[Warbringer]

I don't know about that. The changes they've talked about will require a pretty substantial re-working of the entire system, which will take lots of time to put together, so it makes sense for them to just give us little bits of it to see how we react so they're not doing it blindly. They also don't need to give us much content, because they probably don't want a million posts about how X monster isn't good enough, or X character option is broken, when all they're really doing at this point is figuring out how the major components will fit together.

I don't disagree, but my premise is we are not play testing the game, maybe just some pieces they want to test within the framework they are using.

But, I still hold that we aren't playing the game anywhere near it's current stage.

I strongly believe this game is scheduled for 2014 GenCon; too many marketing reasons as well as financial requirements. That said, this game has to be finished by November/December to hit publishing and printing timelines.

That's space for 3 more major revisions, that's it.

The current play-test isn't even close

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[zoroaster100]

For the half-orc, I would much rather they tone down the Str bonus to +1 and give them some interesting racial abilities. +2 Str is both pretty boring and worrisome.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I don't disagree, but my premise is we are not play testing the game, maybe just some pieces they want to test within the framework they are using.

But, I still hold that we aren't playing the game anywhere near it's current stage.

I strongly believe this game is scheduled for 2014 GenCon; too many marketing reasons as well as financial requirements. That said, this game has to be finished by November/December to hit publishing and printing timelines.

That's space for 3 more major revisions, that's it.

The current play-test isn't even close

If you accept that the game isn't even close to ready for a 2014 release, then why do you believe so strongly in it?

I'm wondering though if we're even going to see any of it before GenCon? Are they going to roll out some of the subclasses and other stuff prior to GenCon to get some public playtest feedback, or are they pretty much done for right now? They need to get whatever rules they're going to put into the GenCon exclusive (Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle) to the printers soon...

According to Mike on Twitter a while ago, there won't be "a full packet" before Gen Con. However, the Slave Lords bestiary uses simple versions of the Fighter and Rogue, so maybe they'll use those. I dunno.

 

[Warbringer]

If you accept that the game isn't even close to ready for a 2014 release, then why do you believe so strongly in it?
.

I'd put money on the table that this is product launch date negotiated by the business owners when they decided to write 5th. I also bet there were some pretty tough negotiations on the date as it represents 2 years of no cash flow from a current edition.

Add in tts the the 40th next year, and Gen Con is a great release date and platform with a captive audience of some 40-50K people already spending gaming dollars, great PR, and the option to generate great momentum.

The designers don't get to push this date and will have to make (already have made) decisons that define the new edition. I think they've done that and that in fact there is an edition of the rules far further down the road than we are playng with.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I'd put money on the table that this is product launch date negotiated by the business owners when they decided to write 5th. I also bet there were some pretty tough negotiations on the date as it represents 2 years of no cash flow from a current edition.

Add in tts the the 40th next year, and Gen Con is a great release date and platform with a captive audience of some 40-50K people already spending gaming dollars, great PR, and the option to generate great momentum.

The designers don't get to push this date and will have to make (already have made) decisons that define the new edition. I think they've done that and that in fact there is an edition of the rules far further down the road than we are playng with.

That's quite an extraordinary claim, considering their multiple statements to the contrary. Do you have any extraordinary evidence to support this?

 

[Morrus]

That said, this game has to be finished by November/December to hit publishing and printing timelines.

No.

 

[Warbringer]

No.

Yes