What should Wizards of the Coast do next?

[Gez]

I'm pretty sure they will make a Fiend Folio... Monster books always sell well.

I would not be surprised by an Unearthed Arcana, but it's a bit less likely than Fiend Folio in my own speculations.

Anthony Zulkira talked about making a one-shot book with an all-new campaign setting, also. In the same interview, he talked about thinsg to be done with old campaign settings, maybe by that he meant the SpellJammer thing in that magazine ? Otherwise, expect a new book.

Race books are to be expected. Also, there's a Races of Faerûn that will come, wich will details both humans and humanoid cultures.

"Crystal & Metal" or "Channeller of the Willpower" or another silly name like that is also quite possible.

There will be lots of region books for FR. They said they wanted to start by regions that don't already have tons of 2e sourcebook; but then again since the first in their region book is on Silverymoon and its surrounding...

 

[smetzger]

Nah- not for about 8 or 9 more years.

1e (AD&D, not D&D) ran from about 1978 (more or less) to 1989 (11 years).

2e AD&D ran from 1989 to 2000 (11 years).

3e D&D will run from 2000 to 2010-11.

WOTC response "we will not be releasing a new version of D&D this year."

 

[Veander]

Hmm...

<sarcasm>

Judging by the recent review on WotC's site of Deadlands d20, maybe one of the new projects can be a $40 hardback of reviews where they selfishly bash the d20 competition. Oh and the reasons they give for the bad reviews on each d20 item are the same things that could be said about WotC's own products.

Well, off to the Microsoft site to find them needlessly put down BeOS and Linux.

</sarcasm>

Had to say something about that Deadlands d20 review of theirs today.

V

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Nah- not for about 8 or 9 more years.

1e (AD&D, not D&D) ran from about 1978 (more or less) to 1989 (11 years).

2e AD&D ran from 1989 to 2000 (11 years).

3e D&D will run from 2000 to 2010-11.

It's a horrible business model, though. You make more money if you can get the fans buying a new addition every 5-7 years rather than every 10-12 years. But, I was kidding about a new version in 2004 -- that's too soon.

 

[gamecat]

Spelljammer, a psionics splatbook, the nine alignments suggested by BG, An expose on the Red Wizards of Thay...

wishful thinking... Mages of the Beach are sooo customer un-friendly...

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Other than the Book of Vile Darkness & The MM2 I'm pretty set as far as D&D goes. Maybe if they put out a softcover sourcebook on the City of Greyhawk I'd buy it, a nice map and a lot of descriptions and whatnot.

 

[Green Knight]

What I'd like...

1. A mass combat version of Chainmail.

2. Rules on how to integrate Chainmail into D&D.

3. Rules for mass combat in D&D without the use of miniatures (Chainmail, in this case). That way you can use one or the other.

4. A Transformers RPG book. And why not? WoTC pretty much owns the property by default, already, as they're owned by Hasbro and Hasbro owns it. Transformers have been around for 18 years, there've been 4 series with a 5th to begin this fall on Cartoon Network, the current comic is selling out everywhere, the toys are hugely popular, and a CCG is on the way. So why NOT an RPG book? The time has come, IMO.

5. A G.I. Joe RPG book, to serve as a companion to the Transformers RPG book. Neither have to be supported. Just do it like Wheel of Time. Release 1 or 2 large hardcover books and leave it at that. And if they sell really well, then make more supplements.

6. A Babylon 5 RPG. I heard the original sucked, and it appears as if B5 is up for grabs, as that RPG hasn't been put out in years.

 

[bwgwl]

wishful thinking... Mages of the Beach are sooo customer un-friendly...

i don't agree. just about every single rule change from the original Star Wars d20 to the new Revised edition came about because the fans requested it.

i've even heard some of the designers say they prefer a few things the old way, but due to overwhelming response from the fan base, they changed things.

that's pretty good "customer service."

of course, the SW design team is different from the one that's masterminding D&D.

 

[Eternalknight]

Da-bump

 

[rounser]

But, I was kidding about a new version in 2004 -- that's too soon.

It's not too soon for a Revised edition of 3E. In fact, I don't think that can come soon enough...if they can do it for Star Wars, why not D&D?

I'd like to see the Monster Manual totally redone, the classes tweaked, and the combat system chapters (and possibly rules) overhauled to become a lot easier to learn.

Judging by the recent review on WotC's site of Deadlands d20, maybe one of the new projects can be a $40 hardback of reviews where they selfishly bash the d20 competition. Oh and the reasons they give for the bad reviews on each d20 item are the same things that could be said about WotC's own products.

Well, off to the Microsoft site to find them needlessly put down BeOS and Linux.

I think you misunderstand what the thought process behind d20's about, Veander. The d20 companies are making WotC money through purchase of PHBs, and as such don't constitute competition (at least, not yet I would think), but rather business partners of sorts...if Ryan Dancey's predictions are holding up.

Speaking of Dancey, I'd like to see his suggestion of a D&D Designer's Guide published - a book of all the maths and designerthink behind the scenes which make the game tick, allowing DMs to design or overhaul rulesy stuff with less effort and more confidence, and with a solid knowledge of the assumptions and arguments behind the 3E rules that make them what they are. Knowing the mindset of the average DM, such a book would be hugely popular, methinks, despite what marketing logic might suggest.

i've even heard some of the designers say they prefer a few things the old way, but due to overwhelming response from the fan base, they changed things.

that's pretty good "customer service."

I concur, bwgwl. In fact, I suspect that some of the product decisions that strike me as less-than-desirable (e.g. the recent god books' focus on stats) are due to fan demand/marketing surveys rather than by WotC staff choice. So we'll probably continue to get what we ask for - rather than what we need.