What will influence 5E during its development?

[Lum The Mad]

I know that there will be a new Hobbit movie next year, but I don't think it will have much influence in 5E as it practically is "just another" LOTR movie.

Hahahah

Are you serious?
Just another LOTR movie? As if that's something to sneer at in the fantasy genre!

Well, let's see the domestic boxoffice numbers:
- Fellowship of the Ring: $315,544,750
- The Two Towers: $342,551,365
- The Return of the King: $377,845,905

Each movie made more money than the preceding one.
I think that the first part of "The Hobbit" will hit 400 Million (domestic) easily. The second one probably even more.

If I was the responsible person at WotC, this would be a wave I would want to ride on.
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=releases&id=fellowshipofthering.htm

 

[TheAuldGrump]

More than anything else?

Pathfinder kicking 4e in the junk.

Play nice - the two games are pretty evenly dividing the market.

I do think that a return to more of a toolbox approach is likely. But, at the same time, I think that WotC will continue on the track that they chose for monsters - short statblocks, and a more defined role for the critters.

While I prefer the big statblocks of Pathfinder the one thing that I hear as a consistently good thing about 4e is that it is a heck of a lot easier to create adventures.

Perhaps an expansion of that theme.

The Auld Grump

 

[howandwhy99]

short statblocks, and a more defined role for the critters.

That just reminded me. I thought one possible future design could be partial use of stat blocks. Sort of like:
Stats 1-8 are in black and the core game.
Stats 9-14 are in red and refer to some optional modular systems
Stats 15-23 are green and could be particular to the add on system they are printed for.

Of course another way is to expand usage of already existent stats. Like CHA is what one uses to command the crew in a naval game and AC & HP refer to a ship's structural durability and the amount of damage it can take.

You wouldn't need to know these extra definitions of the common stats in a core game, so they aren't listed. Ship sailing and combat are simplified instead.

I wouldn't necessarily want a strong limitation on the number of stats. Designing a good game really means having the freedom to define new elements. But I also wouldn't want to overwhelm anyone trying to use multiple modules. It's a bit of a balancing act in the end I think.

 

[Aldarc]

Even if WoW is on its decline, its ubiquitous influence can still be felt in the gaming market. So in terms of present and upcoming games that could influence D&D 5E:
* World of Warcraft: It's not the same game as it was at start. The design philosophy continues to evolve.
* SWTOR
* Skyrim
* Guild Wars 2

 

[cattoy]

If they're smart, they'll look across the hall and take a few pages out of M:tG's playbook.

 

[Argyle King]

I think the 4E board games will influence 5E.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I think the 4E board games will influence 5E.

I think that's a safe bet.

The Auld Grump

 

[MichaelSomething]

If they're smart, they'll look across the hall and take a few pages out of M:tG's playbook.

You could say they all ready did. In 3.5 you could construct your character like a Magic deck and 4E powers take many ques from magic cards themselves...

 

[Glade Riven]

I would love for some of the design theory behind Guild Wars 2 to be adopted for 5e.

Fun fact about Elder Scrolls: Just about every character you run across is essentially built like a 3e NPC - Using the same system as PC rules. True for Morrowind, Oblivion, and now Skyrim.

One thing to keep in mind is that DDI has given solid feedback on what people like to play as and what options are commonly used. I would expect the Player's Guide would have the top 5 races (and maybe a couple classics to cover the bases), with a remix of core classes. 4e's Power Management replaced Resource Management in 3e, so I would expect 5e would back off of it a little bit. With the apparent success of the boardgames, I would actually expect that the "starter edition" would be framed in those terms, with the "Full Edition" as a true RPG.

4e's box sets are nice, so I can even see them launching a box first, followed by the triumvirate of core rule books and additional accessories. It would be awsome if you could buy monster tokens in smaller parcels, by theme or terrain (kinda like the old minis, but not random and something like two dozen in a box). Or mix in a sheet or two of monster tokens with dungeon tiles. That would rock.

What I would not expect is something that is halfway between 3.5 and 4e (AKA D&D Saga). That ship has sail, and would fail if they tried. As well, with most of the people involved with designing 4e no longer at Wizards, the remaining old guard (including Monte) as well as the new crew will aim for something new and special. Considering Monte's track record, I don't see him rehashing what he's done before. He's not that type of content creator; he'll challange himself in the process.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I think that DDI may also be one of the things hurting 4e at the same time - that folks that don't want a monthly subscription fee might be going elsewhere.

I think that the changes to the character and monster builders also cut into the stream, or at least a few folks at the game store were saying that they dropped their subscriptions after the monster builder was unveiled. (Yeah - 'folks at the local game store' are sort of like 'some guy at the bar'....) One was very glad that he had kept the older offline tools, even if they weren't going to get updated any longer.

I am pretty sure that DDI is still helping more than it is hurting, but given WotC's recent track record....

*EDIT* Another thing to bear in mind about feedback from DDI - it only pertains to those folks that think that the DDI is worth the monthly subscription. Results will be skewed.

The Auld Grump