Wire Fu Demonic Magical Superheroes

[Thornir Alekeg]

TUltimately, though, you are right and only dollars matter in the long run. That's why i say, "I hope 4E falls flat." Not because I wish any of the people that work for WotC hard times and unemployment, but because I want a current, supported edition of the game I have loved for 22 years that is recognizable and dynamic.

I suspect that, if 4E falls flat, you won't see a current, supported edition of the game you loved for 22 years. I think at best you will discover 5e right around the corner. At worst, it becomes a stagnant product line that will be supported only by the third party publishers using the SRD.

New Coke is one of the very few examples I can think of where a company went back to what they had when their new product failed. I don't see that happening with D&D.

 

[Rechan]

I suspect that, if 4E falls flat, you won't see a current, supported edition of the game you loved for 22 years. I think at best you will discover 5e right around the corner. At worst, it becomes a stagnant product line that will be supported only by the third party publishers using the SRD.

New Coke is one of the very few examples I can think of where a company went back to what they had when their new product failed. I don't see that happening with D&D.

This.

After all, Hasbro wants to make money. If they see D&D being a sinkhole of resources, they'll shoot it in the head or at least stab it in the kidney and dangle it off the side of the boat to attract the scavengers.

Wishing for the "I told you so" of spite against a corporation/business is likely, uh, not wise if you actually care about the product they're putting out.

 

[Clavis]

Good analysis, Daztur. Spot on regarding RC D&D* as being rules-lite, first and foremost. Though weapon mastery added a surprisingly large amount of complexity to combat for one rule. As a result B/X is a quite a bit lighter.

*My second favourite version of D&D.

I had a crazy, wonderful dream that 4ed came out, and it was basically Rules Cyclopedia D&D with unlimited class and race combinations possible for PCs.

Then I woke up, and read what 4th edition is actually going to be like.

Please, God let me sleep again.

 

[Reynard]

Wishing for the "I told you so" of spite against a corporation/business is likely, uh, not wise if you actually care about the product they're putting out.

I don't believe for a second that they'd let it wither and die and drag WotC along with it. Rather, we'd get a 5E in two years that does go "Back to Basics". That's what I meant.

It certainly isn't likely however. these people aren't stupid. There's a reason the game is going the direction it is, and I am sure that it will be successful in doing so. But if it veers as far away from what I consider to be the core D&D experience, I won't be along for the ride. And that makes me angry, sad and irritable all at once.

 

[Xyl]

There's a reason the game is going the direction it is, and I am sure that it will be successful in doing so. But if it veers as far away from what I consider to be the core D&D experience, I won't be along for the ride. And that makes me angry, sad and irritable all at once.

What is the "core D&D experience"? Myself I'd say it's entering a dungeon, killing the monsters, and taking their stuff. What do you think it is?

 

[Stone Dog]

What is the "core D&D experience"? Myself I'd say it's entering a dungeon, killing the monsters, and taking their stuff. What do you think it is?

Seconded. Go to someplace dangerous. Overcome the dangerous things there. Come back with fortune and glory. That is the core of D&D to me.

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

It seems there is alot of anger over 4e for the simple fact alot of people think that whatever was wrong with 3e could have been fixed with a revision or another alterante ruels book like Unearthed Arcana.
With what we know so far Im dissapointed in that is seems they are changing things for the sake of change.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

A better decision would have been to run a survey with paid postage in the back of the second run of Complete books, I think. At least then you'd be getting the opinions of those that buy books the people you care about). instead, you get the opinions of people that hang out online a lot -- who probably download your books "for free".

So all us message board posters are a bunch of book pirates? Very classy.

 

[Brentos]

Funny

It seems there is alot of anger over 4e for the simple fact alot of people think that whatever was wrong with 3e could have been fixed with a revision or another alterante ruels book like Unearthed Arcana.
With what we know so far Im dissapointed in that is seems they are changing things for the sake of change.

I've seen this type of disappointment and anger over 4e, but imagine if they just did a 3.75 revision. The crazy talk for 3.5 was just as bad for 4e (maybe slight exaggeration for effect). A 3.75 edition would have all the negatives of 4e announcement, without any of the positives, branding wise, to attract new players.

BTW: to me the core of D&D is creating a cool character using classes, levels, and other options...getting them cool stuff...going to cool places...risking danger...having cool battles...and finding cool loot. 4e sounds like it will do this for me. 3.x does too, but 4e sounds...well...cooler!

It's like at some point you need Sims2. All the expansion packs can't solve all the inherent problems and new possibilities that a new version can. Bring on Sims3!

 

[Reynard]

What is the "core D&D experience"? Myself I'd say it's entering a dungeon, killing the monsters, and taking their stuff. What do you think it is?

It's that, but it i also resource management (out the window with per encounter abilities), it is tension (out the door with killing save or die effects) and it is puzzles and tricks and other "player oriented" challenges (the jury is still out on this one, but there is a little hope). What's more is that the "D&D experience" is one that embraces a lot of currently-in-line-to-be-slaughtered sacred cows, in favor of a new paradigm and reimagining of D&D. Again, I understand why, but I don't have to like it.