WotC acknowledges 4th Edition Not for Everyone?

[Dausuul]

I agree that it is a good thing that they worded the marketing info on the package the way they did.

However, I think that the PDF's would be EASY as pie to take down in a heartbeat. If they ever really believed that 4e is the one and only, those PDF's would not have stayed on line. Period.

Oh, eh, thanks for the editing

BBQ and coffee...

What do you mean by "the one and only?" They'd have to be utter morons to believe that everyone is going to convert to 4E. There are people out there still playing every edition from OD&D onward. Wizards has said from the beginning that they know not everyone will be on board with 4E.

Providing the .PDFs, and marking certain products as "edition-independent," lets them pick up a little money from the hardcore fans of earlier editions who are simply never going to convert, without supporting those earlier editions to such an extent that they risk splitting the 4E customer base. It's a smart move.

 

[Merkuri]

WotC knows that people play other editions of the games. If they're even the slightest bit in touch with the gaming community they must know this. It's a simple thing for them to say, "hey, these things could be used with any D&D edition that uses grids (and probably some that don't), so why don't we write that on the box!"

I doubt it's anything more than somebody trying to market this particular product to a larger audience. There's probably only a tiny chance that this means they're planning on supporting other editions or that this is heralding 4.5.

 

[reveal]

Ultimately it's marketing. It's useful outside D&D 4E because not everyone plays it and they know that...and they want to emphasize their own stuff by saying D&D (sans edition identifiers)...but realistically, it's useful for any RPG and they know it. It's marketing tactics and understandable.

Jeff Preston

Exactly. They're terrain tiles for gawd's sake. There is no conspiracy theory here. If a DM wants to show what the terrain looks likes to add a more visceral aspect to their game, they can plop these puppies down. Doesn't matter what system it is, terrain is terrain.

 

[justanobody]

Exactly. They're terrain tiles for gawd's sake. There is no conspiracy theory here. If a DM wants to show what the terrain looks likes to add a more visceral aspect to their game, they can plop these puppies down. Doesn't matter what system it is, terrain is terrain.

Terrain is not terrain. These tiles aren't even terrain. You want terrain check out Dwarven Forge, or Hirst Arts.

I think the point is by not saying "for 4th edition", it doesn't automatically drive people away that don't want to play 4th edition.

So if a new book comes out claiming to be "for 4th edition" yet there is no mechanical game information in it, it may drive people away, while not labeling it as 4th edition has a greater chance of picking up those people who would be turned away from the product as being something so tightly connected to the 4th edition ruleset.

 

[Rel]

Terrain is not terrain.

Um...What?

 

[justanobody]

Um...What?

The statement was "terrain is terrain". But the tiles are not terrain, but more than a game board. Just one that happens to be modular.

Take one of those people that made Drow Outpost, or some of those other maps in 3D and there you have some terrain.

2D isn't terrain to a player. The green blob may suppose to be a bush or tree, but you have to ask. Terrain would be something that tells you right away even if it is a Lego tree. It needs depth beyond the tiles flat images to be terrain.

The tiles are good visual aids, but not quite terrain. Those fold-up models WotC has archived somewhere are good examples of terrain.

Now, if you have a pull-out tap like a pop-up book on the tiles to pop up the trees or something I will call them more akin to terrain.

Otherwise, they are just a modular map that indicate what terrain would exist in 3D just like a surveyors map, but without the contour lines.

 

[usdmw]

In discussing scale in 1e ad&d you are both right.

Movement rates and missile ranges are given in a scale of 1" = 10 feet indoors or 10 yards outdoors.

In the rules for using miniatures. a scale of 1" = 3 1/3 feet is given.

 

[justanobody]

In discussing scale in 1e ad&d you are both right.

Movement rates and missile ranges are given in a scale of 1" = 10 feet indoors or 10 yards outdoors.

In the rules for using miniatures. a scale of 1" = 3 1/3 feet is given.

Combat and Tactics half those to 5 feet and 5 yards, known as "missile scale".

 

[usdmw]

True, but C&T is a 2nd ed book. Also, in 2nd ed all combat movement is assumed 1" = 10 feet, a change from 1st ed where 1" = 10 yards outdoors.

 

[MINI]

If you can sell to a broad audience, why limit yourselves to just 4e enthusiasts?