D&D 5E Reasons Why My Interest in 5e is Waning

TreChriron said:

I don't see why you can just build compatible material using the existing OGL library. You could model the approach of publishers already dipping their toes in the water.

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Is it legally possible? Yes. Do I know how? Very much so.

Do I feel ok with it? Not really.

I would much rather have Wizards' say, "you have our blessing to use these sections of material in any way you see fit (provided you meet certain community standards, etc)" instead of using a license for a previous edition of the rules. I prefer to stay within the good graces of Wizards. But my patience are waning on that as well. Sooner or later, I will have to make a decision on what to do. I don't want to have to make that decision. But I will make it if I have to.

I think it is somewhat puzzling yet admirable at the same time how so many of you hold on to this Zen-like belief that the less D&D products we get, the better the game is.

dmccoy1693 said:

5) Serious Lack of Digital Tools.

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They've said there will be digital tools. You don't want to wait for them.

4) No PDFs (except for the basic game).

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They've said they want clickable PDFs. You don't want to wait for them.

3) Nothing Much to Look Forward To/Lack of Product Diversity.

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They've said there will be more books. You don't want to wait for them.

2) The Waiting.

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Right. You don't want to wait. Gotcha. How was this not your #1 issue?

1) No OGL (or some kind of compatible license).

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They've said they want to do an OGL but wanted people to adjust to the DMG rules for a time before doing that. You don't want to wait for them.

All of your reasons are the same reason - you are impatient for stuff they've already said they are doing.

I sympathize with your impatience. I think everyone struggles with impatience sometimes. All I can say is hang in there, it's all coming, and given the high quality of the core books so far, it should be worth it. Sometimes the anticipation makes the eventual release all that more sweet. I recall that happening for me with the final Harry Potter books, and quite a number of other novels over the years, and some movies too. And patience in finding my eventual spouse sure paid off greatly, and patience with having a child added a great deal to the experience as well. It's difficult, but often worth it.

But if you can't wait, there's always 3e, 4e, or Pathfinder, each of which already has a flood of stuff for it. And then you can come back to 5e if you feel like it after they've released more stuff you like.

Fildrigar said:

1) They've said they're working on it. Have some patience, man.

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Actually, they haven't (at least not that I have seen) since its release. We do have several designers who said that they would like 5e to be OGL. To me, this sounds like several people that work there attempting to influence the internal struggles at WotC, internal struggles similar to those before 4e's launch that ultimately lead to the GSL, a license no one was happy with and was barely used. To say I am skeptical that there will be a license is an understatement.

The Mirrorball Man said:

I think it is somewhat puzzling yet admirable at the same time how so many of you hold on to this Zen-like belief that the less D&D products we get, the better the game is.

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Right. Because five hardcover books in six months is a slow release cycle. Gotcha.

Only thing that bothers me is the lack of product. I'd like another monster manual with a few more complex and solo monsters at all level of play (bag of HP and an axe are great for some fights, I just want some variety) but mostly some smaller adventures (not just big AP's).

I do think its in WOTC's interest to get some more product out, so the game has a reasonable retail footprint. As a business minded game store owner, which game would you steer someone towards... the game where they buy a player's handbook and nothing else, or one that's a gateway into a massive variety of product options, splats, adventures, cards, etc? If you're a new player, are you going to opt for a game with only a few books, or one that looks like it gets a massive amount of support from its publisher? I don't even play Pathfinder, but buy their great setting books and adventures to convert.

Digital Tools don't seem to be a priority to me. My wife's rogue's character sheet is one page, with gear. The warlock's is two, and that details all her spells. The game is pretty lean and mean compared to 3.5/Pathfinder/4E. Herolabs software to manage your monster spreadsheet of stacking modifiers isn't needed as much. A digital table wold be handy for those who play online, but that doesn't seem to be what others are mostly clamoring for.

Fildrigar said:

I just picked up Scourge of the Sword Coast, and it's great. Easily as good ( probably slightly better, as the town is larger and more detailed) as Lost Mines of Phalandrin, and it's going to take very minimum of convertion to be fully playable.

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I agree that was an excellent D&D Next adventure. I borrowed a lot from it for my campaign as well. I am playing through Paizo's Savage Tide adventure for 5e now as well.

The Mirrorball Man said:

I think it is somewhat puzzling yet admirable at the same time how so many of you hold on to this Zen-like belief that the less D&D products we get, the better the game is.

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For me its not exactly that but that I've barely scratched the surface of an edition that has been fully out less than 3 months and from what I've seen of it it seems to have enough to run for a long time as it is. Yet several people are getting quite agitated over not having a detailed multi-year release plan full of books. I can see if a fan of psionics wants something, but from listening to some they have exhausted the core books already and need splats or something to save their dying games.

The Mirrorball Man said:

I think it is somewhat puzzling yet admirable at the same time how so many of you hold on to this Zen-like belief that the less D&D products we get, the better the game is.

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I have absolutely no basis for saying whether the game is better or worse with fewer supplements. I can just say that I am happy with what they have released so far and if nothing more is ever released for 5e, I can live with that. If on the other hand they release more stuff in the future (as they have clearly stated they will), I am happy with that too. I will probably never run Princes of the Apocalypse, but I can sure as heck mine it for ideas, as I can with anything else they might release.

Fildrigar said:

Right. Because five hardcover books in six months is a slow release cycle. Gotcha.

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This is not actually connected to anything I've said, is it?