Mercurius
Legend
1. Take 3.5E
2. Dial it back to its simple and open-ended core structure.
3. Tweak and update a few elements to their 4E versions and/or a more streamlined version.
4. Mine every edition of D&D for sub-systems to add on as modular options, including 4E's sub-systems, thus treating 4E as one possible way to formulate D&D. Rinse add and repeat, with literally endless possible modules.
5. There you have it: 5E.
Notice that I don't specify what the "simple...core structure" is, or what "elements" should be tweaked to resemble their 4E iteration or something we haven't seen yet. But the point is, the above would basically please both 3.x and 4E fans, and thus 90% of the D&D fan base. Not everyone would convert, but most everyone would at least like and appreciate the game.
As for the remaining 10%, maybe a few would convert for awhile but I think most would simply stay with their older edition of choice. Viva la difference!
But the point being, 3.5 and 4E are not incompatible in terms of taking a basic core structure and treating both as possible configurations that can be made with modular options. This approach wouldn't please non-WotC D&D fans, but let's be honest: if you didn't convert to 3E or 4E or Pathfinder, it is highly unlikely that you'll convert to 5E because it is even more unlikely that they're going to go back to a pre-WotC edition as the basis of the rules system.
2. Dial it back to its simple and open-ended core structure.
3. Tweak and update a few elements to their 4E versions and/or a more streamlined version.
4. Mine every edition of D&D for sub-systems to add on as modular options, including 4E's sub-systems, thus treating 4E as one possible way to formulate D&D. Rinse add and repeat, with literally endless possible modules.
5. There you have it: 5E.
Notice that I don't specify what the "simple...core structure" is, or what "elements" should be tweaked to resemble their 4E iteration or something we haven't seen yet. But the point is, the above would basically please both 3.x and 4E fans, and thus 90% of the D&D fan base. Not everyone would convert, but most everyone would at least like and appreciate the game.
As for the remaining 10%, maybe a few would convert for awhile but I think most would simply stay with their older edition of choice. Viva la difference!
But the point being, 3.5 and 4E are not incompatible in terms of taking a basic core structure and treating both as possible configurations that can be made with modular options. This approach wouldn't please non-WotC D&D fans, but let's be honest: if you didn't convert to 3E or 4E or Pathfinder, it is highly unlikely that you'll convert to 5E because it is even more unlikely that they're going to go back to a pre-WotC edition as the basis of the rules system.