D&D 5E Different approach to buying the core books in 5E

[Sunseeker]

I never buy anything at release unless I've previewed it significantly to know I like the content.

Otherwise I always wait. I've just been burned on too many purchases of all sorts of products.

 

[Shadeydm]

I did preorder the 3 core 4E book thinking that like all previous editions I would end up both playing and DMing. In the end 4E just doesn't support the kind of game I want to run so the DMG and MM both ended up being wasted money, as they aren't even an enjoyable read. Having learned the hard way its doubtful I would buy anything more than the 5E PHB without playing first. Playing the actual game not an alpha or beta release to be clear.

 

[GX.Sigma]

The game they've been talking about in articles and blog posts sounds like exactly what I want. If D&D 5e turns out to be that game, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

It I don´t find the playtest rules horrible I will buy the core books, enven if I don´t use it to play. (if there is a electronic version that I can read in my iPAD, I don´t buy physica RPG books anymore)

 

[Elf Witch]

Well Monte Cook leaving was a good sign, but I'll wait for the open playtests.

When he wrote the article about 'wouldn't it be cool if D&D had a passive perception score rather than rolling perception all the time' I nearly gave up on 5E entirely.

For me Monte leaving was not a good sign at all and has made me even more wary.

Sometimes reading these boards makes me wonder if the designers have taken on herculean task in trying to design a game that will appeal to a majority of players.

If they do then it will be something great and I really hope that is what happens.

But I wonder how they are going to accomplish this for a player like me who really dislikes 4E and all the changes and a player of 4E who dislikes the stuff that came before.

 

[GM Dave]

3 core books?

As far as I know the presentation style had yet to be established.

It could be like Essentials with a few different Player's Handbooks with different classes in each book and the general rules in a size that is friendly to carry around with you.

The monster manual might be an update of the Monster Vault with a box of tokens. I liked that release because you got toys to use.

It could be that they start with a 'Red Box' introductory set that has all the base elements to play a few classes.

Three books? Maybe but with modular approach it may be that they release several books that are the core 'player books' and the core 'Gamemaster books' to reflect the different modules.

I mean, it would take a good size book to just slap on a module that provided 4e style encounter abilities.

They might go like the Skills and Powers line of books.

They could have a whole book dedicated to Themes and Backgrounds because that area is going to likely be huge to cover the variety of choices that players are going to want and have described.

They might need a full book for spells and combat maneuvers.

Plenty of time for the designers and developers to decide on what format the 'core' will take.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Yes, I will buy the core book or books (No evidence there will be three of them)

I have played and enjoyed every edition of D&D, though often for different reasons. I won't go into them here as they have all been said elsewhere by myself and others.

One edition I would not play again, but again, no need to go into that here.

But as for 5E, a few points

1: Playtesting. We will see the game beforehand, in great detail.

2: 5E is D&D, though it might not be the kind I want to play, I still want to see what new
ideas are in there.

3: It probably will not really cost all that much money. $100 or so? I can afford that.
Even if it were hard, I would have 14+ months to save up for it. What is that $2
a week? Max!

 

[GreyICE]

For me Monte leaving was not a good sign at all and has made me even more wary.

Sometimes reading these boards makes me wonder if the designers have taken on herculean task in trying to design a game that will appeal to a majority of players.

If they do then it will be something great and I really hope that is what happens.

But I wonder how they are going to accomplish this for a player like me who really dislikes 4E and all the changes and a player of 4E who dislikes the stuff that came before.

Why do you think that I dislike all the stuff before it? Or was this not directed at me?

AD&D was a great game, and I enjoyed playing it. 3.X was an even better game, and I enjoyed playing it. 4E was better still, and I love playing it.

Each and every edition has had its flaws, and 4E is no exception. But Cook had blatantly never even read 4E (passive perception is on the FRONT OF EVERY CHARACTER SHEET) and with him at the helm, 5E would obviously lack anything that 4E just did better than every previous edition.

 

[was]

I'd like to look at it before I purchase anything.

 

[Alan Shutko]

I'm not going to buy the books until I have a confirmed group and campaign that will be playing it. I got burned with 3.0... I got the books when they came out thinking "I don't have a game now, but I'll have the books for when I do." By the time I had a game, 3.5 had come out.