Why re-release 3.5?

[Reynard]

NOTE: This may be in the wrong forum. If so, mods please move it.

Referring to this.

The decision to put out new, erratta'd printings of the 3.5 Core, including asking what other books folks want, seems like a very strange choice for WotC. Is it possible WotC is going to make an effort to support every edition of D&D? With the AD&D reprints and the back catalogue announcement, adventures and articles on DDi supporting every version of the game is not a huge leap. Given it looks like there are 2 years before 5E/Next, they'll need revenue from somewhere.

However, 3.5 in particular seems a strange choice because of Pathfinder. I honestly don't know anyone who thinks 3.5 is superior or prefers it, though I do know some people who prefer 3.0 to either 3.5 or PF.

 

[Derren]

WotC probably tries to get some players back who left because of 4E as it is much more likely that they will take notice and try 5E when they are playing a D&D game instead of Pathfinder.

Also, 3/3.5E still is the most popular modern D&D version so it makes sense to support it.

 

[Desdichado]

We still play 3.5 in my group, and I've come (somewhat grudgingly, I admit) to prefer it to 3e, or any other version of D&D. I still see little use for most of the changes that Pathfinder made to 3.5. I think they got carried away fixing problems and somehow ended up with something that's too different to really be exactly a successor to 3.5 and is instead a closely related yet strangely highly incompatible completely different game. The only place I see that they made some really substantive improvements are in consolidating the skill list and opening up the classes to be much more flexible via the archetypes.

And arguably their alternate base classes are better than the many alternate base classes introduced in the Complete series for 3.5, but that's certainly arguable.

And if the most common complaints about 3.5 are to be believed--that it blows at higher level and devolves into too much minutiae the longer you play it--then Pathfinder doesn't even address those issues at all anyway, and probably makes them worse.

:shrug: Depending on the covers, I might actually pick up at least one of the core books. I'll still use them if I do.

 

[Mark CMG]

There are likely enough people who still play 3.5E so that WotC believes it to be a potential revenue stream. Certainly groups that play 3.5E and want to add new players to their numbers or even just update their own books will appreciate having new printings. The valuation of 3.5 PHs on the secondary market definitely supports teir thinking on the matter.

 

[mach1.9pants]

They have said it will be 2 years until 5E is ready, so that is 2 years of reduced income from books etc for the current edition. SO re-releasing 1E and 3E (and I hope 2E and RC too!) is another revenue stream and generates good will from non-4E-ers. Add to the release in 'electronic format' off the entire DnD back catalogue you have money to cover a lean period and a genuine attempt to generate goodwill and a sense of the DnD community.
Hopefully if everyone can still get their favourite flavour of official DnD (and official does mean something) we can have edition wars tone down a bit.
And if they make 5E a game that they promise (adjustable to all styles of DnD) AND under a proper OGL, well maybe we could see another 3E style resurgence.

Not saying that is what is going to happen but I guess that is the aim.

EDIT: Oh and I have seen a fair few people that prefer 3.5 to PF post around the various forums, the books still sell well second hand

 

[Mark CMG]

(. . .) re-releasing 1E and 3E (and I hope 2E and RC too!) is another revenue stream (. . .)

Given my previous post, it is also worth mentioning that RC routinely fetches high prices on eBay and elsewhere. I'd be surprised if RC wasn't on the short list of books to reprint soon.

 

[Janx]

not to mention, selling 3.5 PDFs is cheaper than reprinting books.

It will probably appeal to folks who want the rules on their tablet device during game, and would like to do so legitimately, while giving them value for paying for it. (you could keep using that pirated PDF or honest-up and get a bug-fixed version that probably lets you copy/paste text).

 

[Desdichado]

not to mention, selling 3.5 PDFs is cheaper than reprinting books.

But they are reprinting them, according to the link.

Actually, come to think of it, reprinting the core books might make used copies on Amazon of the original printings dive in price. Bargain seekers (like me!) who still play 3.5 and might need to replace a core book or two have even more reasons to like this move!

 

[Argyle King]

A theory:


There is still a lot of time until 5E is released. 5E is supposed to have a little bit of each edition. Seeing what sells from the previous editions might inform some of the early design decisions of 5E.

 

[Ahnehnois]

The secondhand market for 3.5 books has been quite robust since the 4e announcement, and remains so years later. PF is big, but I think the number of 3.5, PF, and 4e players is probably at least all on the same order of magnitude at this point; it would not surprise me if 3.5 and not PF was the largest of these groups but no one really knows. The reason to release the books is because there's a market, and because WotC needs to get on that market's good side.

As to the quality of PF over 3.5, it has some innovations, but a lot of change for the sake of change and some real garbage like "rage points", the setting, and the gun rules. I like to mine it for ideas-probably more than half my characters these days have an archetype or an alt racial feature-but I wouldn't say that taken as a whole it is a meaningful improvement.