D&D 5E I don't understand the reasoning behind D&Dnext

[Obryn]

...And therefore...?

She's a witch?

-O

 

[Animal]

I think it's not even about 4ed. being not very successful.
The main point here is that 4ed. doesn't need a sequel. Love it or hate it, it doesn't need so badly to be further worked on.
While previous editions still have room to grow.

 

[B.T.]

I think it's not even about 4ed. being not very successful.
The main point here is that 4ed. doesn't need a sequel. Love it or hate it, it doesn't need so badly to be further worked on.
While previous editions still have room to grow.

Wishful thinking.

 

[Blackbrrd]

I think 5e looks really interesting, it does seem to take a lot of input from the earlier editions, not just the later ones. The first play test looked really interesting, the second (current) looks a bit more math-heavy. Maybe a bit too much? I am really interested to see where they end up.

I hope they will end up with a stream-lined, not-math-heavy, flexible system that lets you create fun adventures and where combat doesn't feel like a game within the game.

 

[Steely_Dan]

I think 5e looks really interesting, it does seem to take a lot of input from the earlier editions, not just the later ones. The first play test looked really interesting, the second (current) looks a bit more math-heavy. Maybe a bit too much? I am really interested to see where they end up.

I hope they will end up with a stream-lined, not-math-heavy, flexible system that lets you create fun adventures and where combat doesn't feel like a game within the game.

Yes, as I've said, it's shaping up to be what I wanted 2nd Ed to be.

 

[Raith5]

Hmm this thread contains people who prefer certain editions all seeing parts of their preferred editions in DDN. Quick shut down the Internet!

 

[Badapple]

4e players are not the targeted demographic for 5e. If D&D Next was just a 4.5 edition, then all the 4e players would just see it as a money grab (in the vein that 3.0 players saw 3.5) and all the 4e haters would still hate it, and sales would be low.

WotC does need to make a new edition however. I love 4e and it’s my game of choice. But I’ve already reached saturation point in terms of books and materials bought. So has everyone else in my group. We’ll keep playing the game for years, but we’ve pretty much tailed off in terms of buying new stuff for it. Maybe an adventure here or there, but that’s really about it. 4e could be the most successful game on the planet (it’s not) and still there’s not much more room to make the big money. The big bulk of the 4e sales comes from DDI subscriptions and unless WotC are complete idiots, they’ll keep the servers running and keep collecting the free money they get from 4e players.

It makes far more sense for WotC to make a 3.75 edition with some AD&D paint thrown over it, and try to recapture some of their lost player base. Players of older editions are their true targeted demographic.

That's not to say that WotC doesn't want to include 4e players, of course they do, they just won't do so at the expense of the players of older editions. Their existing 4e player base will either switch to the new game, or still keep paying for DDI subscriptions and stay with 4e. Heck, some will probably do both.

 

[Obryn]

WotC does need to make a new edition however. I love 4e and it’s my game of choice. But I’ve already reached saturation point in terms of books and materials bought. So has everyone else in my group. We’ll keep playing the game for years, but we’ve pretty much tailed off in terms of buying new stuff for it.

Yeah, I get the same sense, too. 4e - right now - is a much better, more complete, better-running system than it was when it was first released. And there's not much more I need for it.

I have a feeling that, even with a successful system, 4-5 years is about the longest we can expect to see an edition last - unless the release of books is spread out considerably more than it was during 3e/4e. The need for that new influx of money that only a core book release can provide is too pressing.

-O

 

[JRRNeiklot]

I expected for D&Dnext to keep the sharp concise 4e rules of the abilities/spells in battle and add more "roleplayish" rules to them to use out of battle basically being a sequel to 4e with a homage to 3e added on making this somehow possible by a genius strike of rules design.

But instead D&Dnext seems to do away with almost everything 4e stands for and tries to position itself as 3.75e and thus as an alternative to 3.5/Pathfinder.

I think this is a rather bad idea as it will alienate a good portion of the fanbase that stayed with WotC for 4e and maybe don't get a lot of the ones back that left because so far I do not see the awesomeness that will people cause to abolish 3e/Pathfinder in favor of D&Dnext.

Or am I getting something wrong?

You must be, or I got a different playtest document, because all I see is 4e mechanics mixed with a few 3eisms couched in old school terminology.

 

[Sonny]

Yeah, I get the same sense, too. 4e - right now - is a much better, more complete, better-running system than it was when it was first released. And there's not much more I need for it.

I have a feeling that, even with a successful system, 4-5 years is about the longest we can expect to see an edition last - unless the release of books is spread out considerably more than it was during 3e/4e. The need for that new influx of money that only a core book release can provide is too pressing.

-O

Well in this case they plan on concentrating less on rule-books and more on settings and adventures. Having new rules introduced to the system at a slower pace will help keep the system alive (assuming it's successful enough.)