D&D 5E fifth edition release schedule ... cart before the horse?

[am181d]

@am181d not to put too fine of a point on this but if i bought phb on release there is little to no chance i would buy starter set for mines of phandelver. now this leaves me with one module- hoard. there is another module tyranny coming out november 4th. phb released on august 19th. so between release date and now i have one module. by november 4th i have another (albeit a continuation of the first module). the modules are definitely easier to produce than the books (and they are outsourcing the modules !). why not give us some choice and variety. some shorter adventures some longer ones (a full ap would be nice). release some conversions of old modules...throw some encounters up on the website. for now it's either your full on for hoard and then you play tyranny...or...well this is no or.

HOARD to TIAMAT is a full AP. It's just in larger hardcovers rather than shorter paperbacks.

I'm not aware of anyone who's bought HOARD that's complained that it won't last them until TIAMAT is out.

I'm not aware of any edition that has offered a "variety" of modules in its first few months of existence. I suppose that could be considered a nice to have, but the idea that WotC has miscalculated by not doing something unprecedented doesn't strike me as a serious argument.

 

[Henrix]

why would i pay 20 bucks for starter set just to get mines?

Why would you pay 30 bucks for Hoard? The Hoard scenario is 1.5 times as long as Phandelver, and you do not get any dice, handy rules booklet or sturdy box. And it isn't as good.

 

[Selkirk]

@Henrix why would you pay 30 bucks for hoard? this is a very good question . the decision to go hardcover alone was a bad one (increases the cost and adds little to no value) and also sets a terrible precedent...modules now cost 30 bucks apiece? ouch ^^;...

@am181d why not do something unprecedented? i mean this is a reinvention/reinvigoration of the game and playerbase...why roll out content like you would have 30 years ago? and honestly is asking for more than one module just something so 'out there' that it's undoable? now wolfgang and kobold will undoubtedly stress how 'hard' it is to make a module-a lot of this is self serving...justifies the incredibly slow pace and also insulates against criticism. but if this were true...contract out to other studios (have like 5 going) and also frankly even tho it is 'difficult' to make a module-that's sort of what they do for a living! i mean is this really an excuse-my job is tough? everybody has tough jobs .

and as i've pointed out repeatedly within thread...there are other options...conversions of older modules...adventures and encounters on website...a weekly module released in parts (for free)...why everyone is so willing to cut wotc slack on this (they are a game company!) is beyond me and speaks to the easily satisfied nature of the gaming community.

 

[Kaychsea]

t.... there is no ogl(again why not?).

Because the OGL lead directly to Pathfinder once they changed things so significantly in 4e. Not sure they want that happening again.

 

[Hannerdyn]

@Henrix why would you pay 30 bucks for hoard? this is a very good question . the decision to go hardcover alone was a bad one (increases the cost and adds little to no value) and also sets a terrible precedent...modules now cost 30 bucks apiece? ouch ^^;...

@am181d why not do something unprecedented? i mean this is a reinvention/reinvigoration of the game and playerbase...why roll out content like you would have 30 years ago? and honestly is asking for more than one module just something so 'out there' that it's undoable? now wolfgang and kobold will undoubtedly stress how 'hard' it is to make a module-a lot of this is self serving...justifies the incredibly slow pace and also insulates against criticism. but if this were true...contract out to other studios (have like 5 going) and also frankly even tho it is 'difficult' to make a module-that's sort of what they do for a living! i mean is this really an excuse-my job is tough? everybody has tough jobs .

and as i've pointed out repeatedly within thread...there are other options...conversions of older modules...adventures and encounters on website...a weekly module released in parts (for free)...why everyone is so willing to cut wotc slack on this (they are a game company!) is beyond me and speaks to the easily satisfied nature of the gaming community.

I kind of get the feeling you're not really looking for solutions, but just looking to complain. Which is fine, but everyone trying to offer a solution should probably save their fingers.

I think most people here are satisfied because they don't have the same issue with a lack of content. You have the issue with the lack of content because you have decided that certain types of content don't live up to your standards. Again, that's okay, but it's not a lack of content you're decrying, it's a lack of quality in said content.

So that leaves me with this question: what would convince you that the content you're ruling out is actually good content? I think you can agree that third-party content is not necessarily bad, but you're weary of it, as you are Hoard. But what would it take to convince you that the content now available is good enough?

 

[Selkirk]

@Maldavos the 'solution' you seem to have is that everything is fine...wotc has produced plenty of 5e product-perhaps bordering on producing too much . further, this third party stuff you keep talking about is just that a bunch of talk...this is not 5th edition material...not compatible(which is why they do everything with a nod and a wink).

basically what i'm saying (and i have offered plenty of viable and logical solutions-old module coversions/adventures and encounters on website/free module released in parts on website...and yes ...gasp...even the possibility that they could produce more modules) is that there is no product. no guidance for setting (this has been touched on in another thread about forgotten realms...where sundering was talked about and publicized then promptly mothballed). for the people that see endless content in one module i guess there arguably is too much product (hey mines of phandelver makes two modules...^^;...). for those of us excited about this new setting and world...one module at release doesn't quite cut it.

@kachysea i can actually understand no ogl...why give away the game at this point. the problem is that 3rd party publishers are pretending like there is an ogl...and in the absence of content from wotc (and the demand for 5e material) they will start winning the day with these 3.5 'conversions'.

notes-see also hoard as incomplete(stat blocks online ^^; )...badly edited (maps take a beating from reviewers)...and still not fully in sync with ruleset. if this is the case with the only 5e module...don't start giving me the playtest modules as somehow 'finished' or 'optimized' for 5e (but wotc could give me that and i would gladly take it ).

 

[Mistwell]

this third party stuff you keep talking about is just that a bunch of talk...this is not 5th edition material...not compatible(which is why they do everything with a nod and a wink).

Have you seen any of it, or are you saying this on the basis of a guess? The monster stats are in line with 5e but not 3e. The skill checks are in line with 5e but not 3e. Tell me what is not in line with 5e but is in line with 3e, I want to hear about what you read.

I also think we might want to get Joe Goodman in this thread to speak directly to your accusation that the adventure is not compatible with 5e and that it's "just a bunch of talk" .

 

[Hannerdyn]

@Maldavos the 'solution' you seem to have is that everything is fine...wotc has produced plenty of 5e product-perhaps bordering on producing too much .

Not the question I asked.

"What would convince you that the content you're ruling out is actually good content?"

 

[Trickster Spirit]

and as i've pointed out repeatedly within thread...there are other options...conversions of older modules...adventures and encounters on website...a weekly module released in parts (for free)...why everyone is so willing to cut wotc slack on this (they are a game company!) is beyond me and speaks to the easily satisfied nature of the gaming community.

The gaming community is many things, but I don't think anyone can accuse it of being easily satisfied.

 

[TerraDave]

I am still not understanding this complaint. They put out a bunch of stuff during the playtest that is for 5e D&D. Converting it from "Next" stats to "5e" stats takes almost no effort -

I know from the 4E era having monster math that was not quite right was pretty annoying. And I was just looking at one of the next adventures. I would like to use it at some point, and again felt that same sense of annoyance.

Which was annoying.