D&D 5E When do you think they will announce the next book?

[Kramodlog]

It looks like they might be approaching it in a MtG, blocks format.

I wonder if that could solve "bloat" and "power creep". Release one splatbook with each AP. That splatbook can only be used with the current Adventure League season. When a new season begins, all the old splatbook can't be used. Home games decide what splat they want to use, if any. Designers would be less burden with balancing new spells and feats with all the splat out there. They just need to focus on the core books.

 

[bmfrosty]

They are emulating Paizo

wat?

 

[Lee Singleton]

We were talking about this earlier in store. I would expect an announcement sometime around the beginning of May for an launch at GenCon, based upon the AL Storyline timings.

Talking about what that storyline could be, I have wild guess that if they were going for something that is both nostalgic/ crazy and gives you that feeling of Alice in Wonderland Theme / Through the looking glass then an AP set in Planescape/ Sigil could just be the thing. The reason this is my wild guess are as follows:

1) Planescape is already in the game, as part of the general default settings so just fleshing it out with a book (or 2 if they do some kind of players guide), would be give people more info on exploring the wider world of the planes.

2) It appeals to the nostalgic element of the game/ players without being another direct riff from a classic adventure.

3) It can have a very "through the looking glass feel". Alien/ weird yet recognizable enough to be awesome.

4) In theory if they planned this in advance with their partners you could have a door(s) in the Neverwinter MMO just lead to the Sigil Area without having to introduce planar travel spells etc.

5) AL Adventures could either stay around the Moonsea and deal with incursions coming through from Sigil or find some kind of planar door/ gate around the Moonsea that transports them to Sigil as well.

5) Plus this enables a bunch of cool miniatures to come out via their partners that a lot of long time fans would love to get hold of.

Carrying on in this wild guessing games I would assume another back in the FR Setting for the early part of 2016 and then go wild with Castle Ravenloft for GenCon 2016.

But like I said only wild guessing from me (and probably a whole lot of wishful thinking too)

Lee

 

[Kramodlog]

wat?

em·u·late
ˈemyəˌlāt/Valider
verb
match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.
"lesser men trying to emulate his greatness"
synonyms: imitate, copy, mirror, echo, follow, model oneself on; More
imitate.
"hers is not a hairstyle I wish to emulate"
COMPUTING
reproduce the function or action of (a different computer, software system, etc.).

 

[MerricB]

I wonder if that could solve "bloat" and "power creep". Release one splatbook with each AP. That splatbook can only be used with the current Adventure League season. When a new season begins, all the old splatbook can't be used. Home games decide what splat they want to use, if any. Designers would be less burden with balancing new spells and feats with all the splat out there. They just need to focus on the core books.

The Adventurers League already runs in that fashion. When you create a character, you also select a Story Origin (currently Tyranny of Dragons or Elemental Evil) and you can only use the options from that season for character advancement.

Cheers!

 

[Kramodlog]

So bloat is already dead?

 

[MerricB]

So bloat is already dead?

For D&D AL purposes, yes. They announced this plan to combat bloat back about 8-9 months ago, but it's very likely that people who don't participate in D&D AL play wouldn't know about it.

And bloat is very much on Mike Mearls' mind. The general thinking about D&D has been "more is better", which proved to not work exceptionally well for AD&D 2E. (Really, the finances of TSR were such a mess at that time - there were a number of products that cost more to make than they'd make back. Boxed sets in particular, but I think there was no way they could even break even on the Encyclopedia Magica!)

In fact, at the beginning of 3E, Ryan Dancey had a plan where D&D was basically just the core books with only a few supplements (like Sword & Fist). You can see it in the initial release schedule. Unfortunately, Wizards had blundered: they'd described D&D as a Magic-like line which could easily make $50 million+ profit per year. (see here). And, with Ryan Dancey moving on, the light-D&D schedule got retooled into more and more products... and the release of 3.5E when it became apparent that they needed something more to get close to that $50m figure.

There's been a big change in how D&D is handled at Wizards. Most of it is now being licensed out (and Wizards have regretted for years the decisions that both TSR and Hasbro made with regard to the movie and computer game rights, which stripped them of a lot of potential revenue). Meanwhile, they're observing the market very carefully to see the reaction to the few books they do release. They want a new release to be something significant and not just something which you put on the shelf and don't have time to read.

I've seen Mike talk about how he'd like a Greyhawk campaign setting book and a Forgotten Realms book, but - with the experiences of both the 3E and 4E settings - I think they're rightfully cautious about how to approach it.

Cheers!

 

[Kramodlog]

For D&D AL purposes, yes. They announced this plan to combat bloat back about 8-9 months ago, but it's very likely that people who don't participate in D&D AL play wouldn't know about it.

Indeed. And for home games "bloat" is a choice. You decide what you buy and what you use. So bloat is essentially dead for 5e.

And bloat is very much on Mike Mearls' mind. The general thinking about D&D has been "more is better", which proved to not work exceptionally well for AD&D 2E. (Really, the finances of TSR were such a mess at that time - there were a number of products that cost more to make than they'd make back. Boxed sets in particular, but I think there was no way they could even break even on the Encyclopedia Magica!)

Yeah, I know about 2e's saga.

In fact, at the beginning of 3E, Ryan Dancey had a plan where D&D was basically just the core books with only a few supplements (like Sword & Fist). You can see it in the initial release schedule. Unfortunately, Wizards had blundered: they'd described D&D as a Magic-like line which could easily make $50 million+ profit per year. (see here). And, with Ryan Dancey moving on, the light-D&D schedule got retooled into more and more products... and the release of 3.5E when it became apparent that they needed something more to get close to that $50m figure.

I thought Dancey said the 50 million bench mark came after a new VP arrived in 2005 and wanted to shelve any Hasbro product that made less 100 million$. He also said that World of Warcraft (released in 2004) drained a lot of players away from PnP RPGs and that hurt the brain. This is why 4e and DDI was thought out and 4e needed to be close to a video game. He didn't mention 3e not making enough money or 50 million $ targets, if I remember correctly.

And there is the elephant in the room: Paizo. They are printing lots of books, making money and became #1 in stores. Seems the problem of D&D are not entirely tied to bloat.

Meanwhile, they're observing the market very carefully to see the reaction to the few books they do release. They want a new release to be something significant and not just something which you put on the shelf and don't have time to read.

I'm not sure how APs are more significant than any other RPG book. Re-use is limited and from what people at Paizo have said most gamers do not finish APs. It seems they have more shelving potential. (Useful) Crunch and campaign source books are get more use. Campaign books from older editions are still used by gamers. Lore last longer than mechanics.

 

[Mistwell]

He did. The question the reporter asked was how often can we expect APs: .

Mearls answered two a year. http://www.pundak.co.il/library/roleplaying/638-mike-mearls-interview

It is pretty clear and there is no place for interpretation. Of course, the door is open to change. I do not contest that.

Look, you an expect WOTC to send you a pony in the mail now any day too. But they didn't say that either. I've explained twice now that "looking at" is not the same as "you should expect". If you don't agree, that's fine. But cut the crap on the "no place for interpretation". I disagree with your interpretation, you know I am disagreeing with it, so you know there is room for interpretation on this one.

I had hoped we could just put this to bed when I asked that, if there is room for interpretation, just quote the guy rather than paraphrasing towards one interpretation to the exclusion of the other. You seemed to have agreed, but now you've backslide to claiming your view is the only view. OK then, I think I've made my point, and even if you're not seeing it, I hope others reading this thread do. And given then XP I've been getting when I respond to you, it seems some others do. I guess there is no more to be said. You go ahead and take the last word.

 

[MerricB]

I thought Dancey said the 50 million bench mark came after a new VP arrived in 2005 and wanted to shelve any Hasbro product that made less 100 million$. He also said that World of Warcraft (released in 2004) drained a lot of players away from PnP RPGs and that hurt the brain. This is why 4e and DDI was thought out and 4e needed to be close to a video game. He didn't mention 3e not making enough money or 50 million $ targets, if I remember correctly.

You're right; for some reason (even though it was in the article I linked), I somehow thought it was a decision that was made earlier.

And there is the elephant in the room: Paizo. They are printing lots of books, making money and became #1 in stores. Seems the problem of D&D are not entirely tied to bloat.

The problem is that elephant might actually be pretty small. Yes, they're printing lots of books, but how do their overall sales compare to D&D at its height? And the answer is: we don't know. ICV2's figures are tremendously unreliable, and it's made worse by everything else (not Paizo or Wizards) hardly sells at all. It doesn't take much for a product line to drive off a cliff. (I'm looking at you, World of Darkness).

I'm not sure how APs are more significant than any other RPG book. Re-use is limited and from what people at Paizo have said most gamers do not finish APs. It seems they have more shelving potential. (Useful) Crunch and campaign source books are get more use. Campaign books from older editions are still used by gamers. Lore last longer than mechanics.

It's not that Wizards don't want to release those books at all, but they're allowing people to get more familiar with the system first.

The APs are significant due to the branding crossover, not particularly due to them being the most important RPG products.

Cheers!