D&D (2024) Is the 5E player base going to split?

[payn]

I can't speak to art; it has never been a deciding factor for me in the context of an RPG.

As far as the rest of it is concerned, printing a new set of books, writing new copy (quite a lot of it especially in the MM) and commissioning new art all costs a lot of money. WotC will want and expect people to buy these books, and I think a lot of folks are not going to want to throw $200 away on books that don't give them something significant. And in doing so, they will of necessity draw battle lines.

History hasnt really supported this. Folks always buy the new books. Whether its curiosity, desire for new material, of folks first go around with an RPG. Even the 4E launch sold really well. You also discount PDFs/online tools, which are more affordable. Folks often scoff at a new printing as a cash grab or a bridge too far, but it just never pans out.

 

[Mercurius]

I realize my post above (#37) diverged a bit from what the OP is asking, but I think it is relevant. But to take one element from that, and to respond more directly to the OP, I think a lot depends upon how the "Stranger Babies" respond to this change. The old-timers who are still around have gone through this before, some several times. But what we don't know is how the new player base will respond to changes in a game that, for them, has not yet changed.

And of course a lot of their response depends upon how much the game changes, and in what ways. But I think WotC is very aware of this, and will try bring the game only up to the edge of what they think won't rock the boat too much.

Another fact that seems barely mentioned, but I think is huge: 5E is quite different from past editions in that there are minimal splats. Most of what is published are adventures and settings, and those sorts of products are more "update resistant" than splats. We've already seen WotC's planned approach: they folded two older splats (Volo's and Mordenkainen's) into one new book. Presumably they'll incorporate two more, Xanathar's and Tasha's, into the 50th anniversary PHB.

Meaning, they aren't going to have to re-publish everything - just the core rules, and then move on from there. They could even do a 5.5 and the uproar will be (or should be) less than in past editions, because there is less to update, and most of it can be updated within the core rulebooks.

So my prediction is that it will be more seamless a transition to the 50th anniversary because of the nature of the 5E product line: heavy on adventures and settings, relatively light on splats.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's a luxury product for a niche of a niche hobby. Price gouging is jacking up the cost of food, medicine, housing, and fuel...especially during an emergency. They're not in the same universe as a game book that you think it too expensive. I get that this is the internet and hyperbole is second nature to some...but really, settle down.

If you don't like the phrase, I apologize. But they are charging more for less material than has been the case, so there's something to it. It has nothing to do with anything but gaming, so I don't quite understand your issue with my terminology, but I withdraw it if you're bothered.

 

[Reynard]

It would make sense for the revised PHB and DMG to mostly just fold in player and DM information from Xanathars and Tasha's.

 

[Reynard]

If you don't like the phrase, I apologize. But they are charging more for less material than has been the case, so there's something to it. It has nothing to do with anything but gaming, so I don't quite understand your issue with my terminology, but I withdraw it if you're bothered.

It's not that folks don't like the phrase, it's that it is completely inaccurate.

 

[Micah Sweet]

History hasnt really supported this. Folks always buy the new books. Whether its curiosity, desire for new material, of folks first go around with an RPG. Even the 4E launch sold really well. You also discount PDFs/online tools, which are more affordable. Folks often scoff at a new printing as a cash grab or a bridge too far, but it just never pans out.

I don't think its a cash grab specifically. I think what they have said they're changing is not enough to justify re-buying the books.

 

[payn]

I don't think its a cash grab specifically. I think what they have said they're changing is not enough to justify re-buying the books.

I mean, I think tons will sell as the big 5-Oh anniversary collectors items alone.

 

[delericho]

To a large extent, it depends how wide-ranging the changes are. My gut feeling is that we're looking at something more like "4e Essentials" than 3.0e -> 3.5e, or possibly even 1st -> 2nd.

That being the case, there will be a 'split' in that some groups move to 5.5e, some stay with 5.0e, and many will adopt some sort of hybrid, but there probably won't be any sort of edition war between the two. And where there is movement of players between groups, I expect that to be fairly seamless.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I realize my post above (#37) diverged a bit from what the OP is asking, but I think it is relevant. But to take one element from that, and to respond more directly to the OP, I think a lot depends upon how the "Stranger Babies" respond to this change. The old-timers who are still around have gone through this before, some several times. But what we don't know is how the new player base will respond to changes in a game that, for them, has not yet changed.

And of course a lot of their response depends upon how much the game changes, and in what ways. But I think WotC is very aware of this, and will try bring the game only up to the edge of what they think won't rock the boat too much.

Another fact that seems barely mentioned, but I think is huge: 5E is quite different from past editions in that there are minimal splats. Most of what is published are adventures and settings, and those sorts of products are more "update resistant" than splats. We've already seen WotC's planned approach: they folded two older splats (Volo's and Mordenkainen's) into one new book. Presumably they'll incorporate two more, Xanathar's and Tasha's, into the 50th anniversary PHB.

Meaning, they aren't going to have to re-publish everything - just the core rules, and then move on from there. They could even do a 5.5 and the uproar will be (or should be) less than in past editions, because there is less to update, and most of it can be updated within the core rulebooks.

So my prediction is that it will be more seamless a transition to the 50th anniversary because of the nature of the 5E product line: heavy on adventures and settings, relatively light on splats.

Doing that would make sense from one perspective, but it would also make the new books even less worth paying for than otherwise, as the re-print percentage would go up.

 

[Mercurius]

While "price-gouging" might not be the right term, there is something to the idea of taking what essentially amounts to a $50 hardcover (and a smaller one, at that) and putting it in $70 packaging. I know, you get a slip case, a second map, and a DM's screen, but that isn't unlike various "gift sets" that you buy that force you to pay for extras, even if you only want the main product.

Meaning, I don't think it is unreasonable to be slightly miffed that a person, who only wants the meat of the product, has to pay $20 extra for stuff they don't care about. This might have been softened somewhat if, say, it was a meatier meat product! (e.g. three 96-page books).

What I think WotC should have done is offer it in two formats: A normal hardcover with two maps, and a "deluxe slipcase" version as they're publishing. Or simply made it a meatier product. Sure, they would have lost sales on the more expensive product, but they'd probably sell more and make up the difference.