You release a supplement showing how to do ascending AC as an optional rule and then in the next revision it becomes the actual rule.except how do you gradually change from AC 10 through -10 and Thac0 to bonus to hit and ascending AC?
You release a supplement showing how to consolidate the stat charts into a single chart as an optional rule, and then in the next revision it becomes the actual rule.how do you gradually change from 6 different charts to 1 unified formula for stats?
Release the supplement, optional rule, next revision it's the standard rule.how do you gradually change from non weapon prof and % skills to a skill system like we have now?
In fact that's a good example because non weapon proficiencies entered the game via a supplement in 1e and then become an official rule in the 2e PHB. That's the process I'm talking about.
Sure - but you can seed the ground beforehand so that when you do make the major changes everyone knows they're coming and many folks have already been using them. Tasha's and MoM are both really good examples of this kind of approach and are part of the evidence of why I think that Wizards is planning on taking this approach.sooner or later the editions HAVE to make major changes
Also again - D&D was in a very different spot when Wizards released 3e than they are with 5e. 3e came after TSR has basically been basically intentionally ignoring any game design that didn't come from within TSR itself. 3e was the "catch up" edition where D&D was brought up to date with where RPGs basically were in the 90s. 5e isn't suffering from being 2 decades behind in game design the way that D&D was when 3e game out.