D&D (2024) Jeremy Crawford: “We are releasing new editions of the books”

[Corinnguard]

Yeah. 3.5e was also a new edition of the 3e books.

 

[Vaalingrade]

When did "fifth edition" show up on the back cover of the PHB?

It was tucked away on the books, but they called it just D&D for years and kept up with the 'evergreen edition' thing on top of it.

 

[deganawida]

'We are releasing new editions of the books,” Crawford emphasized. “We are not releasing a new edition of the game. And so that, I think, is a really important distinction — that it is still 5th edition, but yes, we are releasing revised versions of the books, which anywhere else in the publishing world would be called new editions.”"

Any thoughts?

Link:
D&D has a messaging problem that goes beyond the OGL controversy

Someone have the Malcolm Reynolds’s gif handy?

 

[Minigiant]

Well isn't that what's happening.

This is closer to a big DLC path to a game than a new game in the series.

Gods and Kings and Brave New World changed Civ V but it was still Civ V.. Not Civ VI.

WOTC Stop being Old people and explain it like modern folk.

2014 is Vanilla.
2024 is the First Expansion.
2030 will be the 2nd Expansion
2034 will be D&D 6th edition

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

The 2024 classes are the children of the 2014 classes. And all the parents are complaining about kids these days.

Druid mom: ... and that's how you cast barkskin
Druid son: no mom, my way is so much cooler.
Druid Mom: look, I've been casting it this way since before you where born.
Druid Son: time to evolve mom...

Fighter Dad: what are you going?
Fighter daughter: out to practicing trip attack with my friends.
Fighter Dad: in my day we didn't need no fancy maneuvers. We just hit it until it was dead.
Fighter Daughter: Dad, quit embarrassing me...

That is literally how I've considered looking at it. There is the Old Guard who does things in ways that worked for them back in their day, and there are new generations that want to break out and iterate and expand and try new things. Sometimes the new options rock, and sometimes it's hard to iterate on a classic that feels right. Lots of people think their way is the best and like to hyperfocus on perfecting their craft. Others like to mix and match and try new things to see what works for them.

I can totally see a couple of young mercenaries in Greyhawk chatting about fighting styles after a winning a fight with an enemy, with one saying "I graduated on the cutting edge of the New Dawn cadet program, and I can run circles around my foes. But Gemma, how are you still standing, and where did you learn to beat down that ogre like that?" Gemma replies "My grandfather is a Champion of the Old Ways and he taught me. It was brutal, but now so am I. To be honest, you do have some good footwork, dodging its backswing like that. My shoulder hurts like a bard's feelings. I'll be fine though. Wanna wager how the next fight goes down? I want to be there to see what happens when you eventually get hit by something bigger than you.

 

[Shiroiken]

This is quibbling over useless terminology. They're officially not calling it a new edition, but that doesn't actually mean anything. Hell, people can't even agree on how many "editions" of D&D there actually are. The official books are almost certainly going to be "Dungeons & Dragons Revised" or something to that effect.

 

[Parmandur]

Crawford states the issue very well, in terms of this upcoming set actually being the 9th typical edition by normal publishing industry usage, and not a "new Edition" the way that WotC has egregiously used the term in the past.

 

[deganawida]

Here is my issue, and I’m coming at this purely from a business perspective, as someone who has held a leadership position in a Fortune 500 company:

Everyone needs to stop talking. There needs to be a mass meeting where the individual in charge of D&D (name escapes me, he had a few interviews the other month) tells everyone at WotC that no one but him is allowed to discuss anything but game mechanics with the press, whether that press is traditional or new media. This is the way for the foreseeable future, until he states otherwise.

Next, that individual needs to pull in all the management at WotC and bang out what they need to communicate regarding edition classification, pricing increases, physical copy availability, Beyond plans, and anything related to the BUSINESS. Not simply being precious with terminology, as Crawford was here, but something substantive and clear. All questions about editions are referred to him. More importantly, he is out front and delivering this message actively, and constantly.

Until release, the individual is the point person, communicating clearly. By actively, I mean that this individual is offering to give answers and interviews to journalists and YouTubers and so forth, drafting releases, having regular columns for the community, and basically rebuilding trust.

Until this happens, until someone steps up and implements communication discipline, WotC will continue to have fiascos.

Now, I’ve had to talk too much business today, and I shall shut up about it.

 

[Corinnguard]

WoTC is like an awakened Hydra that is letting all of it's heads doing the talking.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Until this happens, until someone steps up and implements communication discipline, WotC will continue to have fiascos.

Yeah, their counterproductive communications and marketing strategy really waves a lot of leadership red flags to me.