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

[SteveC]

Evergreen is a idea that's used to get people to buy something and not worry about it becoming obsolete. In the IT industry I've heard about how whatever version of Windows will be the last one we ever get. And yet just this week I had to do an upgrade to Windows 11 that pretty much wrecked a day.

When something is new, calling it "evergreen" is an attempt to get people to opt-in. And now we are at the stage in D&D where we aren't getting a new edition and you can totally keep buying PHBs because they will be completely compatible with whatever comes next. I suspect that as we get to the end of the last print run for the current edition, that message will change. I don't know if that's true but I suspect it will be. We will see.

What I do know is that there are classes we've seen previews for that are entirely different and not compatible, so we're already at a not "evergreen" situation.

 

[mamba]

What I do know is that there are classes we've seen previews for that are entirely different and not compatible, so we're already at a not "evergreen" situation.

just do not think of them as the same class. 5e classes are different from each other too and they can play alongside each other. The same will be true for a 2014 Warlock and a 2024 Warlock

 

[Maxperson]

Personally, I was fond of "5.50(e/r)," as in, "D&D 5th edition, 50th anniversary revision." It even rolls off the tongue, "five-fifty."

Shouldn't that be (a/r)? I looked at that and had a sudden picture of George Clooney playing D&D in scrubs.

 

[Maxperson]

you are making a good case for two things being called the same here, like 5e and One D&D

Nope! My examples involved things that were completely different. D&D is D&D. It's not different enough to have the same name.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Shouldn't that be (a/r)? I looked at that and had a sudden picture of George Clooney playing D&D in scrubs.

"5.50e," as in "5e, but the 50th anniversary version," or "5.50r," as in "5e, 50th anniversary revision."

 

[Vaalingrade]

How does the 2024 update count as stagnation? If they do another backwards compatible update in another 10 years, is it still stagnate?

1) The comment was on the 'evergreen' concept.

2) 10 years between changes and it's yet another update that's backward compatible with the aging system with limited design space? Yes, that would be stagnation.

 

[Maxperson]

That would be awesome! They should pick a subject, and name new editions after that subject ... big cats, places in Califnornia ... let's see.

Ooh. D&D Death Valley!

Or...

D&D San Onofre Power Plant.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

Evergreen is a idea that's used to get people to buy something and not worry about it becoming obsolete.

I don't work in IT but over the last 15ish years that I have been paying attention nothing has truely stayed evergreen.

In the IT industry I've heard about how whatever version of Windows will be the last one we ever get. And yet just this week I had to do an upgrade to Windows 11 that pretty much wrecked a day.

windows is worse then most, it FORCES updates

What I do know is that there are classes we've seen previews for that are entirely different and not compatible, so we're already at a not "evergreen" situation.

yeah that is where I am too

 

[Micah Sweet]

just do not think of them as the same class. 5e classes are different from each other too and they can play alongside each other. The same will be true for a 2014 Warlock and a 2024 Warlock

It would be a lot easier to not think of them as the same class if WotC didn't give them the same names and, in fact, think of them as the same class.

Essentials was a better way to present re-working the same class concept.

 

[codo]

I don't work in IT but over the last 15ish years that I have been paying attention nothing has truely stayed evergreen.

windows is worse then most, it FORCES updates

yeah that is where I am too

Well good thing the IT model isn't the only example. Hasbro is a toy and board game company instead of an IT company. How about we look at their own model for evergreen products, and don't try to force the IT model onto it. Hasbro has been publishing evergreen games for literally decades. Monopoly, Risk, Battleship, Clue, etc. They have all been published for decades without version numbers, just small, steady changes.