D&D (2024) We’ll be merging the One D&D and D&D forums shortly

[Parmandur]

You have yet to show anything at all that shows that they are changing things due to the very obscure standard publishing industry usage. I've seen nothing at all to indicate that's true.

What the word "Edition" usually entails is not remotely obscure or arcane: anytime a book is changed enough where a new ISBN is issued, that is an edition. There have been 8 PHBs and DMGs so far by ISBN, hence 8 editions (the Monstrous Compendium and Monatrous Manual make this somewhat more mbiguous, bit only somewhat).

I already linked where WotC talked about how they avenging to talk about the rules as anything other than D&D when they come out, and...nobody will be confused in practice. The only D&D books on store shelves after 10 years of 5E will remain compatible with the new books, so nothing for anyone to he confused by, other than "hey, new books."

 

[Parmandur]

And for what it is worth, I am not trying to "prove" anything: just pointing out that SptC current strategy of just calling rhe rules "D&D" and referring to the publication date as the distinguishing mark of some co fusion arises is significantly less marketing BS than calling AD&D "first" anything, or calling the third typical edition of AD&D "2E", or "3E" and "3.5" in their entirety. There is no historical consistency, nothing objective here. Just marketing all the way down. And trying to pretend Basic doesn't count, let alone OD&D. Absurdity piled upon absurdity.

 

[Maxperson]

What the word "Edition" usually entails is not remotely obscure or arcane: anytime a book is changed enough where a new ISBN is issued, that is an edition. There have been 8 PHBs and DMGs so far by ISBN, hence 8 editions (the Monstrous Compendium and Monatrous Manual make this somewhat more mbiguous, bit only somewhat).

The average person has no idea about that stuff and couldn't care less. I guess to those in that field they aren't obscure or arcane, but to most of us it is. As I said, you are the only person in 41 years of playing this game that I've encountered who has brought this up.

I already linked where WotC talked about how they avenging to talk about the rules as anything other than D&D when they come out, and...nobody will be confused in practice. The only D&D books on store shelves after 10 years of 5E will remain compatible with the new books, so nothing for anyone to he confused by, other than "hey, new books."

None of that says that the reason is the ISBN stuff, though. That's what you need to show since you are claiming that the ISBN is why they are making the change.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

No, sorry dont buy it. I get that folks aint up on all the specifics, but its not a well kept secret a refresh is happening. Nobody walks blindly into a shop to figure out whats for sale.

I mean, a LOT of people do. But it's not like it's hard for a clerk to tell them what they're looking at when they ask.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

But only by a metric that isn't being used, making it irrelevant. It's like claiming that the PHB costs X rubles. I mean, sure objectively you can covert dollars to X rubles, but in the US it's just not relevant as we don't use rubles. The publishers metric is not relevant as TSR and WoTC don't/didn't use them.

WotC is ALSO not using 5.5, and yet you keep insisting on using it while telling Paramandur that he has to listen to what WotC chose to call an edition in the past.

The average person has no idea about that stuff and couldn't care less.

The average person ALSO has no idea what a "half edition" is, and yet you continue to insist that it is the thing that makes the "most sense".

 

[FrogReaver]

What they have been doing is apples to 5.5e's oranges. They haven't had to clarify yet since everything put out relates to 5e and it's current core books. Putting out new core books with a new name strongly implies a new edition. That WILL cause confusion.

likewise, keeping the name the same will cause confusion as well.

 

[Maxperson]

WotC is ALSO not using 5.5, and yet you keep insisting on using it while telling Paramandur that he has to listen to what WotC chose to call an edition in the past.

The difference is that I'm not claiming that they will use it or are using it. Nor am I claiming some obscure industry standard that almost no one knows about as the reason why they should be using it. I'm only saying that this is how I will be referring to it.

The average person ALSO has no idea what a "half edition" is, and yet you continue to insist that it is the thing that makes the "most sense".

I'm not convinced of that. Halfway between 5e and 6e is 5.5e. I think most people have enough basic math understanding to understand they halfway point between two numbers.

 

[Maxperson]

likewise, keeping the name the same will cause confusion as well.

Right. That's why I use 5.5e. Not the same name, and virtually no confusion. People understand that 5.5 is halfway from 5 to 6.

 

[MNblockhead]

So instead of all this name warring - (proxy edition warring maybe?). Is there any way whatever you call it actually out does 5e? I think it will do well but not as well as 5e. Seems like a whole lot has to go right for it to actually out do 5e.

I think that will depend on how well the WotC VTT does. If they have a smooth and attractive GUI and an engine that automates the rules correctly, plus if they build in good onboarding tutorials that lead you through the rules as it teaches you the system, it will make D&D attractive to an even wider audience, decrease the learning curve, and--if they add a find-a-game feature--create the biggest venue for finding other D&D players that exists.

If it is just another set of books, then I think it will do fine, but I can't see it creating another lightning in a bottle moment.

 

[MNblockhead]

Yep. The core problem with releasing a popular edition that lots of people like is that "you like what you have, so let's change it into something new!" AND "you like what you have, so let's just slightly change it!" aren't great selling points.

It's why my consistent argument against the new books is that the proper approach should have been a standalone expansion, so the argument for buying it is "you like what you have, so here's MORE of it!"

Yeah, I would have liked that approach, but then I'm sure there would be a large number of people complaining that they now have to by 2 sets of books to use the new options.