D&D (2024) DMG 2024: Is The Sandbox Campaign Dead?

[JEB]

So not really something that is new in the 2024 DMG

Eh, I would say that if 2024 is explicitly pushing folks to "prepared adventures and established campaign throughlines" over the more hands-off style of the 2014 DMG, that would count as something new. But as I don't have the 2024 DMG, can't say firsthand.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I would say it more encourages it with stuff like the Greyhawk setting.

 

[Mistwell]

I was reading through the 2024 DMG Adventure and Campaign chapters and something occurred to me: the DMG does not include player driven sandbox campaigning as mode of campaign play. The campaign framework that the DMG describes in detail and strongly advocates for is one of prepared adventures and established campaign throughlines. It offers some support for travel and exploration, but not a focus of play. Similarly, it mentions player goals in passing, but otherwise does not spend any time of establishing what this looks like as a way to play the game.

I was just reading the Greyhawk setting example and it's literally the opposite of what you're saying? It's almost all sandbox. Adventure hints of areas out there, with no prepared adventure. Wildnerness areas, notes on types of monsters you might find in those areas, random table suggestions, a giant fold out hex map, all the normal sandbox stuff. Felt like they were hitting me over the head with SANDBOX. I just don't see how that spawns a "sandbox dead" thread?

 

[Firwood]

Yes, they're so terrible that D&D is doing better than it has EVER done. But I'm sure that's just a big coincidence.

Are you sure about this sentence? Better than EVER? Someone may just tell this is not true, and WOTC is loosing lot of customer due to their "great work" with 2024 D&D edition.
I've been playing since 1985, I've used all the published editions of D&D, and the latest incarnation is, in my opinion, the worst (well, 4E was the worst, but personally I don't even consider it a D&D edition, as much as a kind of TTRPG of World of Warcraft, succeeded even badly). As usual it is a matter of taste, and it would be good to ALWAYS emphasize that these are personal opinions instead of judging as if one is the only one who understands the product and those who criticize it are poor ignorant people. Sarcasm, in these cases, is a really bad choice.
On a personal level, my preference is as follows:
AD&D 2E, BECMI, AD&D 1E, D&D 3.x, D&D 5E (2014), D&D 5? (2024).
To make a final judgment I'll wait until I have all 3 manuals available, since being a collector I'll take them anyway even though 99% of them will remain on the shelf gathering dust.

 

[Chaltab]

(well, 4E was the worst, but personally I don't even consider it a D&D edition, as much as a kind of TTRPG of World of Warcraft, succeeded even badly)

I feel like I've fallen into a time warp to 2009.

 

[Echohawk]

Are you sure about this sentence? Better than EVER?

Quoting from this article on ENWorld's front page: "the English-language, analog version (ie., physical books) of the 2024 Players Handbook reached the same sales numbers that the 2014 PHB did in three years across all languages."

 

[Sulicius]

Like with most clickbait questions in a title: the answer is 99% no.

No, sandbox campaigns are not dead.

 

[Tonguez]

The campaign framework that the DMG describes in detail and strongly advocates for is one of prepared adventures and established campaign throughlines.

it makes absolutely sense from a marketing point of view for WotC to push "buy more prepared adventures and adventure paths with established campaign throughlines"

It also sets up for future Prepare products that 'teach' DMs about "How to run Dungeon Exploration" and "How to run a Sandbox"

its monetizing the DM experience

 

[Distracted DM]

Quoting from this article on ENWorld's front page: "the English-language, analog version (ie., physical books) of the 2024 Players Handbook reached the same sales numbers that the 2014 PHB did in three years across all languages."

I won't say that DnD isn't doing better than ever, but that's press release math. It sounds great but taken in context it doesn't mean as much.
Again, I'm sure DnD is doing great and it's definitely bigger now than it was in earlier editions, but that specific statement is sort of apples to oranges.

 

[Echohawk]

I won't say that DnD isn't doing better than ever, but that's press release math. It sounds great but taken in context it doesn't mean as much.
Again, I'm sure DnD is doing great and it's definitely bigger now than it was in earlier editions, but that specific statement is sort of apples to oranges.

Feel free to suggest other ways to measure D&D's success. I'm sure there are some, but selling more copies of the PHB in less than three months than the previous version (which, in turn, sold substantially better than all previous edition PHBs) sold in three years seems like a reasonable starting point for assessing how well D&D is going.