D&D General 6e guesses

[TwoSix]

History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme, the more things change the more they stay the same. We can't expect an exact repeat of what happened before but that doesn't mean we should dismiss past experience either.

Meh. I generally think that aphorism exists because humans are narrative-seekers who love to spot patterns, and ignore the instances of when things don't fall into patterns (which is most of the time). Plus, historians just like to justify their existence.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Everything they build 6e upon must be compatible with dndbeyond.
They would not have basically rebuilt their platform if they don't want to use it anymore.
That said, they probably have built the backend in a way that allows them to adjust things easily.

 

[AlViking]

Everything they build 6e upon must be compatible with dndbeyond.
They would not have basically rebuilt their platform if they don't want to use it anymore.
That said, they probably have built the backend in a way that allows them to adjust things easily.

Apparently the original version wasn't very flexible, it's why they're rebuilding it. How flexible that new version will be largely depends on goals and the amount of money they're willing to spend. If it's flexible or easily expanded it may not be a limitation.

 

[Clint_L]

Meh. I generally think that aphorism exists because humans are narrative-seekers who love to spot patterns, and ignore the instances of when things don't fall into patterns (which is most of the time). Plus, historians just like to justify their existence.

But this isn't about history, it's about corporate economics. Which is normally very risk-averse and prefers slow, predictable growth to taking big swings. All WotC/Hasbro are doing with the OneD&D "evolution" approach is treating D&D like any other product, as opposed to the TSR approach, which was "catch lightning in a bottle. Now, repeat!" But TSR was run by amateurs.

I'm not endorsing either method - "catch lightning in a bottle" is great for outsiders with very little to lose (relatively speaking) and is how we get most of our cool new things...like D&D to start with! But I am trying to make a prediction here about how a corporation will treat an established product with a significant investment and high brand awareness, and all signs point to "cautiously."

 

[TwoSix]

But this isn't about history, it's about corporate economics. Which is normally very risk-averse and prefers slow, predictable growth to taking big swings. All WotC/Hasbro are doing with the OneD&D "evolution" approach is treating D&D like any other product, as opposed to the TSR approach, which was "catch lightning in a bottle. Now, repeat!" But TSR was run by amateurs.

I'm not endorsing either method - "catch lightning in a bottle" is great for outsiders with very little to lose (relatively speaking) and is how we get most of our cool new things...like D&D to start with! But I am trying to make a prediction here about how a corporation will treat an established product with a significant investment and high brand awareness, and all signs point to "cautiously."

You did read the post where I agreed with you, right? Post #139.

I just think bringing up earlier editions, as some posters have in this discussion, is an unnecessary distraction.

 

[Jahydin]

Oh boy, I think we're finally on the right track!

D&D is finally making peace with its legacy as a Gygax returns for more Greyhawk

Announced at Gary Con 2026, Luke Gygax is officially working with Wizards of the Coast for more Greyhawk D&D content.

www.polygon.com

Specifically:

"We're the two that can fix this," Dan Ayoub, Dungeons & Dragons' head of franchise, said during a press conference at Gary Con 2026. Ayoub was talking about the first meeting between himself and Luke Gygax, engineered by Joe Manganiello after Ayoub took the reins of D&D seven months ago. It's a big statement. Ayoub was recognizing that the game "lost its way" at some point, and that he's trying to put it on the right path by involving popular figures like Manganiello and Luke Gygax, the son of one of the game's creators, Gary Gygax.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If dnd is run by ai or is a subscription service with books being secondary within the next decade i will let the people who are currently insisting such a thing is coming choose which charity i donate $200 to.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Saying the game "lost its way" probably means something different to every person reading that phrase. Prepare for everyone screaming that Ayoub has "gone back on his word" when he actually clarifies what that means.

 

[FrogReaver]

I don’t think there will ever be what I would call a 6e. The 3.5e to 4e lesson they learned is that major changes to d&d fragments the playerbase too much.

 

[Clint_L]

Saying the game "lost its way" probably means something different to every person reading that phrase. Prepare for everyone screaming that Ayoub has "gone back on his word" when he actually clarifies what that means.

I think it generally means "they aren't making the game exactly the way I like it."