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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 5024108" data-attributes="member: 25619">At the time, I remember the main criticism at the time was that New Coke tasted like Pepsi -- sweeter, without the tanginess of the Real Thing.  Very similar to criticisms of 4e being like WOW -- as in the accusation is that the brand was changed to be more "modern", but we the die-hards like the Real Thing and the not pale imitation of the New Generation.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />And also as I'm not sure the accusation was accurate.  People also say Mexican Coke is better than American, because it uses real sugar cane, but in a blind taste test I did with my friends, I like US version better.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I do think, however, that it was a WIDESPREAD revulsion at the change, it was the zeitgeist, not a minority opinion, which is why Coke changed back and why it's widely viewed as the most visible marketing blunder in recent history.People like to rant on the internet.  I wouldn't take it seriously, at all.  It's annoying, but it's meaningless, I think.  Actually, they did.  WOTC made the following choices:1) Closing down Dungeon and Dragon magazine.  --- The harm to the FGLS community and to the fans was not apologized for.  -- And it wasn't a sad but understandable recognition of business reality -- shutting down a money losing operation.-- Nope, it was about shutting down a popular and profitable business, because they didn't like the competitor they'd created and wanted to bring the IP back in house, IMHO.2) Shutting down the OGL.  -- That is, changing business models from an ecosystem model to a closed system.-- Both this and shutting down the magazines create a story of an 800 lb. gorilla trying to defend its monopoly with sharp elbows rather than by producing what consumers want.  I don't think that story is entirely fair (that they ever allowed the OGL was amazingly wonderful, rather than the consumers and 3rd party's God Given Rights!), but it's not without a grain of truth. 3) Radical game design changes without regard to backwards compatibility.  -- The game is so radically different that earlier edition CHARACTERS, adventures, and even settings aren't easily translatable to the new system.-- WOTC's official advice was to just start new campaigns and new characters.  They even sold a 3e book about destroying your world with a super monster.-- By contrast, 2e was directly compatible with 1e.  I used 2e materials for years with my AD&D campaigns.  And for the 2e to 3e conversion, WOTC provided a useful, free conversion guide, which I used to convert from AD&D.4) Shutting down not only distribution of their own earlier edition printed materials, but also 3e materials from 3rd party companies that wanted to sell materials for 4e, and their own paid PDF's of older edition materials.Basically, WOTC acted like a bully to players of the older editions and to OGL companies.  And by being a bully, they helped create the anti-4e story.  Regardless of the content, it already left a bad taste in people's mouths before it really had a fair chance to get going.At least, that's my experience of it.</blockquote>

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