4.0 D&D: Not too far away? Thoughts and opinions

[GamerMan12]

Let's see, sales of 3.5 will probably drop to a steady decline after 12 to 18 months of sales, at which time the directive to start work on 4.0 will be given. First will be the marketing, with an announcement that due to player demand and rules improvement ideas (multiclass spellcasters will rule!), 4.0 will be released in 9 months time, the announcement will continue, that there will be 4 core rule books (Players, DMs, MM1 and MM2) each with over 400 pages.

So by around May 2005, 4.0 will be out, in fact amazon.co.za, already has them listed but they are saying May 2006, obviously just guessing on the release date.

GamerMan12

 

[diaglo]

4ed was released years ago.

check out www.kenzerco.com

 

[drothgery]

Just guessing, but I think WotC will probably do another 3e revision -- call it 3.6 or 3.7 -- in 2006 or 2007 before releasing D&D4, where the occasional holy bovine might be killed.

 

[Thaumaturge]

As I understand it both 4th and 5 Edition D&D are in advanced playtesting and will be released simultaniously exactly 15 shopping days before Christmas 2004. Everyone who has ever paid electronically for anything will automaticlaly be charged for both and WOTC thugs will roam door to door burning copies of older, incompatable products.

I think Paranoia did something similar to this. It worked for them, why not us?



Thaumaturge.

 

[Robbert Raets]

6th edition, which will be sold in randomly packaged envelopes of 10 pages will be avalible one year after that. Collect them all!

Now, that is funny!!

 

[DaveMage]

quote:
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Originally posted by Jhamin
6th edition, which will be sold in randomly packaged envelopes of 10 pages will be avalible one year after that. Collect them all!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


And we'll be told that it's actually better for the consumer that it's packaged this way!


I won't start looking for 4.0 until I see Eric Noah's Unofficial Fourth Edition D&D page.

However, I'm very satisfied with the 3.0/3.5 version, so I doubt I'd upgrade if 4.0 is released within the next 5 years.

 

[Urbannen]

Considering that there was a gap of about 11-12 years between previous editions (1E 1977-1989, 2E 1989-2000), I guess we'll see a true new 4th Edition around 2011.

But then again, that probably wouldn't help Hasbro's cash position as well as releasing an update every third year....

 

[Dr. Harry]

Nah, for them to go to a new edition would require something like a major overhaul of the rules. So, until we see someone at Wizards posting about how they think something major, like multiclassed spellcasting, was broken and couldn't be fized with what we had, I figure we're safe!

H

 

[Anubus]

I for one hated the idea of 3rd edition. I spent way too much on my second edition addiction, but once I got the 3rd edition PHB for my birthday I couldn't look back. One major difference between the 2ed to 3ed transition and any future version transitions is the OGL, it's another thing for WOTC to consider.

Will they update it too, or leave it, how much resistance will come from 3rd party publishers about a completely new edition, just look at that new 3.0/3.5 dual compatibility logo for proof of resistance to the 3.5 change, and its not even really a change. If WOTC does go 4th edition, could 3rd parties continue to print 3.5 if the SRD was changed, I'm not a lawyer but I think they could. So even if WOTC does go 4th edition there is no guarantee that 3rd party publishers will go to 4th edition. WOTC could kill themselves with a new edition if the 3rd party publishers didn't go for it, and continued to publish 3.5, which given its publisher and community support, could continue and provide competition for 4th edition, WOTC would be competing with itself in a sense. So from a business perspective I think its risky for them to try, because the OGL added a whole bunch more variables to the new version debate.

I'm all for these backwards compatible revisions, I think the 3.5 idea is great, make a great system even better. If 4th edition was something similar, backwards compatible and just another refinement, or it was 3.75 or whatever, then I might be for it, but a whole new version, I can't see it happening for a long time, maybe even beyond the life of WOTC. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, since I don't want to make my 3rd edition collection as "useful" as my 2ed edition stuff is today, but I really don't see it happening soon.

 

[TiQuinn]

My guess is the plans are already being made, and it'll be about three years before we see a 4th edition.