4.5E: When?

[Scribble]

I'm kinda serious. After finally getting the gift set, I'm agreeing with Chris Pramas: why-o-why couldn't all powers and spells have their own chapters like skills and feats? Why-o-why are the magic items in the PHB? And why-o-why are many of the creatures in the MM lacking anything more than rudimentary description? Etc.

All that said I like the books and am looking forward to getting deeper into them. But I am wondering if some of the clunky aspects of 4E will eventually be smoothed out in another "sub-edition" ala 3.5. Yes? No? If yes, when?

I don't honestly think we will see one.

WOTC has seen the sucess of things liek xbox online, and is pushing for a similar idea with the DDI.

The organization fo teh book is really only a small concern when you have access to (and use) the Rules Compendium.

 

[pawsplay]

I think 4e is going to need an "early patch," like Star Wars d20.

 

[Kraydak]

I think 4e is going to need an "early patch," like Star Wars d20.

This. I dearly hope WotC is embarrassed enough about the current quality of 4e that they patch it fast. Whether the resulting, de facto, 4.5 is named that or "revised" or whatever is unimportant.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I think 4e is going to need an "early patch," like Star Wars d20.

I suspect this is correct. I also suspect that by 2012 we'll have seen so many "rules tweaks" that the current 4E PHB will be semi-useless, and we'll likely all be relying on the Rules Compendium or printed lists of rules changes.

 

[mhensley]

Since WotC higher-ups have all but signed oaths in blood saying "There will be no 4.5", and agree that 3.5 was too soon (and hence 3.5 lasted nearly twice as long as 3e), the next edition will be 5e, it will likely appear in 2013 or later, and it will probably be about a 1e->2e level of change.

That's ok, since nearly all the current employees will be laid off by 2010, none of what they said will matter. (hey, it happened after the 3.0 launch)

 

[Ydars]

I agree with Pawsplay; WoTC did not originally INTEND to have to produce a 4.5E; but 4E is so botched because of a rushed schedule, that now they won't have much choice.

Why, Oh Why couldn't they just have waited a year or two longer? Or else started development of 4E earlier if their 3.5E product lifecycle was nearing its end?

 

[TerraDave]

There will never be a 4.5E "official" release. No, it is much more likely that each new PHB, MM, and DMG will contain all of the rules revisions and errata that would have gone into a 4.5 Edition, with a note stating that these edits supercede the rules in previous books.

This worries me.

Thats the thing. 4.x has begun with the errata, faq, and DDI.

Do they work it back into the core before 5E?

Every edition has had mid-edition facelifts. In 1E and 2E they where mostly cosmetic. In 3E more. Probably something in between for 4E.

But no, no ".5"

 

[Nebulous]

The fact that we're even TALKING about massive errata and changes in 4e just a matter of days after the release...

...angers me. And i have to say i agree with some of the critics. Not all of course, but enough to make me very wary of what the 4e designers are doing. I won't have a stronger opinion until i get more gametime under my belt.

I can say that i started getting tired of 3.x a long time ago and wasn't satisfied with the system until Midnight, Conan and Arcana Evolved jumpstarted it for me. And Mutants & Masterminds for that matter. So, i guess i'm saying that if roughly the same development team has churned out 4e with problems, i'm hoping it takes a new team to mold those rules into something special. IF they're allowed to.

 

[Ydars]

Nebulous; I couldn't agree more. It is very galling!

 

[Alikar]

I find everything you guys are talking about is hilarious. I have never had more fun with RP than with this edition of DnD. The idea that its broken is ridiculous, sure maybe there are some slightly off powers and mechanics, but nothing is really broken. Personally this is the first edition of DnD I look forward to buying the splat books. I only have two from the old edition, dungeon scape, and the magic item book. At the moment there isn't a single product aside from the dungeon tiles and minis I would think of buying.