4th edition, what did you know and when

[TerraDave]

Since asking these questions in February of this year, I began saying "4th edition is coming!!".

And so it did.

I based my theory on

-Insider comments: (including from Monte Cook, Mongoose Mat, Chris Pramas, the Goodmen games people, the Necromancer people.)

-The release schedule (see above link, and the plain fact that it was hard to imagine what else they would release otherwise)

-Online Dragon, Dungeon, Gleemax, etc (what a perfect time to launch a new edition).

-The general buzz that something was coming.

On the other hand, 83% didn't see it coming. Not even leading wizards experts (ok, MericB) took the chance to say it was on its way.

BUT, we also know that a bunch of people have been keeping their lips sealed.

Take jgbrowning in this post.

So, without violating your NDA, spill your guts.

Thanks.

 

[an_idol_mind]

I was wondering when people would start saying "I called it!"

New editions of the game are inevitable, especially eight years after the last one. Calling it ahead of time is like saying a hurricane will hit the coast sometime during hurricane season.

EDIT: In an attempt to be less confrontational about it, I guess I'll try to stay on-topic a bit.

Signs of 4e have probably included the number of WotC adventures being published, for one. Also, the Forgotten Realms has been undergoing more Realms-shaking events than usual, which I suppose pointed to a probable revamp of the setting once the current storylines are resolved.

 

[KingCrab]

I predicted that when they released the feat compendium 4ed would be coming. I figure that was a big reason that many players were buying the crunch books, and when 4ed was on its way they'd compile all the feats together into a last ditch tome. I predicted wrong.

 

[Umbran]

And so it did.

Well, considering that folks have been saying it pretty regularly for years now, someone had to get it right. The Shotgun approach works, eventually

So, without violating your NDA, spill your guts.

I knew when P-cat called my house from GenCon (I didn't speak to him, as I was still on my way home from work) to warn me to be on my toes today

 

[TerraDave]

I was wondering when people would start saying "I called it!"

That was the nice thing about the poll linked above. People had a chance to go on record. Not many did. Which I didn't expect at all.

 

[Maggan]

I've been expecting it during 2008 for about two years now. It was just a hunch, but based losely on the plan someone said that WotC had for 3e; 3e goes for five years, then 3.5 that goes for another.

3.5 came two years early, so 2008 seemed a likely candidate.

The release schedule did look mighty suspect, which really mentally prepared me for this turn of events.

I know Rasyr, whom I haven't seen on the boards in a long while, hung on to a "either in 2006 or 2008" mantra.

/M

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I called this one wrong.

I really thought Wizards would testbed the 4e magic system in d20 Modern 2.0 and apply what they learned to an '09 or late '08 release.

That probably means either the magic system hasn't changed from a per day model, in which case I'll almost certainly not make extensive use of the system or buy many of its supplements, or they're so confident in a Force power-derived skill-based magic system that they're willing to make it core.

 

[Remathilis]

I gotta say, I got worried based on the canceling of Dungeon/Dragon. The anemic 1st Qtr 08 was the clincher. However, I didn't expect an announcement till D&D XP.

My friend went to Gen-Con and asked if I wanted anything. I told him to "let me know how for 4e is" I meant it as a joke at the time...

 

[Spudler44]

I don't understand

When they were making 3rd edition, I was excited because 2e had a lot of innane flaws and broken rules. 3rd, arguably, has its problems as well, but I hardly think it justifies an entire new system, especially when 3.5 just came out not too long ago to remedy those issues. I had not even finished upgrading to 3.5, and now a new edition is already being created?

To me, it now seems they have a blatant marketing agenda, and do not care so much for the content of the game any longer. This does not mean I don't like 3.5; the fact that I don't see many problems with it is what initiates my query.

Could somebody please explain to me why 4th edition is necessary, and if you believe it is, are you going to upgrade?

Thanks.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

When they were making 3rd edition, I was excited because 2e had a lot of innane flaws and broken rules. 3rd, arguably, has its problems as well, but I hardly think it justifies an entire new system, especially when 3.5 just came out not too long ago to remedy those issues. I had not even finished upgrading to 3.5, and now a new edition is already being created?

To me, it now seems they have a blatant marketing agenda, and do not care so much for the content of the game any longer. This does not mean I don't like 3.5; the fact that I don't see many problems with it is what initiates my query.

Could somebody please explain to me why 4th edition is necessary, and if you believe it is, are you going to upgrade?

Actually to me it looks like they're tweaking the game to make it easier to play an online session over the internet. And I think that's a pretty good idea.