i think the breakup of the united states added with zero fossile fuils, melted ice caps, or all out nukular war (ww3) will happen before 5e (5-10 years or so)
Less sales. More complaining about rules and how the rules suck. Debate as to what 5.5e will hold. More screwing with spells to make the durations shorter or longer, the effectiveness more screwed up, and more redundant classes. Size changes to animals and critters that make even less or more sense.
Actually, it will have gummi minis and edible rules printed on fruit roll-ups. Since our own Eric Noah has some inside connections, I'm convinced he's right:
5th Edition will be turn base play by mail. Each round you initate an attack by mailing WotC money, and they will mail the target the results of how much damage he takes. Targets will have the ability to use damage reduction as an immediate action against any attack by mailing WoTC money and they will mail the resultant damage reduction to the original attacker. All this for a monthly subscription.
Evidentally, the company that may or may not buy out Wizards of the Coast and publish a new D&D system plans to go right into SIXTH EDITION and toss v5 in the trash before it gets anywhere. Or possibly not.
Gawd bless it all, this thread had just adapted to v5.75 from v5.425.