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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 6347351" data-attributes="member: 59082">Over the last decade and a half as I've watched three major editions of D&D come out, with two sub-editions, I have seen a similar dynamic voiced by many people: Wanting a viable, vital game that isn't rebooted every few years but, at the same time, not wanting excessive bloat. I'm just not sure we can have it both ways.A viable, vital game is based upon money flow. Editions of D&D go through the same cycle, no matter which edition: the game comes out, everyone is psyched (or horrified), there's a bubble of popularity and the supplements start churning out. Then, at some point, the law of diminishing returns takes effect - the company is making less and less money on sales of the core books, and not making enough on the supplements to make up for it. This is often when a revision occurs. But that just delays the inevitable. The company tries to right the ship by churning out ever-more product and gets a full-on case of bloat. Then, at some point, a re-boot is decided upon and there's a calm before the storm before a new edition arrives and the cycle starts all over again.Now I've seen time and time again people complain about bloat. But many of the same folks complain about new editions coming out too soon. Can we see how the two are related? A company cannot float on sales of the core rulebooks and two or three supplements a year - they need product.Now here's the question: Is there a viable alternative that can both lengthen the edition cycle, keep the game vital and fresh, and not lead to excessive supplementation (bloat)?In the era of Insider subscriptions, at least part of the solution may be virtual. But let's talk in terms of the core line. One thought that comes to mind is diversifying the game so that there are a variety of sub-brands under the D&D umbrella. One way to do this is via campaign settings, although of course 2E did this and while it was creatively successful, we all know what happened with 2E. Another idea is focusing less on supplements and more on adventures and settings, which are more clearly optional. I think part of bloatedness is the feeling that "everything is core," or that some player is going to show up with The Complete Guide to Katana-Wielding Drow Ninjas and get upset when the DM grimaces and shakes his head. So if you focus on product that isn't offering ever-more rules, but more stories, then it doesn't feel like bloat (this is not to say that some supplements aren't a good thing, they are, but not to the extent of the last few editions).Any ideas, comments, etc?</blockquote>

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