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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 6347563" data-attributes="member: 59082">So many interesting posts to reply to, will have to focus on just a few.Yeah, I hear that. I'd like to think you're right that the settings had little to nothing to do with it, but I think as others have said it contributed to TSR spreading themselves a bit too thin. I mean, think of how many man-hours went into Jakandor or Spelljammer or even Birthright, and how much did they get back? On the other hand, I dislike the conservative approach they've been taking of only re-hashing old settings. I'd like to see them be bold and create something new, even if it is only developing Nerath. I definitely think D&D needs a fresh world to explore. I'm sure that is part of the plan, but certainly not the whole plan or even the biggest part of it. I mean, there's no way around the law of diminishing returns with regards to core rulebooks. Even if D&D taps into a whole new generation of players, I don't see PHB sales carrying the game indefinitely. Also, the price point on the PHB makes me think they are focusing on serious gamers, trying to please the "bird in hand" with a great PHB. You have to be pretty into it to want to spend $50.Well I agree and that's part of the point of my original post. If nothing else, rebooting is necessary creatively. I mean, Roger Moore was looking pretty gnarly towards the end. It is hard to believe but even Daniel Craig will wear out his tenure and we'll need a "2020s Bond." Things change, although I suppose the definition of a "grognard" could be someone who resists change and sets up camp at a certain place and won't budge.But here's a question: Should WotC create a big fat hardcover edition update for every setting? Why not just create a smaller "conversion guide" - like a $20 96-page softcover? Or even just free conversions online? Or this could be where they license out older settings and let some other company do it. I'd just hate to see them spend their limited setting resources on re-inventing the wheel again and again.A decade is a long time, but passes quickly these days (or maybe I'm just getting old). But I agree that 5E has a better chance. On the other hand, asking game designers not to innovate for ten years is awfully difficult. It is inevitable that new ideas come up. I'm pretty sure Mearls has a folder in his cloud called "6E ideas" or somesuch. I hope you realize that they'll never make your "perfect D&D." Or if on the off chance that they do, it won't be someone else's perfect D&D, so they'll eventually have to reboot again after that. So they'll move on from your perfect D&D...and how will you feel then? Will you still love a 4-5 year life cycle?It reminds me of the band U2. I'm not a fan, although I appreciate much of their work. Anyhow, from what I gather they really perfected their early sound with the 1987 album Joshua Tree. But rather than try to re-create it ad infinitum, they took a break and came back with a very different sound and the controversial 1991 album Achtung Baby. They did something that very few huge acts pull off successfully: they remade themselves. But a lot of the old-time fans hated it, while at the same time they acquired a new fan base and, today, are one of the classic rock bands of all time.So when people say this or that edition sucked, I say "Hey, at least they tried something different." Sort of like Achtung Baby.</blockquote>

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