D&D 5E Am I no longer WoTC's target audience?

[Parmandur]

Fair enough!

To me, D&D space pirates seems precisely the sort of thing that I would look to a 3PP for. But as you say maybe I'm too conservative in my thinking!

They've already published a book that has a very campy Mindflayer Space Pirate stuck miles underground. Weird and campy are part of the current house style (Flumphs, the continued emphasis placed on Modrons, Gith, etc.).

Weird fantasy is pretty in style right now. Their strategy with Settings now seems to be as themed booster packs for genres: what genres they see a market for, will likely get Setting support. Planescape, per WotC, is a very popular Setting for them, and has the advantage of being something that can slip into most standard campaigns.

 

[billd91]

Some of the traits that I have been pointing out as "bad gaming" I have been blaming on Critical Role and watching other D&D streams. As my fiancée just said, maybe I'm just annoyed by "new gamer" mistakes (not working together as a party, stressing story over all other aspects of the game, etc.)

Or you're just annoyed at differences in style of play preferences rather than "mistakes" or "bad gaming" because those styles of play can lead to highly successful gaming outcomes, just possibly outcomes you do not prefer.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I keep using the portmanteau Planejammer in various threads. It's not actually meant as a joke, well not just as a joke. If you mashed Spelljammer and Planescape together as a setting book I think it would be significantly cooler than either done separately, and also be more saleable to new players. Brush a little Treasure Planet vibe over the top and I think it would sell like hotcakes.

Mashup settings is a great idea. Planejammer, as you describe it, would be really cool. Also: Dragon Sun and Greyright.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If I want to play Dark Sun 5th Ed there are homebred adaptations but as collector I miss new titles to buy. And I would like the metaplot to be continued after the pentad prisma saga.

Dark Sun and Ravenloft are going to come back, only they are in the cellar as the good wine. But we have to await some previous steps by WotC's plans. Before of the end of this year we will have got more news.

Spelljammer is going to return because......it is exotic but maybe the most (potentially) kid-friendly line, and easiest to be adapted to a children cartoon. This means Hasbro selling more toys, and maybe some production by Allspark studios or Enternaiment One.

And I have said the return of Birthright will be linked with a (real-time-)strategy videogame. WotC should allow amateur fan-fiction set in the world of Cerilia and maybe we would see a new saga as "Games of Thrones".

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I get that old/established player is, or is close to, a necessary condition for having the "killed D&D" reaction. But it's far from sufficient. Which is what seems to be implied by saying that old players didn't like it.

As I said, I don't think that's the right description: it's very over-inclusive, and it seems not to fasten on what is actually salient in causing the affront. (Maybe old players who have no familiarity with any non-D&D RPGs would start to get closer. Even then I'm not sure.)

Nothing I said suggests that all old players rejected 4e.

 

[Sadras]

People playing 5e who want to play Dark Sun can adapt the 4e stuff easily enough.

This is true but that can be said for almost any setting, right ? And yet people still desire (for whatever reason) to have these settings updated to 5e.

The point of yours I was responding to was your comment that DS was done a mere 10 years ago in 4e, a 5e book is not necessary. Why would 5e players of the game have to acquire a 4e book only to have to update it for the 5e engine? That seems like an unnecessary hurdle. And it is even a more surprising ask particularly since 4e fractured the D&D community.

My heart is with the Mystara setting. I frequent the Vaults of Pandius, download the Threshold Magazine and other works by Mystara-fans and I have no issue adapting all the BECMI and 2e Mystara material into 5e. But as a fan, I would buy a 5e Mystara book if WotC ever got around to it. I would imagine fans of other settings would do the same, no matter when last it was published officially.

EDIT: I just saw lowkey13's thread which elaborates much more on such an issue.

 

[pemerton]

This is true but that can be said for almost any setting, right ? And yet people still desire (for whatever reason) to have these settings updated to 5e.

<snip>

But as a fan, I would buy a 5e Mystara book if WotC ever got around to it. I would imagine fans of other settings would do the same, no matter when last it was published officially.

My response to this is to reiterate what I said upthread: people can desire whatever they want, but once they start saying WotC should do such-and-such or suggesting that their desire gives WotC a reason to do such-and-such, to me they often seem often seem to lose touch.

I mean, I'd love WotC to abandon 5e and start developing 4e in a serious way again, cleaning up wonky mechanics (like the rules for setting PC ACs) and cleaning out the dross. But if I posted a thread saying that that's what WotC should do, I would be rightly laughed at and the suggestion derided.

Someone else's nostalgia for <insert setting here> is no different from mine for 4e. It bears no connection to WotC's reasons for making commercial publication decisions.

The point of yours I was responding to was your comment that DS was done a mere 10 years ago in 4e, a 5e book is not necessary. Why would 5e players of the game have to acquire a 4e book only to have to update it for the 5e engine? That seems like an unnecessary hurdle. And it is even a more surprising ask particularly since 4e fractured the D&D community.

If an individual won't buy a 4e setting book because s/he is worried about the potential fracture (of him-/herslef? His/her table? The community?) then that's not my problem.

As to why someone should do it - well, of course they're not obliged to but frankly if someone wants to play Dark Sun it seems the rational thing to do. When I wanted to play Greyhawk using the Rolemaster engine I didn't sit around waiting for TSR to license GH to Iron Crown Enterprises. I bought 1st end and 2nd ed AD&D material for GH and used that! A map of the sewers under the City of Greyhawk works as well in RM as in AD&D. The information about Tyr, and the city map, found in the 4e Dark Sun book will work just as well for running 5e adventures. Other than psionics, the rules adaptations required are the ones I mentioned upthread and maybe one or two others (there's a nice weapon breakage rule that I think could easily be used in 5e).

 

[Reynard]

I totally don't get the notion that somehow Planescape is less well known or less potentially popular than Dark Sun for the broader, new D&D player base. Planescape is not only inherently connected to whatever setting you already run in, including your homebrew, it is the basis for one of the most celebrated CRPGs of all time that is still played today thanks to a recent remaster and consistently tops the Best RPGs lists. It is almost certain that Planescape has a bigger D&Dpop culture adjacent footprint than Dark Sun.

By the way, I also advocate for Planejammer. Spelljammers, crystal spheres, and phlogiston are unnecessary when you have the Astral Sea that fills exactly the same story function.

 

[Sadras]

Someone else's nostalgia for <insert setting here> is no different from mine for 4e. It bears no connection to WotC's reasons for making commercial publication decisions.

We are not in disagreement over this only in that this is a roleplaying forum and peole are free to express their wishes on what they would like WotC to do. Some might use the word should as opposed to the softer would like but I find that just comes down to how the individual expresses themself.

If an individual won't buy a 4e setting book because s/he is worried about the potential fracture (of him-/herslef? His/her table? The community?) then that's not my problem.

My point is I'd have rather suggested purchasing 2E DS material rather than 4e DS.
Why do I say this? How many people asking for 5e DS do you think cut their teeth on 4e DS as opposed to 2e DS?

As to why someone should do it - well, of course they're not obliged to but frankly if someone wants to play Dark Sun it seems the rational thing to do. When I wanted to play Greyhawk using the Rolemaster engine I didn't sit around waiting for TSR to license GH to Iron Crown Enterprises. I bought 1st end and 2nd ed AD&D material for GH and used that! A map of the sewers under the City of Greyhawk works as well in RM as in AD&D. The information about Tyr, and the city map, found in the 4e Dark Sun book will work just as well for running 5e adventures. Other than psionics, the rules adaptations required are the ones I mentioned upthread and maybe one or two others (there's a nice weapon breakage rule that I think could easily be used in 5e).

That is a poor comparison. If you only but take a look at the many DS conversion threads you'd realise it would be more than 2-3 rule changes to capture the feel of a Dark Sun campaign.

 

[pemerton]

If you only but take a look at the many DS conversion threads you'd realise it would be more than 2-3 rule changes to capture the feel of a Dark Sun campaign.

I'm not familiar with those threads. But I've run 4e Dark Sun. We didn't need to change any rules. Though we did have psionic and primal PCs - these weren't a feature of our main campaign.