Ampersand: 2011 releases officially gutted

[JPL]

I've been posting here for nine years, and a good part of it has been to tell people, no, the sky is not falling.

Well, I'm not gonna say that this time. This looks bad to me, in part because the online content seems to have decreased in quality and quantity. Essentials needs a good steady stream of quality crunch, or it will wither on the vine.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

I wonder what @Scribble thinks of this, he's typically a "look on the brightside" kind of person...

Scribble sent me to tell you that we have seen the bright side at the end of the tunnel, or possibly on the greener side of the fence. There is a silver lining to this mushroom cloud, and it's always darkest before the swarm.

Feel better now?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Yeah, between this and the 5e playtest masquerading as a collectible cards "add-on" - it might not be long.

I have to wonder... does this extend the life of 4e.


Imagin the life of the game in number of books instead of years...

if 23 books are left, and 1 comes out a month then it is 23 months

on the otehr hand if 4 books come out a year it is 6 years of life... 3x as much

 

[Aegeri]

I don't mind Heroes of Shadow becoming a hardcover book. All of my softcover essentials books have been damaged, so I am not very happy with that format whatsoever.

 

[Shemeska]

My guess is that the holiday sales for Essentials didn't pan out to expectations, budgets as a result got slashed, and likewise product got canned as a result. With the diversity of the releases lately, going into cards, board games, non-traditional RPG stuff, etc I took it as throwing stuff and finding what might strike a chord. With stuff getting canned and nothing replacing it, I'm at a loss as to what it precisely heralds, but it doesn't strike me as good.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

There is a bright side. Can't you see?
Fewer books = less errata.

Please don't kill me.

 

[Ryujin]

Moving content to PDF might result in me renewing my subscription when it runs out, next month, despite the crap they've made out of CB. I'm completely disinterested in board games and tokens. I rather liked the figures lines, but wouldn't buy board games just to get them.

 

[Dungeoneer]

A little piece of extra news - WotC_Huscarl has blogged about the reason for the delays with Dungeon & Dragon content.

 

[UnknownAtThisTime]

I am genuinely wondering how long 4th edition has now.

I disagree with this actually. I think D&D in general and 4E in particular will be here for a while. I agree this portends an apparent shift in delivery, but I think it might actually extend the 4e mechanic.

 

[UnknownAtThisTime]

Duplicate deleted. It appeares the ENWorld servers are busy tonight ........