Artificer UA to be released in February

I don't think there is a bunker strong enough to endure the fanbase exploding over this.

 

[Azzy]

[MENTION=6563]Azzy[/MENTION]
[MENTION=83242]dave2008[/MENTION]

it doesn't change so much... boat rules have higher priority because an adventure not yet published will use them... but not the Artificer rules which are to be used by a product which is already a huge bestseller...
still a nonsense for me, unless wotc wants the Artificer out of the wayfinder's guide, which is a ghastly perspective for me.

I'm saying it wasn't a priority UNTIL the Wayfare's Guide was released (that's when WotC started making noise about bringing it back to UA for another run), and the Wayfare's Guide didn't have the same priority as a print product. Since Wayfare's Guide's release (which served as an introduction to the setting and a testbed for Eberron-related mechanics), they've said that the artificer would likely be appended to it at a later date, and if Wayfare's Guide was a success that they'd look into doing a print Eberron book. Well, it was success and many here are speculating that the possible "4th release" this year may be that print Eberron book. *IF* the 4th release happens, and *IF* it is an Eberron book, that would be the impetus to get the artificer banged out instead of sitting on it like they've done with the psionicist class and the Krynn stuff (which are low priority until there's a planned print release that they fit into).

 

[dave2008]

@Azzy
@dave2008

it doesn't change so much... boat rules have higher priority because an adventure not yet published will use them... but not the Artificer rules which are to be used by a product which is already a huge bestseller...
still a nonsense for me, unless wotc wants the Artificer out of the wayfinder's guide, which is a ghastly perspective for me.

They have already said the artificer will be a part of the WGtE. So that is a not an issue.

The point is, from WotC perspective, they don't need Artificer rules until there is a finalized product. WGtE is not a finalized product, it is a WIP, that is why a lot of it has been coming up in UAs lately. So when WGtE is finalized, it will be included. However, they have something else coming out this year that does not ship rules, so they want to get those looked at.

Honestly, since the ship UA is in the middle of the Eberron UAs, I'm guessing we will see both things this year. Which, from my perspective means they have a pretty similar priority.

EDIT: The real questions is which one should have priority. IMO, that would be the ship rules.

 

[DQDesign]

Well, it was success and many here are speculating that the possible "4th release" this year may be that print Eberron book. *IF* the 4th release happens, and *IF* it is an Eberron book, that would be the impetus to get the artificer banged out instead of sitting on it like they've done with the psionicist class and the Krynn stuff (which are low priority until there's a planned print release that they fit into).

exactly, it is a success, so why is it treated as low priority when compared with a boat-themed adventure and related rules for which no one, including wotc, has real data about Customers reception?

 

[bedir than]

exactly, it is a success, so why is it treated as low priority when compared with a boat-themed adventure and related rules for which no one, including wotc, has real data about Customers reception?

The boat book was in planning prior to Wayfarers. You can see this as obvious because WGtE is showing you the Work that all happened behind the scenes for Big Book of Boats.

We also can make some assumptions about customer interest based off of similar appeals to genre. Pirates of the Caribbean, National Talk Like A Pirate Day, Star Trek, Outlander, Black Sails all indicate strong interest in a Big Book of Boats.

 

[generic]

Sorry - The fact the homebrew community is providing these options is "more than enough for me." I don't need WotC to provide "official" versions.

Oh, thanks for the clarification!

 

[DQDesign]

We also can make some assumptions about customer interest based off of similar appeals to genre. Pirates of the Caribbean, National Talk Like A Pirate Day, Star Trek, Outlander, Black Sails all indicate strong interest in a Big Book of Boats.

which, in my opinion, will never sell more than a printed wayfinder with Artificer inside. but it is only my opinion, obviously, just based on the astounding sales of wayfinder's on dmsguild.
and wotc surely has its own reasons to not complete an adamantine best seller and prefer the printed publication of a boat book. reasons totally obscure to me, but convincing for them, at least I hope (for them).

 

[bedir than]

which, in my opinion, will never sell more than a printed wayfinder with Artificer inside. but it is only my opinion, obviously, just based on the astounding sales of wayfinder's on dmsguild.
and wotc surely has its own reasons to not complete an adamantine best seller and prefer the printed publication of a boat book. reasons totally obscure to me, but convincing for them, at least I hope (for them).

They've said that they will complete it and the timeline seems like it will be either late 2019 (similar to Ravnica) or early 2020. Which would put its overall development cycle in that very familiar 18-24 month range.

 

[Azzy]

exactly, it is a success, so why is it treated as low priority when compared with a boat-themed adventure and related rules for which no one, including wotc, has real data about Customers reception?

The ship themed supplement was in production BEFORE Wayfare's Guide became a success and also take precedence because it is a print product rather than a pdf testbed. The artificer, unless it's going to be in a print product (which is a diistinct possibility), still is less of a priority than something that's supposed to be in a soon to be released print product. Nothing you can say changes that—unless Eberron gets a print product, the artificer is a lower priority to ANYTHING ELSE that is going into a print product.

 

[Azzy]

which, in my opinion, will never sell more than a printed wayfinder with Artificer inside. but it is only my opinion, obviously, just based on the astounding sales of wayfinder's on dmsguild.

Unlikely. A supplement that isn't setting specific is going to have more general appeal with the masses than a setting-specefic product. Xanathar's will always beat Ravnica, for instance. And Wayfinder's Guide isn't going to be released in print (other than POD)—they've said that, if they do a print Eberron book, that will be designed to compliment the Wayfinder's Guide not simply be a rehash (we'll see how that works, though).

 

[Mistwell]

it can be. why ships and boats have higher priority than an iconic class is mistery for me, but it can be...there is only one kind of relationship here: no company exists without Customers.

Artificer is not "iconic" for D&D. It has very little history relative to much of the game, was not on the top 10 list of classes people wanted to see during the playtest of the game, there is just no metric which places artificer as "iconic". Ships, on the other hand, have been a part of this game since almost day 1 in the 1970s and had support in every edition of the game on some level. And yes, no company exists without the customer, but as the customers this company has are overall extremely pleased with this companies products so much that it appears to be doing better right now with these products than this company or it's predecessor company ever did with these products, it seems to be doing just fine by the customers.

Sorry to ruin your party, but this is complete non-news...And can somebody point out that its been four years. It's mighty rich asking us to have patience...They could have released this a year ago, or two years ago. Suggesting this month makes a difference feels like a punch to the face.

Man WOTC has punched you in the face so many times with news (which is apparently not news) I am surprised you still find yourself able to see the screen. I wonder, why do you keep playing a game by a company that is constantly punching you in the face? Is this Stockholm syndrome? Has Mike Mearls kidnapped you and forced you to play this game, while he punches you in the face?