D&D 5E cancelled 5e announcement at Gencon??? Anyone know anything about this?

[RangerWickett]

Sorry guys. I was going to announce Fifth Edition, which I've been working on for several weeks during my lunch breaks at work, but Russ convinced me not to, since it would cut into sales of ZEITGEIST. We'll probably release it some time in 2014.

The first adventure will be World Cup-themed.

 

[El Mahdi]

Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll!!!!!!!

 

[Umbran]

The person is not one I know that would spread unfounded rumors and they are in a position to know.

It is still possible for a trustworthy person who is in good position to be incorrect. It may be a bit surprising, but it happens often enough.

 

[Crothian]

It is still possible for a trustworthy person who is in good position to be incorrect. It may be a bit surprising, but it happens often enough.

I understand, I can't verify the rumor but I can at least verify the source for people that are doubting it.

 

[Kobold Boots]

I just don't understand this line of reasoning at all. Everything Mearls has been talking about are ruminations on what made the old versions so popular. If you accept this is a prelude to what 5e will be like, how can you come to the conclusion that they are going to take 4e even farther into the miniatures game camp then it already is. Keeping in mind they know this is the primary gripe a lot of people have with 4e.

Because it's becoming obvious that they're going to reprint earlier editions of the game to capture the nostalgia crowd.

If they are going to capture that crowd by reprinting earlier editions, then that seems to support the idea that future versions would not be like earlier versions, supporting product line diversity. Otherwise you just shift around existing sales between lines.

1. Leverage and monetize old content.
2. Leverage and streamline core strengths in card games.
3. Create new product lines from points 1 and 2 and smartly make money off minis if possible.

At least that's the logic behind my earlier post.

KB

 

[Mournblade94]

Here's me taking off my mod's hat and hypothesizing out of whole cloth.

5E annoucement was planned and ready to go as an Apple-style "And one more thing..." button to the Sat product seminar. 5E is going to be a minis-based skirmish game, sold in non-random packs, with optional rules for leveling up your minis through repeated play. It will go one sale at GenCon 2012. Someone decides at the last moment that whatever they're doing doesn't need a year's leadup, and they want to save the big annoucement for D&D Experience in Feb 2012, where they can manage the whole marketing rollout of the new edition and do a better job of manging customer reaction over six months rather than a year. (As well as keeping sales up for the handful of 4E products it has just announced.)

I have trouble beleiving this (no offense to you of course). I just can't see WOTC bringing 4e MORE to the direction of "just being a skirmish game," for which they have already gotten criticism, and may have even led to a fracturing of the market.

I am in agreement where I can see it happening as I beleive that was the direction they were going towards, but if they are seriously trying to get back lapsed players (using Mearl's Legend and Lore as an indication it is at least possible) I doubt they would go in this direction.

 

[Mournblade94]

So will 5e be available for Playstation 3, Wii, *and* XBox 360?

Seriously I have long suspected the D&D brand would be distilled to this!

 

[Votan]

There's still 3E books in print?

That is one of the wonders of the open gaming license; 3E compatible material can stay in print indefinitely.

 

[jaerdaph]

Seriously I have long suspected the D&D brand would be distilled to this!

Seriously, I know I would totally buy D&D for the Wii. I can see myself swinging my broadsword around the family room now...

 

[Quickleaf]

Seriously, I know I would totally buy D&D for the Wii. I can see myself swinging my broadsword around the family room now...

And so can your neighbors! So how would you make a Will save on Wii D&D? Knit your brows together really hard?

 

[jaerdaph]

With the right codes, you will be able to unlock the full potential of your 10-foot pole!

 

[Umbran]

And so can your neighbors! So how would you make a Will save on Wii D&D? Knit your brows together really hard?

That would only work if you stuck your Wii wand to your forehead, though.

Better for the Kinect - might even be able to tell by your outline what prop-weapon you're using, or if you're wearing a wizard's hat. And then, soon enough, your larping in your living room....

 

[Quickleaf]

That would only work if you stuck your Wii wand to your forehead, though.

Better for the Kinect - might even be able to tell by your outline what prop-weapon you're using, or if you're wearing a wizard's hat. And then, soon enough, your larping in your living room....

So you *don't* walk around the house naked wearing only a wizard's hat and a Wii wand stuck to your forehead?

And you call yourself a gamer! Bah!

Wait a minute, I think the police are at my door....

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Sorry, no fifth edition.

No sixth edition either

We have decided to skip directly to D&D 7th Edition because it will be that much more awesome than that tiresome 4e or that horrible 3.5 that we used to produce.

Only one attribute - your Stat. All rolls will be handled by adding your Stat to a D20 roll. Each level your Stat increases by one.

A different DC will be applied to the test - want to hit a lvl 1 monster? You will need to roll a total of 11, 10+1. So, if you are first level yourself you will need to roll a 10 on the die, adding your Stat. If you are second level then you will only need a 9.

Damage is taken off of your stat - dealing the attacker's Stat in damage. So a first level character hitting a second level monster will have to hit it twice!

In this way both monsters and heroes can be recorded with a single stat!

Casting a spell is even easier, you roll your die, add your, hey! let go! I'm a representative of a major.... *Beeeeeeeeeep!*

The Auld Grump

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I have a theory, it is based on my own thoughts and the evadance. It assumes trevor is not lying, and that neaither were the sources...and it fits well enough.


Imagin you work at wotc, and you know there are projects that you are not privy to. Then one day well gearing up for game train and gen con you over hear this:

Mike Mearls: "This is so much fun, I really think we should have gone in this direction earier"
Bruce cordel: "Yea but when do we tell everyone and share the new game?"
MM" "I can hardly wait, saterday the new edtion gets annoucned and we get to hear what everyone thinks"


Now bruce and Mike are talking about a new edtion of DDM Skirmish game/chain mail... but since you did not get to play that yet you have no idea, just that big D&D guys are talking new edtion.

So you tell 5-6 close friends who you trust not to spill too much. Byt you don;t tell them word for word, you use your assumption... "D&D 5e"... now each of them tell 1 or 2 people, and they add "I got it from wotc employee" witch some of them hear as "I got it from someone working on it"

add to that the rampant speculation and you havee the perfect rumor storm.



edit: or even better if someone up high finds the 5e threads funny, and jokes to someone when they ask what is being announced "5e didn't you see the new enworld thread" but someone overheard it and took it seriese...

 

[Dannager]

Here's me taking off my mod's hat and hypothesizing out of whole cloth.

5E annoucement was planned and ready to go as an Apple-style "And one more thing..." button to the Sat product seminar. 5E is going to be a minis-based skirmish game, sold in non-random packs, with optional rules for leveling up your minis through repeated play. It will go one sale at GenCon 2012. Someone decides at the last moment that whatever they're doing doesn't need a year's leadup, and they want to save the big annoucement for D&D Experience in Feb 2012, where they can manage the whole marketing rollout of the new edition and do a better job of manging customer reaction over six months rather than a year. (As well as keeping sales up for the handful of 4E products it has just announced.)

I bet you one million internet points that the majority of the above is totally incorrect. So far, this is in the lead for the annual "New Edition Prediction Least Likely To Be Correct" award.

 

[Dannager]

With the right codes, you will be able to unlock the full potential of your 10-foot pole!

On a related note, that was the subject line for a male enhancement spam email I received this morning.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

For what it's worth, I've almost never seen the 5E is coming soon rumor spread by anyone who didn't have some sort of grudge against 4E, which includes those who think they've been ruining 4E with Essentials and "the new way going forward".

 

[Azgulor]

I think the answer to this question is: You can never, ever take anything that any representative of a for-profit company says as truthful. Especially in a down market.

That said, the position is not much different from saying the following: Any truthful answer you receive is very dependent on all of the context surrounding the situation resulting in the answer remaining true/static.

If someone said something three years ago, and it's about business, it's probably not true now.

TANGENT:
I find these assertions pretty well divorced from reality. At best, the cynicism dial is turned to 11. Slamming the totality of the private sector is absurd. Business plans change, executive management changes, markets change. Just because something changes doesn't mean that the original statement wasn't truthful when it was made.

Your second paragraph is a bit more reasonable, but even it is a back-handed assertion - or at best laced with cynicism.

The kind of absurdity you stated above would be comparable to me assuming that you'd have to be making that claim while safely sequestered in the halls of academia or government.... (And many would claim that if that were true, the whole "divorced from reality" thing becomes an understandable event. )

End-of-tangent.

Back to the topic at hand:While I'm no fan of 4e nor of WotC's current business model, I don't think they're outright lying to their customers. The rumor seems baseless. Even if it were true, IF WotC is experiencing tough economic circumstances and D&D isn't performing as hoped/expected, they'd be stupid (and I'd say irresponsible) not to modify their business plan, even if that meant it invalidated statements made in prior years. After all, those faceless corporate lemmings are employees that have lives, families, & bills to pay. Presumably, as gamers and as decent human beings, we'd like to see them gainfully employed....

....even if they're working for one of those lying, stealing, cheating, #$#%#%#$#%@#%#% corporations.

 

[Kobold Boots]

TANGENT:
I find these assertions pretty well divorced from reality. At best, the cynicism dial is turned to 11. Slamming the totality of the private sector is absurd. Business plans change, executive management changes, markets change. Just because something changes doesn't mean that the original statement wasn't truthful when it was made.

Your second paragraph is a bit more reasonable, but even it is a back-handed assertion - or at best laced with cynicism.

The kind of absurdity you stated above would be comparable to me assuming that you'd have to be making that claim while safely sequestered in the halls of academia or government.... (And many would claim that if that were true, the whole "divorced from reality" thing becomes an understandable event. )

End-of-tangent.

Back to the topic at hand:While I'm no fan of 4e nor of WotC's current business model, I don't think they're outright lying to their customers. The rumor seems baseless. Even if it were true, IF WotC is experiencing tough economic circumstances and D&D isn't performing as hoped/expected, they'd be stupid (and I'd say irresponsible) not to modify their business plan, even if that meant it invalidated statements made in prior years. After all, those faceless corporate lemmings are employees that have lives, families, & bills to pay. Presumably, as gamers and as decent human beings, we'd like to see them gainfully employed....

....even if they're working for one of those lying, stealing, cheating, #$#%#%#$#%@#%#% corporations.

I think you're layering whatever you think on top of whatever I said, and making entirely too much out of it, thus annoying yourself into posting a tangential comment with bold headings.