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<blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 6013078" data-attributes="member: 6680772">I think a whole lotta of this can just be laid the feet of edition change.&nbsp; One need only look at the change from 1e to 2e, which compared to 2e to 3e or 3e to 4e is hardly a change at all in terms of rules.&nbsp; Still, a whole lotta folks didn't make the switch, and a good many harbored resentment about it.&nbsp;For some reason WotC has historically been pretty oblivious to this kind of fan response.&nbsp; Per Jeff Grubb, when 3e was coming out one of the WotC folks said they didn't give a damn if any 2e people switched over.&nbsp; They came up with the plan of releasing a new edition every 10 years, with the .5 editions coming midway between.&nbsp; That may have worked, but they just haven't been able to stick with it.&nbsp; 3e in 2000.&nbsp; 3.5 in 2003.&nbsp; 4e in 2008.&nbsp; Essentials in 2010.&nbsp; And now 5e.&nbsp; Every change brewing at the very least the kind of resentment that the change from 1e to 2e engendered.&nbsp; Even more so, since a lot of folks find an edition they like, and then WotC pulls the rug out from under them.&nbsp;Unfortunately, this background undermines a lot of the good work they do.&nbsp; It doesn't matter how good 3e is at what it does, how good 4e is at what it does, how good 5e becomes.&nbsp; People feel that resentment a priori, before the new edition even comes out.&nbsp;The design folks have been suggesting that their intent is that they can put out 5e and just leave it out there for a much longer period, after which would follow minor changes in presentation (e.g. popular modules put into the core) rather than a wholesale re-design.&nbsp; I'd like to believe them, but I don't blame anyone for having extreme skepticism.&nbsp; I do believe that if WotC wants get the fanbase all playing D&amp;D again, they need to come up with a new business model.&nbsp; If releasing the core books once and then trying to live on settings and splats (2e) doesn't work, and constant releasing of entirely new editions every five years brews resentment and kills the golden goose, then they need to do something else.&nbsp; And I think they need to play the long game, keeping everything that comes after as compatible as possible.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Iosue, post: 6013078, member: 6680772"] I think a whole lotta of this can just be laid the feet of edition change. One need only look at the change from 1e to 2e, which compared to 2e to 3e or 3e to 4e is hardly a change at all in terms of rules. Still, a whole lotta folks didn't make the switch, and a good many harbored resentment about it. For some reason WotC has historically been pretty oblivious to this kind of fan response. Per Jeff Grubb, when 3e was coming out one of the WotC folks said they didn't give a damn if any 2e people switched over. They came up with the plan of releasing a new edition every 10 years, with the .5 editions coming midway between. That may have worked, but they just haven't been able to stick with it. 3e in 2000. 3.5 in 2003. 4e in 2008. Essentials in 2010. And now 5e. Every change brewing at the very least the kind of resentment that the change from 1e to 2e engendered. Even more so, since a lot of folks find an edition they like, and then WotC pulls the rug out from under them. Unfortunately, this background undermines a lot of the good work they do. It doesn't matter how good 3e is at what it does, how good 4e is at what it does, how good 5e becomes. People feel that resentment a priori, before the new edition even comes out. The design folks have been suggesting that their intent is that they can put out 5e and just leave it out there for a much longer period, after which would follow minor changes in presentation (e.g. popular modules put into the core) rather than a wholesale re-design. I'd like to believe them, but I don't blame anyone for having extreme skepticism. I do believe that if WotC wants get the fanbase all playing D&D again, they need to come up with a new business model. If releasing the core books once and then trying to live on settings and splats (2e) doesn't work, and constant releasing of entirely new editions every five years brews resentment and kills the golden goose, then they need to do something else. And I think they need to play the long game, keeping everything that comes after as compatible as possible. [/QUOTE]

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