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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Upper_Krust" data-source="post: 3306267" data-attributes="member: 326">Hey all! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I recently proposed the following ideas and suggestions of how I would design and target 4th Edition.Okay so why change anything? Two major reasons.Firstly, to me at least, 3rd Edition (in both its incarnations) has too many 'moving parts'. This 'complexity' has two effects upon the game. It slows the game down, especially the creative process for DMs. Also it can be daunting for casual gamers and new gamers alike.Secondly, D&D now has to compete with far more games and hobbies than ever. Is it eye catching enough to attract new players and steal people away from other games/hobbies? How can we get D&D into the mass market and broaden its appeal?My solution is to make the following fourfold changes to the game:1. Vastly Simplified Rules: Along the lines of the <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/6366" target="_blank">D&D Boardgame</a>.A few things of note - the boardgame only allows levels 1-3. However I have a simply solution as to how that could cover levels 1-20. I also have a method for doing away with the need for counter blips and a great idea for the implementation of multi-classing/prestige classes - however, I'll keep those ideas to myself for now. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />2. Board Pieces/Miniatures: Reversible, different size/shaped room and corridor sections, pre-painted miniatures.Each boxed set would come with approx. 29 prepainted miniatures: 1 Huge, 4 Large, 19 medium, 5 Small. I was discussing the pricing issues of such minatures with MerricB (and others) in a different thread. I was thinking each boxed set should have a price no higher than $50 (preferably $40 although the value of the US dollar is sinking fast)Here is an example of a possible miniatures spread:Dungeons & DinosaursHuge: Fiendish T-RexLarge Mooks: 2 x Blackscale LizardmenLarge Unique: Girallon, Large Fire ElementalMedium Mooks #1: 3 x SalamandersMedium Mooks #2: 4 x LizardfolkMedium (or Small) Unique: Digester, Shocker Lizard, Basilisk, SpectreSmall Mooks: 5 x Kobolds NPCs: Evil Warlock, Master of Blades, Lizardfolk Cleric, Kobold AssassinPCs: Wizard, Fighter, Cleric, Rogue3. Player Boards/Cards: These eliminate the need for paperwork and book-keeping, as well as being an eye-catching visual component.4. Market Strategy: Each new boxed set would not only revolve around a strong theme, but also be named after that theme. So after the obvious Dungeons & Dragons boxed set. We would have Dungeons & Pirates, Dungeons & Dinosaurs, Dungeons & Vampires, Dungeons & Robots, Dungeons & Ninjas, Dungeons & Wizards, Dungeons & Zombies etc. Each boxed set would be the same game/format, but have new locations, new classes, new NPCs, new monsters, new feats, new spells, new magic items, new adventures etc.For example think of Dungeons & Vampires as Libris Mortis, Dungeons & Ninjas as Oriental Adventures.Each boxed set is a stand-alone game, but each also acts as an expansion to the others.Then when you have the branding established you can go in different directions: Dungeons & Harryhausen.Thirdparty companies can license the name for their own purposes: Dungeons & Conan (Mongoose)You could run promotions with the likes of Dunkin Donuts such as Dungeons & Donuts (Free unique miniatures when you order the 'Beholder Cookie'), or Pizza Hut; Dungeons & Pizza (Order the extra hot Dragon Pizza and get free unique miniatures).If you want to attract young female gamers then how about Dungeons & Dora or Dungeons & Tomb Raider.You can also produce sequels to the most popular boxed sets: Dungeons & Dragons 2: Fortress of Fang, Dungeons & Vampires 2: Castle Ravenloft etc.Okay, at this point some of you will have reservations, so lets address some of the common ones I have heard.Complaint #1: "I don't want to play a dumbed down version of the game!"Answer: Each boxed set would include an advanced rulebook. This would have optional rules which you could incorporate to adjust the level of detail/complexity you wanted in your game in your game. Complaint #2: "I don't want to play a card game!"Answer: The cards are only there in a support capacity to remove book-keeping aspects of the game and make various elements more visually pleasing. Such as feats, spells, magic items and monsters.Complaint #3: "I don't want our game to be slave to a board!"Answer: The board/minis are only a visual tool for tactical situations. Complaint #4a: "The board setup will be far too limited!"Answer: Using individual board pieces (different sized/shaped rooms and corridors) you can concoct thousands of possible layouts even from a single boxed set. I had a look through Dungeon magazine and you can easily duplicate about 50% of the adventure maps with a single boxed set. With 2, 3 or more boxed sets your options would increase exponentially.Complaint #4b: "What if I want to create my own characters, magic items, spells?"Answer: Each boxed set would include a template pages which you could photocopy a fill in as you wish. It would only take a page or two to explain how to keep things balanced.If you have any other suggestions/complaints I'd be happy to address them.So as the poll suggests. Is this something you would definately like to see, something you might buy for the miniatures, something you might try or something you don't like the sound of at all...and if so why?</blockquote>

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