D&D 5E Crystal Ball: A year in, how do you think 5E will unfold going forward?

[cmad1977]

When did they say that? Seems like your making stuff up to back your point. Especially with Paizo doing well releasing all those evil money losing books and supplements.

Nope. Their lackluster APs are not worth my money.

Really? If they had data pre-4e, which apparently was a commercial failure... Then they now have more data after 4e including data gleaned from the sales of 4e and it's deluge of supplements. It's logic. Clearly their experience with 4e tells them that a limited release schedule is more viable.

You will buy. When a FR campaign setting comes out you will buy. WotC will get your money. And if they don't then at least we'll get to hear all about it here.

 

[darjr]

For you.

And me.

 

[cmad1977]

And me.

And me.

 

[ranger69]

Whatever WOTC does is going to displease some people. There is either too much published or not enough. The adventures are rubbish, or they are enjoyable. I suspect that WOTC are walking a fine line between keeping us, the customers happy, and the bosses, Hasbro happy. Indeed, some of the strategy may have come from Hasbro. They seem to have a reasonable idea of selling games in general.
The point made earlier in the thread about the cost of releasing books not being covered by purchases is a very pertinent one. I have worked most of my life in retail of various forms, and the best retailers are ruthless on which lines are on the shelf's. If it stops moving fast enough it's replaced by something else.
Also if you were a newcomer to D&D and walked into a store with all the 3.5 products on the shelf it could be very confusing where to start. Also probably be put off starting if you think you must buy all the products. 5E, I think is trying to avoid that. Believe me, too much choice can be as bad, if not worse than not enough choice for consumers new to a product.

 

[Kramodlog]

It's logic.

Well logic says that 4e failed because its rules were bad, and its fluff and mechanics were a huge divorce from previous editions of D&D. Not too many books. Essentials and Pathfinder point to that.

You will buy.

Ha ha ha. No.

 

[Kramodlog]

And me.

It is not like you'll give WotC your money when they make a splatbook. You hate those! So it doesn't really matter.

 

[cmad1977]

Ha ha ha. No.

Ok so you won't buy a FR book. But when a book is released that you like you will buy. An WotC will have lost nothing. And if you won't buy a book you like... You aren't a customer anyways.

 

[cmad1977]

It is not like you'll give WotC your money when they make a splatbook. You hate those! So it doesn't really matter.

Your right, a splat book won't get me. But a campaign setting might.... Or a tome of adventures.... Or an awesome book of awesomeness. WotC will produce something for D&D that I will buy eventually. I just don't claim that what I want not being available right now is a bad call on their part. In fact, since what I want would be a small slice of their customer base I understand that catering to my desires right now isn't good business. I respect that.

 

[reelo]

I sure hope they release a detailed Campaign Setting tome for either post-Sundering FR or up-to-date Greyhawk (preferably both!) eventually.
Something along the lines of the 3.5 FRCS would be awesome. It doesn't even have to have tons of crunch. Extensive fluff would suffice for me.

 

[JeffB]

How will it unfold?

PERSONAL LEVEL-- I think it will unfold in a way that doesn't make me a customer. They are pretty much there. I love the rules-set, I even bought the core books recently just cos I do. But it's far easier and less time consuming for me to go over to Paizo.com or DTRPG and buy a PDF, or grab a cheap used D20 Kalamar/Necro/Goodman book off Amazon, and run it with those rules, instead of converting it to 5E, making my own, or converting and running yet again some old module in my collection I have done 20 times since in nearly twice as many years. I'd rather do the work , but its not feasible with the nature of my job, 2 kids, their hobbies/afterschool/school activities, my wife and her job schedule, and a home to keep in order. Carving out 4-5 hours of session time every other weekend is tough enough.

With so many OGL/SRD games out there providing a wide variety of support products (PF, C&C, DCC, 13A, DW, OSR, etc), I would rather support those designers/companies, instead of WOTC (which sucks, cos I really want to support folks like Mearls, Perkins, Greenwood, Rodney-prior to his resignation, etc).

BUSINESS LEVEL-This assumes no effective 3rd party license ala the SRD/OGL-My feeling is that there will be a big shift at some point due to lack of traditional support and current TTRPG model- either there will be a flurry of product to invigorate a bored/product starved fanbase, or the opposite, the TT game will be on life support with less TT product, and the budget gets slashed further to work with licensing, novels, and electronic products. Swing that Branding Iron.

That said, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things to me- I'd hate to see D&D the game, or The Brand go the way of the do-do, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I got upset when TSR died, but I don't have that same warm and fuzzy feeling about WOTC like I did with TSR during the golden age.

Thats my 2 clacks.