D&D Designers answer Slashdot crowds questions

[D_E]

The first answer really jumped out at me. Once again, one of their first inclinations is to directly say that the need for online subscription capabilities is directly driving changes to the tabletop game design:



I think usually when you press WOTC on this point, they try to back off from it, but it's always the first foot forward in their marketing campaigns for 4E.

Actually, what I got out of that was that they didn't want to have to make the online tools compatible with the 3.5 rules.

Which makes sense. If you're going to majorly revamp your game, and simultaneously release digital tools to work with it, you don't want to release the new rules as an add on to the old system, because then you have to support both the old rules and the new rules at the same time.

 

[Zaruthustran]

I was amused by this part:



Since I though, "well, I dunno", and thought a good follow-up would be "what percent of your current customers are you willing to write-off as a part of transitioning to new customers?". Also (somewhat of a beef with me): "Why aren't you creating a migration path for the customers still on 3.5; why don't you have a backwards compatibility guide to adapt 4.0 features in 3.5 campaigns that aren't quite ready to migrate yet?".)

With all the bellyaching over 3.5, doing a 3.75 would have been a disaster.

I think it's a *good* thing that they learned their lesson and took this opportunity to create a brand new edition.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

I am disappointed that they did not answer the Bad Publicity question. This was a question the the Astrid's Parlor section of the Gleemax forums, and I know that many other people want an answer too.

Ask me this question, I am curious to know what it is.

I'll do my best to answer it.

 

[NewfieDave]

I think he means the "What are you doing to stop me from being too embarrassed to mention I play D&D within earshot of the high school football team?" question.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

Oh, thaaaat question.

Here ya go: The Big Answer To The Burning Question

 

[shilsen]

Oh, thaaaat question.

Here ya go: The Big Answer To The Burning Question

I believe that answer was officially Rousetastic.

 

[Mercule]

I think this is the question in question:

Negative Press by eldavojohn:
Short intro, I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi. Play a lot of computer games. Enjoy reading up on lore and the like. But I never got into D&D. I had friends that played it but I was never into it. I tried playing it a few times and had some fun experiences. But there's always been a sort of negative stigma associated with it among ... well, the general populace. What are you doing to break free of this? Or do you embrace it? What are your thoughts & opinions on this strange negative publicity that popular movies push onto D&D players? Do you ever try to break free of that?

WotC:
(Note from Gamer_Zer0: Sorry Zonk, I tried my best to get this question answered for you, but apparently the Sci-Fi channel was having an original Battlestar Galactica marathon and the entire D&D team was no where to be found!)

Personally, I think it's an unanswerable question. What makes D&D "geeky" is its niche status. The only way to "ungeek" it is deeper penetration and expansion of the market scope. Obviously, WotC is working to increase their market -- just like any business.

I think MMORPGs are a double-edged sword in this regard. They have a similar game play to tabletop RPGs, but a lower complexity because all the math is handled by the computer. I know quite a few people who play MMORPGs who wouldn't be caught dead playing D&D. If we're lucky, that'll loosen up a bit. Of course, there's a certain stigma that could be attached to intentionally doing something in a more difficult/manual manner, which would be the initial impression of D&D vs. WoW.

A lot of people don't want to hear it, but the Digital Initiative is a step toward bringing some of the WoW accessibility to D&D. I don't know that that specific purpose was part of the plan, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was somewhere in there.

The same could be said of some of the rules simplifications that are giving some people heartburn. As much as I don't like square fireballs and 1" diagonals, they probably do make things a lot easier on high school cheerleaders.

 

[Colmarr]

Actually, I found this answer highly surprising, and pleasing:

Players won't need the Dungeon Master's Guide to equip their higher-level characters, because the PH will have plenty of magic items for all levels. Players won't need the Monster Manual to adjudicate shapechanging or summoning effects, because those effects will be self-contained within the classes or powers that grant them.

If it's true, it indicates that WotC is actively trying to sort content appropriately. And that's a good thing.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

I think this is the question in question:
Personally, I think it's an unanswerable question. What makes D&D "geeky" is its niche status. The only way to "ungeek" it is deeper penetration and expansion of the market scope. Obviously, WotC is working to increase their market -- just like any business.

I think MMORPGs are a double-edged sword in this regard. They have a similar game play to tabletop RPGs, but a lower complexity because all the math is handled by the computer. I know quite a few people who play MMORPGs who wouldn't be caught dead playing D&D. If we're lucky, that'll loosen up a bit. Of course, there's a certain stigma that could be attached to intentionally doing something in a more difficult/manual manner, which would be the initial impression of D&D vs. WoW.

A lot of people don't want to hear it, but the Digital Initiative is a step toward bringing some of the WoW accessibility to D&D. I don't know that that specific purpose was part of the plan, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was somewhere in there.

The same could be said of some of the rules simplifications that are giving some people heartburn. As much as I don't like square fireballs and 1" diagonals, they probably do make things a lot easier on high school cheerleaders.

How ironic, we just announced this promotion: Free Pom-Poms with every PHB purchased!

I wrote a cheer:

Go 4e
You're The Game
You Can Do It
Cause WoW Is Lame

 

[arscott]

Scott, you've just written my new sig.