D&D 5E D&D New Edition Design Looks Soon?

WotC’s Ray Winninger has hinted on Twitter that we may be seeing something of the 2024 next edition of D&D soon — “you’ll get a first look at some of the new design work soon.”.

 

[CleverNickName]

WotC is actually disincentivized from making interesting mechanics, as they are likely to divide their player base.

Agreed.

It depends on what is meant by "interesting," "mechanics," "divide," and "player base."

All editions of the game have had interesting game mechanics, and all have divided their player base, to varying degrees. And all editions of the game have been successful, also in varying degrees.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

WotC is actually disincentivized from making interesting mechanics, as they are likely to divide their player base.

Yup!

I think they are also not that big on owning their own VTT and such. I mean, it seems like a pretty great idea at first blush, but then you are cannibalizing your own book sales. 4e had some pretty decent online tools, but notice how they have steered clear of a lot of that with 5e. Nothing that would discourage people from paying for books makes sense to them, and its not hard to see why.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I know I'm in the minority but part of me wants them to rereleases 4e & Essentials as "5.5" LOL
So many things newer players want were in that edition.

I don't want a direct port... but use the base concept of the essentials 4e adding on some 5e improvements and general fixes would be a dream come true for me.

(EX: I like advantage/disadvantage and that is better then lots of +/-s I also like concentration on spells but I think it is over used in someways and under used in other... martial/monk concentration abilities that are not spells for instants. and as I have said before I would use the Warlock Chasie maybe it and the Artificer as my base for all the classes... you get at will abilities cool choices every level a stock pile of encounter abilities but a limit of how many you can use per short rest, mini feats that enhance or give more atwill/dailies... but the artificer refluffed as the wizard in that case could work too)

 

[OB1]

I wonder if there is a net benefit to WotC owning their own VTT. Unless they are going to make it harder or even impossible for other outlets to serve D&D players on their platforms, I don't see how it could be worth the investment.

I think the benefit comes from D&D (and TTRPGs in general) having a DM shortage problem. If WotC can make an easy to use VTT it could help with the DM shortage problem, thereby leading more people to play D&D. I've been using Roll20 since the start of the pandemic, and the only thing that makes it somewhat tolerable is the DDB plug in. But I can't imagine a casual or new to the game player trying to run a game on it (I've never tried any of the purchasable APs for it, so maybe that make's it easier?). By having a VTT that focuses only on D&D, it should make everything work more seamless.
I do hope that even if WotC does put out it's own VTT, that it doesn't stop providing licenses to other VTTs.

 

[Reynard]

I think the benefit comes from D&D (and TTRPGs in general) having a DM shortage problem. If WotC can make an easy to use VTT it could help with the DM shortage problem, thereby leading more people to play D&D. I've been using Roll20 since the start of the pandemic, and the only thing that makes it somewhat tolerable is the DDB plug in. But I can't imagine a casual or new to the game player trying to run a game on it (I've never tried any of the purchasable APs for it, so maybe that make's it easier?). By having a VTT that focuses only on D&D, it should make everything work more seamless.
I do hope that even if WotC does put out it's own VTT, that it doesn't stop providing licenses to other VTTs.

But doing so would probably mean cutting off Foundry, Fantasy grounds and Roll20, where the majority of VTT players live.

 

[Sacrosanct]

It depends on what is meant by "interesting," "mechanics," "divide," and "player base."

All editions of the game have had interesting game mechanics, and all have divided their player base, to varying degrees. And all editions of the game have been successful, also in varying degrees.

Yep. Firstly, "interesting" is entirely subjective so you'll never please everyone. Secondly, interesting doesn't always mean good or well-received. Liver and onion ice cream is interesting, but I have no desire for it lol. One of the worst things you can do as a business is try to be too edgy/shock value/"interesting" if only a small group of people like it.

On the flip side, and to what you're saying, is that I suspect a lot of people find existing mechanics as interesting, even if others do not. I.e., just because one person find something bland doesn't mean others do.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yep. Firstly, "interesting" is entirely subjective so you'll never please everyone. Secondly, interesting doesn't always mean good or well-received. Liver and onion ice cream is interesting, but I have no desire for it lol. One of the worst things you can do as a business is try to be too edgy/shock value/"interesting" if only a small group of people like it.

Unless you're serving a niche audience that isn't satisfied with the mainstream offering.

 

[Oofta]

You could be right. But I wonder what proportion of players/groups actually use DDB at all. I don't. For example, and several of my gamer friends had never even heard of it until I brought it up a few weeks ago.

There's still a value in the surveys, is what I'm getting at.

Any survey will only get responses from a small minority of your target audience. The real question would be what the distribution of DDB users looks like. If it's representative, it doesn't matter if it's only 10% of all players, that's may will be better than you'd get from a survey because of issues with correctly targeting players.

Hopefully it won't be the only thing they look at, the more users give feedback the better.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Unless you're serving a niche audience that isn't satisfied with the mainstream offering.

Well, that wouldn't be 5e.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Well, that wouldn't be 5e.

God no! Most popular options all the way!