D&D (2024) D&D species article

[Yaarel]

Why assume those are even different at all...?

"Its tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

At any rate, WotC has been explicit for a decade that evergreen rules are their goal and bussiness model, after they started listening to fans. I think they have succeeded, and D&D is already well onto the evergreen era.

WotC wanted 4e to be the "evergreen edition". But WotC listened to the fans.

WotC wanted to change the OGL. But WotC listened to the fans. Well, ultimately anyway.

WotC might have business preferences, but it proves itself to listen to the fans.

The recent playtests included some daring design proposals, but generally, players resisted anything dramatic, and like 5e the way it is now.

Notable updates include reorganizing how background works. Even this has resistance, but everyone understands the rationale for D&D to stop focusing on "race".

If the fans wanted new rules, I am confident WotC will figure out a way to integrate the wishes of the customers.

 

[Parmandur]

"Its tough to make predictions, especially about the future."



WotC wanted 4e to be the "evergreen edition". But WotC listened to the fans.

WotC wanted to change the OGL. But WotC listened to the fans. Well, ultimately anyway.

WotC might have business preferences, but it proves itself to listen to the fans.

The recent playtests included some daring design proposals, but generally, players resisted anything dramatic, and like 5e the way it is now.

Notable updates include reorganizing how background works. Even this has resistance, but everyone understands the rationale for D&D to stop focusing on "race".

If the fans wanted new rules, I am confident WotC will figure out a way to integrate the wishes of the customers.

Right, but that is why evergreen is more likely than not. 4E was never billed as an evergreen intention, that came after Next.

 

[Yaarel]

Right, but that is why evergreen is more likely than not. 4E was never billed as an evergreen intention, that came after Next.

Early on, they were talking about 4e as "evergreen". I remember the phrase. Albeit in context, the assumption was there would be continual updates online. That was the time they decided to do massive surveys, to see what fans themselves wanted.

Fashions evolve. I assume there will be things 5e fans will want to see in the coming years, that will become normative D&D then.

 

[Parmandur]

Early on, they were talking about 4e as "evergreen". I remember the phrase. Albeit in context, the assumption was there would be continual updates online. That was the time they decided to do massive surveys, to see what fans themselves wanted.

Fashions evolve. I assume there will be things 5e fans will want to see in the coming years, that will become normative D&D then.

No, that was after 4E.

 

[Yaarel]

No, that was after 4E.

I did a quick google and found the expression, "evergreen" core rule book, had currency for 4e at least from 2010.

Note, I probably saw the phrase from the forums that were in wizards (and gleemax), which are now gone.

 

[Parmandur]

I did a quick google and found the expression, "evergreen" core rule book, had currency for 4e at least from 2010.

Note, I probably saw the phrase from the forums that were in wizards (and gleemax), which are now gone.

OK, from 2010 sounds plausible: they were probavly thinking about a new Edition by that time.

 

[mamba]

At any rate, WotC has been explicit for a decade that evergreen rules are their goal and bussiness model,

I thought initially this was more a ‘5e might be it, D&D is not making enough money and we might wrap this up in 3 years’ rather than an intentional evergreen edition they expected to stick with for 10+ years

‘evergreen’ is very different from ‘this is likely it’…

 

[Parmandur]

I thought initially this was more a ‘5e might be it, D&D is not making enough money and we might wrap this up in 3 years’ rather than an intentional evergreen edition they expected to stick with for 10+ years

‘evergreen’ is very different from ‘this is likely it’…

Nope, Mike Mearls at a lot of points laid out an intentional evergreen game strategy, specifically using Monopoly and Settlers of Catan as analogies: constantly releasing new products that provide a different take or flavor on the game (I own Legend of Zelda Monopoly and Ancient Egyot Caran, for example).

All indications are that this evergreen strategy has been working, and has survived leadership shakeups.

A future where the core rules of D&D are stable and sell to new customers instead if juicing the declining older market and splitting the fanbase, and big money comes from merchandising and other media just makes sense.

 

[Yaarel]

OK, from 2010 sounds plausible: they were probavly thinking about a new Edition by that time.

There was a time when 4e original and 4e essentials were available at the same time. It might be in this context they started talking about "evergreen".

 

[Parmandur]

There was a time when 4e original and 4e essentials were available at the same time. It might be in this context they started talking about "evergreen".

Yeah, thst sounds about right.

And then establishing an evergreen base was always an explicit goal of Next. And it would seem that they succeeded.