D&D 4E David Noonan on 4E "Cloudwatching" (Added Dave's newest comment from his blog)

[Raven Crowking]

Your right I don't. I'm only going by local chatter. OTOH I get equally tired of people assuming the opposite. That people don't want 4e.

Well, if that's the case, I admit that I assume that the masses will convert as well, regardless of how 3.5 and 4.0 are in play, regardless of what is better or worse, and regardless of anything else. As ByronD says, "It just is what it is." The sad fact is that if 5.0 came out three years later, and it was mostly 1e with new artwork*, the same would probably still be true.

But that is still just an assumption (albeit an informed one), and my assumptions have been wrong before.


RC



* Note: Not a cut on 1e, which I quite like.

 

[Raven Crowking]

(1) I use weapon skills in my homebrew, and it works great. I can give you a link, and I'd be happy for nothing more than a credit if you decide to use 'em.

BTW, that was a serious offer, and if interested you can reach me at ravencrowking at hotmail dot com.

RC

 

[Thurbane]

Ahh, you mere customers. Shaking your puny little hands at the clouds. You amuse me with your concern for our little storms and your shamanistic dancing, but such matters are truly above you little ones and we aren't going to pay the slightest attention. So deal with it.

Yep, that pretty much sums it up. WotC policy reminds me of a boss I used to have - "My door's always open, but my mind's always closed".

The real kicker for me, aside from the fact that I feel it's "too soon" for 4E, and I believe that 3(.5) still had a few good years before a rewrite was needed, is the WotC have repeatedly said 4E was NOT designed with any concession to upgrading from 3E.

So for you folks with characters and campaigns that span years and hundreds (thousands?) of hours of loving labour, get that shredder ready, here come's the upgrade!

 

[wedgeski]

There's a post floating around about having a sign-up in September for interested playtesters to apply. And even a call to watch DDI for when it happens.

Is there? The latest information I have is that playtesters will be drawn -- in the month of September -- from RPGA membership and those who have an account on D&DI. There won't be a sign-up as such.

 

[BryonD]

The sad fact is that if 5.0 came out three years later, and it was mostly 1e with new artwork*, the same would probably still be true.

I doubt that.
Partly because the assumption that WotC will do a good job is built in for now.
If they screw it up then all bets are off. (Though the result of that would likely be that 3X goes down along with 4E)
Also, people are fickle and always want something new. That fact both supports the 4E advantage over 3E and the inability of a re-worked 1E to be a big success.

I also think that most major modern rpgs have evolved into more broadly appealing games than the older ones (1E ... ) and would have less general appeal anyway. I'm not talking about appeal to ENWorlder types. But to the whole of casual gamers. I know about the vast popularity of AD&D, but I think that was about the newness of the concept and the corner on the geek gamer market more than the general wide appeal. And I don't mean that as an edition war statement. A wider appeal to the masses does not equate to a better gaming experience. It could easily be argued that the opposite is true. But we are talking about commercial success here.

Oh, and I don't have any expertise or data. So there.

 

[Raven Crowking]

The latest information I have is that playtesters will be drawn -- in the month of September -- from RPGA membership and those who have an account on D&DI.

Pulling your test audience from the coverted isn't the best way to get a wide response, IMHO.

Sounds like just another attempt to get us all signed onto the DI to me.

 

[Morrus]

Pulling your test audience from the coverted isn't the best way to get a wide response, IMHO.

Playtesting isn't aimed at converting people! It's aimed at... well, playtesting.

Sounds like just another attempt to get us all signed onto the DI to me.

Well, sure. That's an obvious move - they want everyone signed up there. I'd do the same.

 

[Morrus]

Is there? The latest information I have is that playtesters will be drawn -- in the month of September -- from RPGA membership and those who have an account on D&DI. There won't be a sign-up as such.

Of course there will. You think they'll just grab people and say "Hey! You're a playtester now, whether you want to be or not!"

There will be an application process.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Telling us what's working/not working at your table right now is a good idea.

What's the best way to do that? Email?

 

[Doug McCrae]

this stuff makes me think that they think "they know better" what and how I should play.

They don't know what you want better than you do. But they have a better idea of what D&D players want than you do. Because they do market research and you don't.