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

[D.Shaffer]

...What part of that blog (or the comments attached in this thread) has anything at all to do with the OGL? You'll have to hilight that bit for me because I dont see it.

 

[mmu1]

Do you actually believe that the playtesting and/or message board comments will have any impact on the game, at this late date?

They're in the process of putting multiple books and several pieces of software together for release in 8 months, and they haven't even gotten around to announcing how to apply to be a playtester yet. At this rate, there'll be 5-6 months left to shipping date before the "playtesting" even starts, and there's no way to implement anything but cosmetic changes in that amount of time.

IIRC, this is less time from announcement to publication than with 3.5, and that really was a more-or-less new edition, not re-writing the game from the ground up.

As for the rest of it... Every time a WotC designer tells me they're putting out a new edition to make things even better than before, I don't know whether to laugh or to want to slug them. In 9 years, we'll have seen 3 editions of D&D (by a conservative estimate - the more recent supplements, with reserve feats, Bo9s mechanics, swift and immediate actions, etc. have changed the game far more than the pseudo-edition change from 3E to 3.5) and 3 editions of SW - if every one of those was a significant improvement over what came before, then they either hadn't been trying too hard at the outset, or the edition coming out in May should be one small step down from the version you get to play in paradise after you die.

 

[Shade]

I hope if we seed the clouds enough we can make it rain before it's too late to prepare for the coming flood.

 

[Enkhidu]

...As for the rest of it... Every time a WotC designer tells me they're putting out a new edition to make things even better than before, I don't know whether to laugh or to want to slug them. In 9 years, we'll have seen 3 editions of D&D (by a conservative estimate - the more recent supplements, with reserve feats, Bo9s mechanics, swift and immediate actions, etc. have changed the game far more than the pseudo-edition change from 3E to 3.5)...

I'm curious as to how many editions of D&D you saw during the 2e era.

 

[Raven Crowking]

...What part of that blog (or the comments attached in this thread) has anything at all to do with the OGL? You'll have to hilight that bit for me because I dont see it.

Actually, I missed it too.

OTOH, I fully endorse mmu1's last post!

RC

 

[Lurks-no-More]

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.

I think you are assuming the worst about the 4th edition, and that tinges your interpretation of what Dave Noonan is saying, here.

To me, the sense was more like this: "We're doing the 4th edition, and it's coming out in May. In the mean time, you can check out the previews we're putting up, and either ignore the whole thing, get enthusiastic about it, or get pessimistic. It's all just cloudwatching at this point, though; wait for the actual game. Oh, and we're interested in your opinions on the 3rd edition, and have been using your feedback as one basis for designing the new edition."

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I'm not a doomgloom naysayer and hater of the 4E.

In general I'm pretty excited. But I try to keep an open and objective view of it.

For instance, I think that we're almost a week into September and still no word on playtesting is worrisome.

And this blog post I think is way too easily taken badly. Even looking with a generally favorable eye, the whole bit on fist-shaking and rain dancing (I'm of native American heritage, so, thanks for the sensitivity in portraying my people) just comes off generally like A) This particular person at WotC doesn't care and B) he is, instead, amused by the antics of the little people.

Which is to say, this isn't too hard to see as being really patronizing. I think I get what he's trying to say, but his choice of metaphor to hang it off of and use of characterizations was ... less than favorable. To me, anyway.

--fje

 

[AllisterH]

I'm curious as to how many editions of D&D you saw during the 2e era.

I consider there to be "Three" editions of 2E IMHO.

The base edition found in the rulebooks.

The base edition found in the rulebooks + the introduction of Kits in splatbooks. (Kits significantly changed the power of starting characters, moreso IMO than how BoNS or Tome of Magic changed the game)

The Skill & Powers/Spells & Magic/Combat & Tactics era which makes the change from 3.0 to 3.5 look like peanuts. One can get away with a marker and the 3.0 PHB in a 3.5 game but the S&P series is nowhere as lenient. Hell freaking no.

 

[Glyfair]

And this blog post I think is way too easily taken badly. Even looking with a generally favorable eye, the whole bit on fist-shaking and rain dancing (I'm of native American heritage, so, thanks for the sensitivity in portraying my people) just comes off generally like A) This particular person at WotC doesn't care and B) he is, instead, amused by the antics of the little people.

I don't know. I think he's just amused by the antics of those taking a very extreme position. I know that I am.

 

[hong]

Dave Noonan sounds just a little pissed off.