Design Leadership from 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th

[Celebrim]

Again, I'm not trying to turn this into the specifics of why 4th is like 2nd. I'm trying to discuss the differences in leadership transitions between editions.

For all practical purposes, its been entirely different leadership between each edition. I think you make a very weak case of the design leadership having continuity between 3rd and 4th edition. I don't see Mearls as a logical much less designated successor to Monte Cook. Tweet is still with WotC, but his role in 4E seems subdued. I think the best case for continuity you can make is the role of Andy Collins in 3.X, and particularly 3.5. WotC is a large enough company that Slavisek's role seems likely to be largely managerial. He doesn't seem to have contributed alot of actual content in a long while.

To it seems to me the same extent, the 2nd edition design team of people like Zeb Cook and Pickens had been with TSR for a long time and done alot of 1st edition work. It's not like the new edition was designed by outsiders.

So, in other words, I don't think the torch is actually being passed, or no more so than any other edition. On the other hand, whether or not the torch was being passed wouldn't give me any sort of assurance or skepticism one way or another.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Um... who cares what Monte Cook thinks of Mearls? Shouldn't it matter more what YOU think of Mearls? I mean, we've seen as much of his output as Monte has... if you don't think he did a good job with Iron Heroes, why would it make you feel better to hear that Monte thought he did?