D&D 5E Did they meet their goals?

[Iosue]

One thing I want to do once the DMG drops is do a Let's Read of all of Mearls' Legends & Lores from before the 5e announcement and see where they ended up.

But as of now, just considering the playtest, I'd say the answers to the OP's questions are: Yes, Yes, Yes, Depends on definition of "unites", and Good.

 

[delericho]

Do you think they met their goals now that the rules are finalized and the game is about to come out?

We really don't have enough information, and won't until the game has been out for a while.

Is the game going to be modular?

Sort of, probably.

Are you going to be able to play your 3rd edition character (feel) next to a buddy with a 4th edition character (feel) and a 2nd edition character (feel)?

I can't see how that is even possible. The feel of the game is about more than the complexity of the character, and matching up 4e's very battlemat-centric tactical combat minigame with 2nd Ed's assumed theatre-of-the-mind option-light approach is probably not possible.

Is this going to be the edition that unites the fanbase again or will it just wind up being another edition of D&D?

No chance. I've seen nothing to indicate that Pathfinder fans are going to return en masse, and without that the split remains. My big hope, though, is that the various factions might finally stop antagonising each other and instead learn to just get along.

From all the things including the last playtest packet until now how are you feeling about this new edition?

Mostly negative, but gradually coming around. WotC's silence after the B&N leak really soured me on everything associated with the new edition (whether that was reasonable or not), but the answers we've had this week are good ones.

 

[Li Shenron]

Before answering the question, it might be worth to go back and check what their announced goals were:

Two years ago ("Uniting the Editions"):

http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120130
http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120206
http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120213

One year ago ("D&D Next Goals"):

http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20130107
http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20130114
http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20130122
http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20130128

We haven't seen the final version of the rules, so it would be best to ask again at the end of the year, but however it has been announced that the rules haven't changed much at all since the final playtest packet, except monsters HP, class tweaks and a few other details.

Now off to think about what to write for my 10k post on ENW

 

[Blackbrrd]

I didn't describe that situation. Wizards did.

Now, I am curious, do you have a source? My impression of what they wanted is much closer to what @The Myopic Sniper mentions and quotes.

Nevermind, @Li Shenron supplied the source http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120130

When 4E debuted, the game once again underwent a radical change. This time, the most significant change was the way character classes were expressed. Balance and standardization became even more important, combat more complex, and cinematic action and heroic power levels were the focus. Character powers ensured that everyone always had something interesting and dynamic to do every round. The DM had even less responsibility, and her job was made easier with interesting innovations to NPC and monster design. Miniatures and a grid were absolutely required. 4E players like even more balance and tactical play, and they want even more interesting and straightforward options for their characters. In addition, simple and quick preparation for the DM is a must.

I have seen some of what they mention here in the playtest rules, but when it comes to standardization, they have deviated. There is no AEDU system that every class uses. I do think they are pretty close on the other things they mention here though.

Is this going to be the edition that unites the fanbase again or will it just wind up being another edition of D&D?

I think you will be able to play something very close to 1-3e D&D. Those editions have a lot in common and 5e looks to capture much of it through options. I think they will fall a bit short on 4e, especially if you liked the AEDU setup. If you are thinking of complex combat with miniatures and maneuvers and a more balanced easier prep time for the DM as big 4e features, I think they might nail it for that edition as well.

I think 5e will be most successful in getting new players into the game, or players that don't play any longer. I don't see a massive shift from Pathfinder to 5e, at least not to start with.

 

[Shiroiken]

I didn't describe that situation. Wizards did.

I know, but it was an unrealistic goal when announced, and it's still an unrealistic goal. The playstyles are just too different. Now, with the right group, there are some AD&D aspects that can mesh with some 3E aspects, and there are some 3E & 4E aspects that can mesh together, but overall you are not likely to find these players agreeing on what they want in the game.

 

[Pickles JG]

I just hope the default is something that I can get on with, at least better than Pathfinder.

I have played most of my D&D in organised play for the last few years & so modularity is pretty moot unless I am happy with the default settings that will be used in OP.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Do you think they met their goals now that the rules are finalized and the game is about to come out? Is the game going to be modular? Are you going to be able to play your 3rd edition character (feel) next to a buddy with a 4th edition character (feel) and a 2nd edition character (feel)?

Here's the deal. The framework is there for that modularity. I understand what WOTC is going for, though I suspect many people on this forum will disagree with what WOTC considers a 4e "feel" or a 1e "feel".

To them is is about complexity. A character used to 1e/2e, for instance, can play a character where the only real abilities he has is "attack and deal damage". He never has to take feats, doesn't even HAVE to take a background(but if he does take a background, he never has to choose proficiencies, he just writes down which ones he gets), he just has to worry about his weapons and armor and that's about it.

Someone who is a fan of 3e will be able to take a feat every time they would get a stat bump. They can make their own custom background so they can select an appropriate trait and skills. They can use 3e multiclassing to customize their character further. They've said there would be an optional skill system that really let you customize your skills in detail. We haven't seen that yet, but if that exists you might be able to spend points on individual skills.

Someone who is a fan of 4e can likely choose a class and feature that best represents their tactical sensibilities. They've already previewed the tactical version of the fighter who has dice that come back after a short rest that he can spent to activate maneuvers similar to 4e. In addition to that, we know that Warlocks have spells that regenerate after a short rest and spells that are daily. So they also have an at-will, encounter, daily setup. There may also be a complete tactical module for all the classes in the future. Though, that appeared to be something they were saving for a future product.

At the moment, these 3 characters should be able to be played at the same table with no real problems. So, I'd say that they've succeeded in that.

As for uniting the player base and being the one edition to rule them all. I doubt it. But that's mostly because they were too late coming out with the game. Many people are heavily entrenched in whatever game they are playing now. I went to D&D Encounters for the last 2 weeks and there are still people playing 4e there despite the fact that the current season of Encounters is D&D Next only. They told me they hated change and didn't want to switch simply because WOTC wanted them to. They all started in 4e and its the only edition they know. That's all they want to play. They started one table of D&D Next. The DM hadn't ever seen the playtest rules before minutes before he started the first session. No one at the table had either. We're 2 sessions in now and most of the players are heavily confused by D&D Next and don't understand how they are supposed to play without clearly delineated at-will, encounter, and daily powers. A couple of pages of spells that they have to decide when to use is just too much for them.

Meanwhile, my other friends who used to play Living Greyhawk with me are all heavily invested in Pathfinder Society to the point where if D&D Next is brought up to one of them he gets very angry. I told him about the release date and price on the PHB and his response was "Well, there's $50 I don't have to spend at least. How come you aren't coming to Pathfinder Society?" This, despite the fact that I've told him I don't like Pathfinder about 10 or 15 times.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Too soon to tell. Ask again about a year after the PHB release, once gamers have had a chance to try the game, adapt to it, and we see how it fits into the rest of the gaming environment.

 

[fjw70]

Majoru Oakheart, great summary of how different styles can play together with 5e. That is how envision it working as well.

 

[Kinak]

Do you think they met their goals now that the rules are finalized and the game is about to come out?

From what they've revealed? Absolutely not. They may have some secret sauce that they haven't shown us, but living up to those promises was probably never in the cards.

For what it's worth, I put that mostly on whoever set the goals. Falling short of goals like "a game that feels like 2nd Edition to one person at the table and 4th Edition to another" and "reuniting the fanbase" aren't things I'd ever hold against a designer.

Is the game going to be modular?

Trivially yes. At it's base, it doesn't really mean anything more than "some optional rules in sidebars."

Whether we see support for major modules remains to be seen. Even if they're in the DMG, continuing support for them has always been the real problem, so it'll be a long time before we see how it plays out.

Are you going to be able to play your 3rd edition character (feel) next to a buddy with a 4th edition character (feel) and a 2nd edition character (feel)?

I think this goal even existing drastically misunderstands what creates the feel of 4th edition, in particular. And any character that effects how someone else plays, be that through buffs or synergy or leader abilities or tactical considerations, basically tosses this out anyway.

That said, I think they could have gotten a lot closer to this. The characters in the last playtest packet didn't particularly feel like any edition. The fighter subclasses get sort of close to what they're talking about, but it's not really reflected through the rest of the design.

Is this going to be the edition that unites the fanbase again or will it just wind up being another edition of D&D?

It's possible, but very doubtful.

To really unite the fanbase, they'd have to suck all the other oxygen out of the room. A while after 3's launch, I feel like the OGL did that, drawing so much energy and attention that non-OGL stuff vanished from discussion for years.

I'm not even really sure if they can capture enough 4e fans' interest to subsume the 4e fanbase. If they can't do that, they've accomplished the opposite of their goal, just creating another faction within the wider fanbase.

That said, as a consumer, I'd rather have two major games competing than one game standing alone at the top of the heap. So, while it's bad for internet conversations and Hasbro's bottom line, it's probably best for everyone who wants to actually buy and play games.

From all the things including the last playtest packet until now how are you feeling about this new edition?

The more I learn and the more I get in conversations here, the less I want to buy anything.

I ended the last playtest expecting to look at the starter set at GenCon and, very likely, pick it up for the basic rules. Now it seems unlikely I'll run into it and the product description thus far isn't inspiring me to go out of my way.

I'll probably keep an eye on things at least until the MM comes out, so I can peruse that at my FLGS. But there's a decent chance I'll sit this one out.

Cheers!
Kinak