D&D 4E DnD 4E DOA?

[Breakdaddy]

Personally am not even a little interested at this time.

 

[MaxKaladin]

I suspect we're about two and a half years from a new edition -- maybe a year and a half. I think a lot of it depends on the sales of core rules and 'generic' suppliments (like the "Races of ..." and "Complete ..." books). Once the sales on those start to run down, I think they're going to do a new edition. Since they're pretty much done with the race and class books, I suspect we're going to see a few more generic suppliments over the next year or two and then a new edition. I suspect we're going to see books like the "DMG II" over the next year and a half or so and then they'll announce 4e at Gencon 2006 for a Gencon 2007 release.

They might hold off longer if they can keep coming up with core suppliments that are financially successful. I think the environment line is one example of this and I note they've scheduled a 'genre series' and a 'magic series' for 2005 as well. I think these are things they're doing to keep the core suppliment money coming in and 4e will be delayed as long as these make enough money. When they've run out of books or the books they're selling aren't making enough money, they'll do 4e. I suspect that will be Gencon 2007 or perhaps 2008. Demands from the suits at Hasbro might shorten this. It might be possible for this to get stretched out to 2010 if they're successful enough with the genre, magic and environment books as they can release these at a rate of 1 or 2 per year for the next 5 years and then release 4e to get the whole cycle started again.

I do believe the claim that we'll know a year ahead of time before 4e because they will want to conduct a massive advertising campaing before the new edition though just like they did with 2e and 3e.

 

[Narfellus]

I don't think WotC is anywhere near running out of material for 3rd edition. But the game will (or already has) become just as bloated and out of control as 2nd edition with its Combat and Magic expansion books, even more so. In the next few years we'll see more and more alternate rules (i predict) from WotC, many of which will be "feelers" for 4th edition, trying to get a grasp of what the gaming community wants and capitalize on it. Unearthed Arcana has already done this, and i happen to really like that book, even if it is unfocused. This isn't a bad thing i suppose, we aren't obliged to buy anything, but personally i think the game has enough rules as is. Crafting great game worlds and enhancing that aspect of the game would be my preference. Man, how i would love to see a fully supported Dark Sun setting come down the pipeline.

 

[EricNoah]

Nobody's ready now, including me. I don't really know what the future holds, but I will probably at least take a look at any future editions. It does amuse me that I'm hearing a lot of stuff in this thread that the old 2E-diehards were saying when 3E was in development; and it also amuses me to think that depending on the situation I might turn into a 3E-grognard while some other young upstart is running "D&D 4th Edition News."

 

[Narfellus]

I would think that WotC would be wary of spinning out a new edition too soon. I mean, that would really tick off a lot of people who have spent thousands on a game they enjoy, only to have it essentially discontinued for "a new and improved and ALMOST the same" version. It's a fine line the developers have to walk, and from what i understand RPG's are a hard business to read.

 

[Mallus]

I want to say "no, I'm not ready for 4E", then again, I'm anxious to get my hands on Blue Rose, and to run a straight AE campaign, so maybe I'm am.

As others have said, "just not from Wizards".

 

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

Personally I think that 4E threads here will hasten the arrival of a new addition. Why? Because we all know that WOTC people visit the site. There have been so many 4E threads already it makes designers think "do they really want a new addition?" Hasbro management hears rumblings and bam "Customers have shown interest for sometime now about a new addition to our popular Dungeons and Dragons line of products. So where unveiling our long anticipated 4th Edition line." The only thing that threads about 4e will do is hasten the demise of 3e. These boards can be used for WOTC marketing research.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I really doubt that WotC is using these boards to gather marketing research. While we have a large fanbase that comes here, it's only a very small percentage of the overall D&D fanbase. Even then, the percentage of people that utilize ENWorld's messageboards are only a small percentage of the overall users that just come here for news and reviews. ENWorld is not a good enough cross-section of the gaming community to make for that great of market research for WotC. Then again, I could be wrong.

Kane

 

[Kanegrundar]

Nobody's ready now, including me. I don't really know what the future holds, but I will probably at least take a look at any future editions. It does amuse me that I'm hearing a lot of stuff in this thread that the old 2E-diehards were saying when 3E was in development; and it also amuses me to think that depending on the situation I might turn into a 3E-grognard while some other young upstart is running "D&D 4th Edition News."

I never thought I'd become an edition grognard, but I like the D20 system so much that I can't see myself using anything else for any style of gaming that I enjoy (fantasy, modern, sci-fi, post apocalyptic, and supers). That doesn't mean that I wouldn't give a new edition a try, but with less money to spend on gaming products and less time to play, I don't know that I even want to change over. 4E is going to have to be a MAJOR improvement for me to WANT it. I don't see how they can improve upon D&D any more than 3.0/3.5.

Kane

 

[DaveMage]

I don't see how they can improve upon D&D any more than 3.0/3.5.

Beyond a few tweaks here or there - and nothing that can't be done by some simple house rules - I agree.

I'd like combat speeded up, but I don't want to lose the fun I have with tactics, so I don't see how it could be improved.

The only real complaint I have is that there is so much included in the current edition, that I don't have time to try all of the options!