Not read whole thread, just first couple of pages
I hear you. Threads get so long here.
Personally, i'm all for new version every decade or so.
Personally, I hate edition change. Too many bad changes and infighting.
It gives clean slate and evens the playing field for both newbies and old players since everybody starts with new system and virtually no system mastery.
To me, system mastery is for the DM - you need to understand it deeply to run it, so a new edition is another bloody tax on my time.
As for differential system mastery among players, I feel (as DM or player), it’s the job of more experienced players (and DM) to teach the rules to new players in any version. If your concern is players “out mastering“ others and therefore lacking “balance” between players, ugh, I’m so tired of those discussions here. The party should be a team, helping each other. If it’s a competition, I think someone is being a jerk, imho. Or just playing in a different way, I suppose.
So far, every edition sooner or later becomes bloated through various splatbooks (3/3.5/PF1 i'm looking at you), so much so that it can be overwhelming for new and less experienced players and sometimes abundance of options leads to choice paradox.
IMHO, that started with 2e, the edition that invented the term “splatbook”.
And my solution to loathing 2e was to revert to 1e
Core Rules Only.
You don’t have to incorporate - and imho definitely should avoid - all the late in edition rules bloat.
I think 5e has been admirable in avoiding splatbook-itis. (I also think 3e & 5e were both very needed clean of previous problems, whereas I think 5e doesn’t need to be cleaned up.)
Also, there is just system saturation. You get good enough at the game part. You know all the good combos, all the trap choices to avoid. You just need something new and exciting, yet in the same time familiar enough that you don't feel out of comfort zone.
Rules are NEVER where I get my jollies in D&D. Rules change just gets in the way for me. Some D&Ders are crunch centric, some are fluff centric.
I’m all about fluff, stories, and the 3 pillars.
From the pure business perspective, new editions are good. It creates commotion, generates hype, people start talking, excitement rises. Edition change is perfect time for old players to return to game and for new ones to join.
Rules change split the community. But what you say did happen in 3e and 5e, at least.
Since we are in digital age, iterative changes can be done throughout the life cycle of single edition via various erratas or optional rules. No need for half editions. They can simply compile it all in single pdf and release it digitally as mid cycle update ( people will pay if they think they get good value for their money). Like cars and facelifts.
Yeah, probably.