Eric Noah's Info

[BiggusGeekus]

I know that any game line is driven by what's selling today. I also know that I've not yet heard of anyone here planning to buy cases of the next D&D book. Minis set, sure. Book, no.

Also, I've never heard of anyone downloading illegal minis from the internet.

Dude, these are amazingly good points. Seriously.

 

[Barak]

I, for one, support Wulf in saying I don't want my wife to start playing D&D. I also don't want her to become more interested in poker, and am wildliy mad at the upsurge of interest in that game.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Right you are!

The best thing for Dungeons and Dragons is to get it out of the hands of a company who wants to see it wildly successful and back into the hands of someone who is content with mildly successful.

That way we won't have to put up with all the ridiculous 4e changes like more miniatures, or an emphasis on simple fun like dungeon delving, or any of a dozen ways to make it appeal to a new generation of kids raised on video games.

We need to keep this hobby solidly NICHE, just for us grognards, and if that means watching the hobby die, well, I say, SO BE IT.

Hasbro has no interest in seeing what most of us consider 'D&D' (or RPGs in general) wildly successful. Or, rather, while I'm sure they'd love to see it wildly successful, it's been pretty clear for a while that they don't think that's going to happen.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I'm waiting for Grim Tales 2e rumors and news. Or maybe Grim Tales: Revised and Expanded.

 

[EricNoah]

'07 release has my money. I just don't see anything in the WotC pipeline that looks like a really serious effort; it's all filler. I'm less sure about Gen Con, but quite possibly.

It would be interesting to compare what was in the TSR pipeline the year before GenCon 1999. I don't know how much it would help predict a release date, though.

 

[Beckett]

4E is in development is something I can believe. But, it's a matter of how much development. With the number of books on the calendar, I'm not sure if they have the manpower available for a full-out, on-the-shelf-next-year development. But, I can believe that they have a 4E development file where they're starting to collect possible changes to the system. Those proud nails from Design&Development a few months back, for example. The Designers find something that isn't working, they put it in the 4E file with a fix. It's not something they're devoting hours and hours to, but 4E is inevitable, and they're getting ready for what they want to address.

I don't think we'll have an announcement at GenCon, and I don't expect to see 4E next year. But, I'm going to keep my eye on message boards and news sites next weekend, to see if the news does break.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

You are my motherbleepin' rock star.

What's interesting to note, however, is the difference in attitudes this time around. When this was Eric Noah's 3E rumor site and he fed us tantalizing 3E tidbits, the scene was abuzz with excitement. Now, when the same rumormonger we know and love mentions 4E, it's aflame with indignation. I must say that I am amused.

Times change. In 1999, the RPG community was a lot more fragmented. I think a lot of people had gotten out of the hobby, TSR was on the rocks, and there was a pervasive feeling of pessimism over the future of the RPGs.

Now, there are a lot more ways for RPGs to congregate and bitch and moan and pimp and what have you. A lot of people rediscovered a hobby that they loved. And there is a general consensus that 3rd Ed. sparked a renaissance in the RPG world.

When you are at the bottom looking up, the possibility of any change looks attractive. When you feel like you're in the best of all possible worlds, change is scary.

 

[cthulhu_duck]

I think the new version of the Star Wars RPG will point the way. Everything I read about it points into the direction that it will be an attempt to further integrate the Star Wars minis game with the RPG. Let's see how that looks like.

In one of the promotional blurbs for the new version of the d20 SWRPG, I thought it mentioned a simplified skills system - I was surprised to see no discussions of that tidbit on EnWorld at the time.

 

[Nellisir]

It would be interesting to compare what was in the TSR pipeline the year before GenCon 1999. I don't know how much it would help predict a release date, though.

Well, there was the 7-month shutdown that culminated with TSR's being bought. As I recall, though, it was alot of Planescape stuff - the astral plane, the ethereal plane, the elemental planes, Chris Pramas's books on demons and devils; the Player's Options rules at some point; Birthright might have been trickling to a close; the Diablo accessory; and...Lands of Intrigue in FR. Also the Greyhawk Returns line.

Edit: Also alot of compendiums. Spell compendiums, magic item compendiums...

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Hasbro has no interest in seeing what most of us consider 'D&D' (or RPGs in general) wildly successful.

Hasbro's benchmark for success ($) and my personal benchmark for success (more people to play D&D with) are not actually divergent.

I'm waiting for Grim Tales 2e rumors and news. Or maybe Grim Tales: Revised and Expanded.

It's miniatures based.

But it's GRIM miniatures. They're made from depleted uranium.