Eric Noah's Info

[BluSponge]

Funny enough, the people I played games with last Tues, who used to work at WotC and are still in the gaming industry, said the same thing. Although they thought it might be announced in '07 for a '08 realease as the quick release of 3.5 messed up the timetable they were familiar with while working at WotC.

No doubt. I fully expect WotC's roll out of 4e to mirror the job they did with 3e. That was a year of snippets in Dragon magazine. And IIRC, the reason so many people switched gears from 3rd edition haters (you'll never make me spend money again!!!) to 3e lovers (I bought 20 copies of the PHB. How many did you buy?) was that WotC listened to their audience. I expect the same with 4th edition. Will they catch lightning in a bottle a second time? Who knows. What I do know is that this forum is atypical of the whole gaming audience, and there are many people who will switch because it has DnD on the cover, regardless of what the game is like.

And who knows. It might even be fun. Lord knows 3.5 isn't (for my circle of gamers anyway).

Tom

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I can't remember exactly, but for a long time the publishing community was relying on a "draft" of the open game. Did the "closed" monsters come out before the draft was "final"?

Yeah, that was the "Gentleman's Agreement." As I recall - and someone correct me if I'm wrong - some of the critters WotC eventually made closed content were used by some publishers. They didn't have to pull the products that had been produced under the "Gentleman's Agreement," but once the OGL and the SRD were finalized, those monsters could no longer be used.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

What I do know is that this forum is atypical of the whole gaming audience, and there are many people who will switch because it has DnD on the cover, regardless of what the game is like.

I don't know that anyone can say the former with any degree of certainty. While people that post here are certainly a minority, its impossible to know what the lurkers think, and no way to know what the man on the street thinks about the RPG. What little market research has leaked isn't definitive, and if Hasbro knows more (and presumably they do) they aren't talking.

As to the latter, I don't think anyone has made the assertion that anything in the works re: 4e will kill the D&D *brand*. Most of the concern seems centered on whether the game will mutate so much as to be unrecognizeable or unpalatable to the existing player base. As long as we're speaking anecdotally, most of the gamers in my circle of friends couldn't care less whether a game had D&D on the cover. They play what someone will DM.

 

[Ravellion]

Just had an idea:

Gygax plays wargames.
Gygax starts rolepaying with wargame.
Brings out realtively simple game to roleplay.
Several more editions come out in a span of 30 years, each one more customizable and arguably more complex.
Game owning company brings out a wargame.
Game owning company might bring out a game with wargaming roots that allows you to roleplay your character, nmoving up a simple step from the wargame.



Rav

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I do wish, Eric, that you'd waited ten days to whisper your rumors in our panicky little ears. It would have been nice to attend my first GenCon without having everyone all abuzz about impending doom!

 

[Turjan]

I can't remember exactly, but for a long time the publishing community was relying on a "draft" of the open game. Did the "closed" monsters come out before the draft was "final"?

That's correct. The final version of the SRD didn't contain those monsters, only the draft.

Edit: I shouldn't post when the board is slow - and the posters are fast .

 

[Lanefan]

For what it's worth, I have no doubt I'll treat 4e - whatever form it takes - much like I did 2e and 3e, at least to start: pick up the core books and see what good ideas they may have that I can incorporate into my own game. (assuming, of course, it's different enough from 3e so as not to be just a 3.75e)

Whether I'd switch wholesale to 4e would depend on what it has as a system, but it'd have to knock my socks off.

Lanefan

 

[EricNoah]

As much as people talk about a d20 glut, I think I'd have a hard time going back to a "closed off" game that didn't have 3rd party publishers of some stripe...

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

As much as people talk about a d20 glut, I think I'd have a hard time going back to a "closed off" game that didn't have 3rd party publishers of some stripe...

I agree, but I doubt WOTC will have the same reservation.

 

[RangerWickett]

Hey Eric, I'm trying to get a job writing cartoons. Could you think of some way to use your phenomenal rumor-leaking power to increase my chances? *grin*