D&D 5E (2014) GAMA Trade Show and Game Developer Conference start Monday - announcement Tomorrow?

[fjw70]

I would hope to see notes on converting previous edition material to 5e in the 5e DMG.

I also agree that supporting previous editions is part of the strategy of D&D going forward.

 

[Jester David]

I was hoping to see something this week in Legends & Lore, being the first Monday since they got back from the trade show. Sad that it's just some unremarkable bit on equipment. It's been two months since the Tyranny of Dragons press release, the last time we recieved any real information from WotC. It's pretty much five months until the PHB will be out and we know pretty much what we knew this time a year-and-a-half ago.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Well, for those of use who like to read tea leaves, here is one from Mike Mearls on twitter:

Taking a mini vacation for the next few days. Biggest crisis - need to lean a bit out of my reading chair to reach wine glass.

I'm guessing if things were running too far behind he wouldn't be taking time.

So that seems like a good sign.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Rydac]

Well, for those of use who like to read tea leaves, here is one from Mike Mearls on twitter:



I'm guessing if things were running too far behind he wouldn't be taking time.

So that seems like a good sign.

Thaumaturge.

You're more confident than me....though I hope you're right....it is the 40th anniversary
of D&D, they've been working on this for three years yet still aren't at a point where
they can announce the PHB will be out by Gencon ( where they'll miss out on building
excitement with 40,000 plus gamers if they don't release by then).

Fingers tightly crossed that project is in good shape!

 

[Morrus]

yet still aren't at a point where
they can announce the PHB will be out by Gencon

"Can"? I'm sure they "can". The word we're looking for here is "won't". At least not yet.

They plan marketing around what their analysts will maximize the effect. If anybody thinks there are swathes of people who will buy DDN if they announce the date now, but won't buy DDN if they announce that same date next month, they're kidding themselves.

 

[Rydac]

"Can"? I'm sure they "can". The word we're looking for here is "won't". At least not yet.

They plan marketing around what their analysts will maximize the effect. If anybody thinks there are swathes of people who will buy DDN if they announce the date now, but won't buy DDN if they announce that same date next month, they're kidding themselves.

I wish I could be as confident as you that it is "won't ", but recent comments have the
game sounding unfinished.

I agree that an announcement date of now or a month from now won't have any
big impact on most (I've done all the open play testing, like what I've seen, and will
be purchasing as soon as it is for sale). My fear is if they don't have it out for Gencon
then they miss the marketing opportunity to pitch to pathfinder/3.x/lapsed players, etc.
Getting those folks to try it during the excitement and energy of the con....after which
they may go home to pitch to their friends..... Well that would be a marketing failure
of legendary proportions.

Further as to marketing, my opinion of WotC marketing (in regards to D&D)
for quite some time, with a couple of exceptions, is that it ranges from mediocre
to lousy....unfortunate since I'd love to see D&D do well.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I've found the information we've found out from GAMA to be quite useful. They seem to be taking 5E in a direction I like.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

You're more confident than me....though I hope you're right....it is the 40th anniversary
of D&D, they've been working on this for three years yet still aren't at a point where
they can announce the PHB will be out by Gencon ( where they'll miss out on building
excitement with 40,000 plus gamers if they don't release by then).

They haven't even announced what adventures they'll be running at Gen Con. We know they are running D&D Next adventures there. We know there will be a number of D&D Next 4-hour adventures running as well as a D&D Next special event, a D&D Next Dungeon Delve, and a D&D Next All Access Pass. However, we don't know what the names or plots of any of these adventures are.

I just really don't think they could do this without the PHB being available. It's possible they could do it with just the Starter Set if it contains the full rules for making characters at low levels, but given that this D&D Next Special is the first event I've EVER heard of running at Gen Con where WOTC required every last judge to attend at once, they are making a really big deal of D&D Next at Gen Con. I don't think they'd go through all that effort if they weren't confident they'd have the game available.

 

[Thaumaturge]

I just really don't think they could do this without the PHB being available. It's possible they could do it with just the Starter Set if it contains the full rules for making characters at low levels, but given that this D&D Next Special is the first event I've EVER heard of running at Gen Con where WOTC required every last judge to attend at once, they are making a really big deal of D&D Next at Gen Con. I don't think they'd go through all that effort if they weren't confident they'd have the game available.

I agree—it's possible, but very, very unlikely that they would do these events without the PHB at least launching at Gen Con.

I would rather have a finished D&D than an on time D&D, but if they miss Gen Con, it will be a pretty big miss on their parts.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

There is going to be a starter set out by Gen Con. Given that, how essential is it that the PHB be ready?