Give me a competent arguement that WotC is "changing rules for the sake of change"

[Gentlegamer]

The monk may very well get collapsed into the fighter.

At least, I hope there is a way to make an unarmed fighter. Because I dislike how every monk is the mystical quasi-magical kung fu master. I want my Hercules.

Ooooh! I like how you think! How about a semi-unarmed fighter that uses a club?

 

[smerwin29]

Where you asked?

Did you get a poll Email from WotC?

Have you seen a poll link on the WotC site?

I absolutely assume that WotC has had small polls and/or surveys in RPGA events, even though I am not an RPGA member. I do not know this for a fact, but it just makes sense.

However, RPGA is a small subset of DND players. They have this massive Email database, they have this web page, why no polls with them? Why no surveys?

As a matter of fact, I have gotten email polls from WotC, or at least a marketing firm that was gathering information for WotC. I got them about once every 3 months for about a year. The polling campaign ended a few months ago, IIRC.

On the other hand, I have never seen a poll or a survey from WotC in any RPGA materials. And I have been heavily involved since 2000.

 

[delericho]

I'm with you on the artwork change, but artwork isn't a rule.

True. As I said in my first post in this thread, I don't see any examples of "change for the sake of change" in the rules. It's the flavour text I have issues with.

And I got to artwork after my first two examples were rejected.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

The art change is probably more a function of changing artists than anything else... Also, I don't see the Laurana to Mailee change as being all that big. Mailee still has a mullett, which makes her readily identifiable as an elf. Maybe I should start a thread elsewhere to determine why all elves have mulletts. [insert smiley here]

Later
silver

 

[Lurks-no-More]

Mailee still has a mullett, which makes her readily identifiable as an elf. Maybe I should start a thread elsewhere to determine why all elves have mulletts. [insert smiley here]

Mialee has a mullet for the same reason she wears that slashed tan flap-dress thing: she's an elf nerd with no fashion sense.

 

[jdrakeh]

Points of light... an interesting concept, that creates adventuring possibilities for the PCs. Apparently, the elemental planes are being reinvisioned, to also provide adventuring possibilites for the PCs. If the points of light concept means plenty of opportunities for adventure, why can't the planes be used as an exotic backdrop?

Perhaps the planes are being revised for some other reason that you haven't considered. Such as being changed to more accurately reflect an implied setting.

The Greyhawk gods are being replaced by Greek gods and similar recognizable characters. And yet, Asmodeus is also becoming a deity for no freakin' reason.

I suspect the reason for this is that Asmodeus is (or, rather, was) a deific figure in real life. This makes perfect sense, given the introduction of other real life deities.

Gnomes are being eliminated as having no specific role. And... tieflings... are being added.... to fulfill some kind of unmet role? What archetype are tieflings supposed to be?

Well, gnomes being eliminated for fulfilling no specific role provides a very specific reason for their elimination other than change for the sake of change. Tieflings, I suspect, fill the common archetype of "monster as hero" made popular by games like V:TM and television shows like Angel.

Attack of opportunity are going away. Except, oh wait, they're not, they're just being cleverely disguised, SWSE style.

Certainly it's possible that they're being changed due to the positive consumer response to Star Wars Sage Edition?

 

[WayneLigon]

And so absurd is it, that many of the recent Forgotten Realms novel covers do not match the elves of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting! Presumably, this is because the new style would either confuse or repulse potential customers.

Or more likely that the publishing arm does book covers the way most publishers do book covers: an artist gets a slip that says 'Two elf males, one with blond hair and holding a spear; ship in background; Blue color scheme', and never sees the manuscript or talks to the author.

 

[delericho]

Well, gnomes being eliminated for fulfilling no specific role...

Gnomes were the 'trickster' race, as indicated by their love of practical jokes and their focus on illusion.

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

Gnomes were the 'trickster' race, as indicated by their love of practical jokes and their focus on illusion.

Yeah, given the number of 2e games with kender and pixie PCs (see also W:tA games with PC Nuwisha) I've played in, I'm perfectly willing to let "trickster" get phased out of the party roles.

 

[delericho]

Yeah, given the number of 2e games with kender and pixie PCs (see also W:tA games with PC Nuwisha) I've played in, I'm perfectly willing to let "trickster" get phased out of the party roles.

Which is fair enough. I was just pointing out that it wasn't fair to say Gnomes had "no specific role".

Just as, a lot of the time, it's not fair to say a specific change is "change for the sake of change", when a more accurate statement would be "I don't like it, and don't accept the reasons for the change". (Which is also not to say there aren't some cases where change is being made for the sake of change.)