D&D 4E How long have they been thinking about 4E?

[Glyfair]

Of course, according to Monte, the day 3E was released.

But some small evidence of some possible earlier thought processes. I noted that Chris Perkins had posted here recently, so did a search to find out what else he said recently. Then I went back and looked at his first post here. The first thing listed is a reply to a review (a review itself) of Way of the Witch and the first paragraph has this bit that recalls 4E.

D&D spellcasting classes lack a solid underpinning in the cultures of differing campaign settings. Take the druid. Such a character seems to have a love of nature, and therefore nature's support. Yet, how does an elven druid differ from a halfling one?

From early 4E comments, it seems they have addressed this somewhat in 4E. I wonder if Chris has been thinking about this issue since then.

 

[delericho]

If I were in charge, I would do the following...

So, by that token, if I ever find myself on the design team for Xth edition, does that mean people on that team have been thinking about Xth edition since now?

If the answer to that question is "yes", then I submit the people currently working on 4th edition have probably been thinking about it for a very long time indeed.

 

[Henry]

I think the general rule is this: If it's been at least two years since the release of a given edition, then R&D has been developing at least since then.

Case in point:

1997 - TSR acquired.
2000 - 3E released, they announced that it has been in development for 2 years.
2003 - 3.5 released, they announced that they've been kicking the idea around since around 2002.
2007 - 4E announced, they've been kicking it around since 2005, according to Mike Mearls.

The only one slightly off the curve is 3E, mainly because of the purchase - but the first playtests did take place around 1998. So I'm probably going to assume from now on that whether someone says it or not, they're kicking around development ideas of 5th edition in 2010.

 

[WayneLigon]

If the answer to that question is "yes", then I submit the people currently working on 4th edition have probably been thinking about it for a very long time indeed.

I would assume so. It's like people do in their own campaigns: they constantly think about what else they could do in a constant ongoing process. I have every faith that someone at WoTC has a file folder on their machine labled '5E', with some tidbits and ideas and what-if's.

 

[delericho]

I have every faith that someone at WoTC has a file folder on their machine labled '5E', with some tidbits and ideas and what-if's.

Hmm, might be a little early for that just yet. I wouldn't expect them to start that folder until the 4e core rules are finalised. Of course, the day after the final final version is approved, someone will have a really excellent idea...

Or, as a colleague said to me at one of my past jobs, "the next version of this product will be really excellent..."

 

[cthulhu_duck]

Hmm, might be a little early for that just yet. I wouldn't expect them to start that folder until the 4e core rules are finalised. Of course, the day after the final final version is approved, someone will have a really excellent idea...

If it's anything like a major software development, there will be ideas that people have already come up with - that there simply isn't the time left to develop. Putting those ideas into a 'future products' or 'potential 5E ideas' folder would seem a sensible thing to do - don't throw them away, put them somewhere for further consideration in the future.

 

[Nyaricus]

I think the general rule is this: If it's been at least two years since the release of a given edition, then R&D has been developing at least since then.

Case in point:

1997 - TSR acquired.
2000 - 3E released, they announced that it has been in development for 2 years.
2003 - 3.5 released, they announced that they've been kicking the idea around since around 2002.
2007 - 4E announced, they've been kicking it around since 2005, according to Mike Mearls.

The only one slightly off the curve is 3E, mainly because of the purchase - but the first playtests did take place around 1998. So I'm probably going to assume from now on that whether someone says it or not, they're kicking around development ideas of 5th edition in 2010.

Good point.

 

[Scribble]

Probably also a lot of circular type thinking...

Perkins, being a designer, probably asked himself that question without thinking of a new edition. Maybe he thought he could design soemthing that answered it for the current edition.

Then 4E came along and someone probably said, hey Chris, remember that stuff you were talking about concerning the differences between Halfling and Elven Druids? See what you can work up...

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

If it's anything like a major software development, there will be ideas that people have already come up with - that there simply isn't the time left to develop. Putting those ideas into a 'future products' or 'potential 5E ideas' folder would seem a sensible thing to do - don't throw them away, put them somewhere for further consideration in the future.

I agree with this. In addition, there will likely be issues and problems that show up not too long after release to the general public. A couple million people playing are likely to find issues that perhaps a couple thousand playtesters didn't. Those things will get added to the 5e folder as things to address.

At some point - probably a couple of years after release, somebody will authorize officially spending resources on early development.