I might wait 3 years for v.4.5

[dead]

I think the news of 4E's release is great but I still haven't made a dent in my 3E games. I'll definitely wait 12 months after release before I buy 4E but I'm thinking I could just as well wait for v.4.5 in a couple of years time.

3E was out only 3 years before they put out 3.5.

Maybe it would be prudent to wait for 4.5? Let them iron out all the bugs they find in 4.0.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I don't understand your argument. Three years worth of fun for the $75-90 you invested in the core rulebooks seems like pretty good value to me. Besides, other RPGs have a much faster rate of 'version creep'.

 

[Treebore]

I don't understand your argument. Three years worth of fun for the $75-90 you invested in the core rulebooks seems like pretty good value to me. Besides, other RPGs have a much faster rate of 'version creep'.

His argument is 3 years worth of fun on the 3E books he has already bought.


Just be careful to pay attention to the 4E pulse, Ulorian. I don't think they are going to do a ".5" again. They will either just do a "Revised", or just clean it up by print run "X" and not say much about it.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I don't think they are going to do a ".5" again. They will either just do a "Revised", or just clean it up by print run "X" and not say much about it.

It was confirmed at GenCon that 4th edition is just that - 4th edition. None of this .0 or .5 junk. I swear, it made D&D sound like software.

 

[Thurbane]

I think the news of 4E's release is great but I still haven't made a dent in my 3E games. I'll definitely wait 12 months after release before I buy 4E but I'm thinking I could just as well wait for v.4.5 in a couple of years time.

3E was out only 3 years before they put out 3.5.

Maybe it would be prudent to wait for 4.5? Let them iron out all the bugs they find in 4.0.

That's pretty much my plan, as well.

Sure, they say now there will be no 4.5, but I have little doubt in a few years we'll see "4B" or "4 Expanded" or somesuch.

I was very lucky in that I went straight from 2E to 3.5, so I don't have any 3.0 paperweights sitting around on my shelves.

 

[Shortman McLeod]

That's pretty much my plan, as well.

Sure, they say now there will be no 4.5, but I have little doubt in a few years we'll see "4B" or "4 Expanded" or somesuch.

IF they believe that 4.5 will sell in a few years, then of course we'll see 4.5. And obviously they won't admit that now; it would be suicide for 4.0.

I find it funny how naive some people are, though, to take the "There will never be a 4.5" statements at face value. Puh-leeeze, people.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Actually, I'm not sure there will be a 4.5. Here are a few arguments that have changed since 3 => 3.5.

First, they are going to have a paid DI subscriber base. I could very easily see them releasing "rules upgrades" via the DI. Those who pay for the DI get to gradually convert from 4 => 4.2 => 4.5 => 4.7 => etc. Those who don't pay get to deal with pirated copies of the DI or dwell in happy 4e land.

Second, I think they are starting from a better product. To get to 3e, they had a long way to go from 2e. In fact, they had a major overhaul of most things. Some stuff they got right,other stuff they got wrong. They got enough wrong to warrant a 3.5. However, now they are starting with a darn good game in 3.5. There isn't much major to change. Sure, they'll spread it out to 30 levels. Sure, they'll fix grapple and the like. But I really think the game will largely look like an upgraded 3,5, What that means is that if there are less things being overhauled, there are less things that can really go wrong.



I honestly don't expect an official 4.5 - unless the DI falls flat on its face. If the DI is going and WotC are making more than their share on the $10* per month ... I think the gradual changes and upgrades will likely happen there.

*Or whatever the price happens to be.

But above all else, please read this as speculation. I have no better idea of what is going to happen than you do. Unless, of course, you happen to work for WotC R&D. Then, I actually have a worse idea of what is going to happen than you do!

 

[Nifft]

Okay.

I'm sure you'll have fun either way.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Thurbane]

Actuallty, NF raises some good points. 4E will probably get gradual revisions introduced via the DI, which will leave non-subscribers with vanilla 4E and whatever revisions make it into free errata or hardcopy books.

I have no plans to sign up for an online service unless the 4E core books really, REALLY wow me...

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't understand why so many people are uneasy about the mere possibility of a D&D 4.5 (or 4x, or 4Expanded, or whatever.) I like the fact that D&D is dynamic, always changing, always being upgraded and improved every few years. I would much rather they release multiple editions that improve upon each other, than to release a single product with no intentions of improving it for a decade.

It's not like we are required to always buy the newest books...the 3.5 rules are still quite playable. I know of at least one gaming group that still uses red box rules, if you can imagine, and they love it. (Remember when "elf" was a CLASS? Yikes.) It's not my thing, but that doesn't make it a bad system.

I'm not afraid of 4.5 (or even 4.01B, for that matter). Bring it on...if I like it, I'll buy it.