I might wait 3 years for v.4.5

[KingCrab]

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'.

Agreed, and it's for this reason that I very much hope they go back on their word and do release a 4.5. The next 6 months will not be nearly enough time to playtest a system that isn't entirely finished. After 3 years of playing, everyone will know what balance changes are needed and what the weaknesses of the new system are. 4.5 would be a great way to do things right and I'd be willing to pay the 75-90$ for the initial release and playtest.

I understand them saying "absolutely no 4.5" because they don't want people to hold on and wait, not buying the 4.0 materials. I hope they are only saying it for that reason.

 

[Psionaura]

From What I Understand

I have read in a few different places by a few different developers that the plan is to update all of the digital books as changes to the game are made and not have any version other than 4.

These changes (errata, clarifications, whatever) are also going to be available for free online in order to allow people to print them out.

They want the digital books to be dynamic and something very, very desirable so that people will hopefully take advantage of what they are offering there.

If what they have planned to do with all the charges and fees for all of the services they are going to be offering actually works then there shouldn't be a reason to ever see a D&D 5e for a very, very long time (if ever) because the system in place will allow them to generate plenty of money and the game will be able to evolve for a very long time with out a complete overhaul.

I think if they are successful in what is planned they will be more likely offering an entirely and completely different role playing game and system (not a D&D upgrade or replacement) in order to generate income long before a 5th edition is offered.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

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

Which is my point as well. If you got 3 years worth before moving on to 3.5; I think it was worth the money.

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.

I agree, but I think it will happen via a different mechanism: the yearly releases of a new PHB/DMG/MM, as Psionaura has suggested.

 

[Imaro]

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'.

You know, I see this argument thrown about like it's a fact, but the sad reality is it's not a definite.

I see plenty of people online trying to get a group together, talking about their group splitting up, etc. D&D doesn't come ready to play with the purchase of the rulebooks, and life is if anything, full of unexpected twists. Yet, if you bought 3.0, you got 3years of enjoyment out of it...this just isn't necessarily true. The other problem is that if you had trouble getting a group together when the rules were current, it becomes magnitudes more difficult when you're trying to recruit using old rules.

As far as other RPG's and different editions...I wish people would really look at the context of a "new edition" with other games. There is no way you can play 3.5 with an AD&D 1e PHB as your only source and a friend with a copy of D&D 3.5. On the other hand you can play with any edition of Call of Cthulhu with only minor adjustments. Old World of Darkness was mostly meta plot revisions when they brought out a "new edition" the rules on the other hand were largely the same, until New World of Darkness came out.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

With the digital initiative, I don't think we'll see a "4.5" because they can make a lot of updates to the paid subscribers and the OGL.

I'm not saying it's out of the realm of possibility, just that it's less likely to happen this go around.

 

[Rakin]

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.

Hehe now that it seems like a hybrid of books and software, wouldn't that work now?

 

[Umbran]

Also... three years is a long time. I mean, I wasn't married three years ago, and I didn't own a house, and I was working at a different place.

So, there's a bit of a carpe diem factor, here. While I don't think there's a call to be on the "I need to buy this at the midnight release party" bandwagon, if you don't even look at it, you may be missing out on three years of improved gaming fun. I don't know about you, but my fun-time is precious stuff, worth some expense to improve now, rather than later.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Gee, what an original thread topic...

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

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.

Sure, if you have a group that is happy enough with your 3e games and you have material for future games, there is no need to change. Personally I don't think people should wait for a 4.5 simply because it may come out. Nobody can know when or if it will happen, and if it does you can then make the argument to wait until 5e since it will only be maybe another 5 years after 4.5 comes out.

People should choose to migrate to 4e based upon whether they and their group think it will be more fun to play, their willingness to stop using the current rules, and their desire for new, published material rather than the possible future business decisions by WotC.

 

[Howndawg]

Frankly, I think the guys at WotC will definitely try to avoid a 4.5 as much as possible. Some people seem to forget that one of the reasons 3.5 existed was because 3e was released while parts of it desperately needed work. The ranger class is probably the best example. I think the designers want to make sure they get 4e right as it comes out the door rather than put out an unfinished product.

Howndawg