I wonder what the 3rd party publishers, who are dependant on WotC think?

[Imaro]

I'm sitting here pondering the numerous, "no one's forcing you to switch, it doesn't affect you unless you let it" comments in many of the threads. I am also pondering my love for the Iron Kingdoms setting...a setting for 3.5. Now I feel sort of in limbo, will Privateer Press go the route of 4.0 and tap into the current market? Will they still release anything they might have had planned for 3.5 between now and May? Will PP decide to go with their own system and stop depending on WotC to determine when they have to update their campaign setting? So yeah, it does kind of affect me...even if I'm not playing in WotC's playground.

I'm just feeling, at this moment, that this is the drawback of the OGL. Smaller companies can't produce books in the numbers and frequency that WotC can, so while D&D 3.5 might be bloated and creaking under it's own weight...alot of 3rd party publishers are nowhere near that amount of material for their campaign settings. Now the question is do they go with 4th and try to tap into the new market that D&D is creating or stay with 3.5. I for one won't like getting a new edition and "new" revamp of the same stuff over and over again, without the time given for smaller publishers to get more new stuff. I mean Lock and Load(the character primer) had to be redone when 3.5 came out. I don't know, maybe I'm just rambling...but thoughts or oppinions anyone?

 

[The_Gneech]

Well, I know of a FLGS owner who is mighty pissed. I gather she spoke to a WotC rep at a meeting specifically for retailers a couple of months back, who flat out told her to her face that 4E was not in the works.

However, it's all hearsay, so take it with a big grain of salt. :\

-The Gneech

 

[morbiczer]

I'm wondering whether Paizo will go ahead and publish all their setting books for Pathfinder as planned in Q1 2008.

Or will they postpone them a few months and bring them out in 4.0?

 

[caudor]

I was thinking the same thing about Paizo. How will they adjust to 4e? Will this effect the products I'll want to buy from them in '08?

I'm also thinking about all those Dungeon Crawl Classic I've got built up. And I have the Player's Handbook II and haven't had a chance to use any of the classes out of it yet. Of course, I've got a year to juice it for all its worth. My thoughts have been all over the place since hearing the news.

That's not to say I'm not excited about 4e. I am...especially when I think about using the online character generator and having the source material from future books to build my characters. Anyway, I'm drifting...

We'll just have to see how Necromancer Games, AEG, Kenzer Co. Goodman Games, etc. etc. adjust and move forward. This will certainly impact my short-term buying habits, as I'm sure it will impact them.

 

[Vigilance]

Given that there's going to be an SRD released under the OGL, I am thrilled!

Chuck

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Maybe Privateer Press will FINALLY give up on shoveling out third-rate d20 rules with their brilliant setting material and instead adapt the rules from their tightly-designed, well-balanced, character level wargame.

 

[The_Gneech]

The first two paths will stick with 3.5, sayeth Mike McArtor. Beyond that, they haven't made a decision, but the general trend of conversation on the Paizo boards is that they'll switch sooner or later.

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/pathfinder/general/pathfinder4thEdition&page=4

-The Gneech

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think the big guys will be fine. Green Ronin obviously comes off looking extremely prescient, especially since the D20 Freeport Companion will just be coming back from the printers by the time that WotC starts releasing the early draft SRD to D20 publishers. I'd expect Freeport to again be the first setting available for a new setting.

I'd bet Pramas has already cleared June on their product schedule and intends to have the 4E Freeport Companion and a 4E Bleeding Edge 1st level adventure hitting stores at the same time as the PHB.

Likewise, Goodman Games just cleaned out their warehouse (good/informed timing!) and produce modules at an awe-inspiring pace. I would be flabbergasted if they don't have a 1st level 4E module waiting on the shelf within weeks of the PHB hitting stores. Hopefully they'll get started on 4E adaptations of their best-selling 3E DCC books as soon as they can. With 4E going to level 30, their higher-level modules look like good candidates for conversion.

I have no doubt that Paizo's third adventure path will be 4E and I imagine they will switch over to 4E with their Gamemastery modules next summer without missing a beat. If anything, this puts them on a better playing field, since they will thus be producing a large percentage of the total number of 4E OGL products at that point, simply by virtue of WotC hitting the reset button.

The one company I'm a little worried about is Necromancer. While they always produce excellent products, no one would ever describe them as quick or nimble. I would love, love, love to see a 4E Tome of Horrors hitting stores next summer, as well as new/converted modules, but I can't help but think about the big backlog of projects they have "coming soon TM." All of those either get released an edition behind to a much-smaller audience than originally planned, or they have to go back and get revised, delaying their release even further.

 

[Wye]

The first two paths will stick with 3.5, sayeth Mike McArtor. Beyond that, they haven't made a decision, but the general trend of conversation on the Paizo boards is that they'll switch sooner or later.

I would like the 2nd path to be 4e already. I'll probably be playing the 1st one when 4e comes out (and even that can be a problem). 6 books of 3.5e adventure (roughly 1 year worth of gaming) after I have already switched will be a problem.

 

[Tharkun]

I hope that Iron Heroes is at least thinking about converting (if they don't then it's not a big deal to me).