D&D 5E Innovation Vs Tradition

[Zardnaar]

I hate subtle edition warring like this. How DID 4e end up? I've seen RPGs cash and burn over the years, and while 4e may not have been popular with the gogs I don't think you can by any extent call it a failure.

And to be frank you don't know how 4e turned out because you never tried it.

Frankly your post reeks of "I spend lots of money on D&D, everyone else can toss off as long as I get what I want." And it is THAT attitude that is killing D&D on the whole.

Actually I did try it. Even bought it, top shelf far right, hiding between the Pathfinder books. That also excludes my D&DM collection. I was dropping around $1000 a year on D&D, last year WoTC got $15 from me for 3 packs of magic cards.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

That's a fine looking bookshelf. It's got curves in all the right places.

 

[Zardnaar]

That's a fine looking bookshelf. It's got curves in all the right places.

Yup I may have to have a sell off though.

 

[delericho]

What are those green, red, and blue books next to SWSE?

 

[Zardnaar]

What are those green, red, and blue books next to SWSE?

D6 Space, Fantasy and Adventure boxed set. Under the AD&D books are D6 Star Wars.

 

[delericho]

D6 Space, Fantasy and Adventure boxed set.

Ah, of course.

Under the AD&D books are D6 Star Wars.

Nice! One of the finest games I've ever played. Sadly, there's a set lost somewhere in my parents' loft. Getting them out truly would be a job for heroes.

Wanted: four-man (or woman) adventuring party seeks Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, and Rogue...

 

[Stormonu]

The short of it, I don't see a big outcry.

What I do think is an issue is that WotC is facing the same issues that Pathfinder was, but they've worked themselves into a corner. One of the big design tenants behind Pathfinder was that they needed a rule system that was compatible with existing product (even if it may have later evolved beyond that). They were designing around letting the player base continuing to use their APs - old and new.

We seem to be seeing some of that for 5E - Caves of Chaos, etc. I think there is a faction out there (like me) that wants continued content, but don't want or need a new ruleset. WotC needs a living ruleset for new players, but existing players only really need new adventures, possibly new monsters or rule-module add-ons (say, like Magic of Incarnum). New rules for an existing base is the hard sell and design point.

WotC might be able to throw 1/2/BECMI (and possibly 3E) compatible products together, but also making it 4E compatible just throws in a monkeywrench. If 4e'ers aren't included in the go-forward design space, they're leaving out a significant and recent portion of their customer base.

 

[Sunseeker]

Actually I did try it. Even bought it, top shelf far right, hiding between the Pathfinder books. That also excludes my D&DM collection. I was dropping around $1000 a year on D&D, last year WoTC got $15 from me for 3 packs of magic cards.

Then why did you say in the OP you hadn't tried it? And why did you drop $1000 on something that you claim "we know how that went."

You sound to me less like the guy who spends his money on choice D&D products, but more the guy who just buys everything because you can. That's not going to make Wizards listen to you because your wallet already told them you're going to buy their products regardless.

 

[Zardnaar]

Did not buy 4th ed regardless. I did befroe that or at least as much as I could find as it can be hard getting D&D books here. Also I never claimed I did not try 4E or that I spent $1000 per year on it. I spent $1000+ per year from roughly 2004-2007. Bearing in mind a box of minis here costs $20 a pop and I was buying a 1-3 cases of each D&D minis set.

 

[Derren]

How DID 4e end up? I've seen RPGs cash and burn over the years, and while 4e may not have been popular with the gogs I don't think you can by any extent call it a failure.

Oh it certainly can. It drove away a sizeable portion of the once loyal customer base and triggered the creation of WotC biggest competitor on the RPG market. Financially it also performed below expectations from Hasbro when you believe the rumors and that it got pulled so suddenly also is not a sign of doing well.