Interesting Tweet

[alms66]

Personally, I think it would be really awesome if WotC updated (fixed all erratta, maybe add new art, do a new layout, do better organization as needed, etc.) all of the old D&D products that have ever existed. So that in the end there would basically be only 4 editions: 1E (OD&D), 2E (AD&D), 3E & 4E.

When doing this for adventure modules also add the stats for all editions so that sales of adventures might be worth them making more adventures in the future with support for every edition built into every adventure (at least the generic ones not tied to any particular setting).

Do that and put the pdf's up for sale on the onebookshelf websites, and offer POD books via onebookshelf websites...
That would be about the best they could do for their fans, IMHO.

I'm sure there's at least a few groups of OD&D players out there wishing they could buy new copies of their old, worn-out books.

 

[the Jester]

Personally, I think it would be really awesome if WotC updated (fixed all erratta, maybe add new art, do a new layout, do better organization as needed, etc.) all of the old D&D products that have ever existed. So that in the end there would basically be only 4 editions: 1E (OD&D), 2E (AD&D), 3E & 4E.

D00d, OD&D is not the same as BECMI, and 1e AD&D is not the same as 2e AD&D.

You would piss off more people doing that than you'd make happy.

 

[alms66]

D00d, OD&D is not the same as BECMI, and 1e AD&D is not the same as 2e AD&D.

You would piss off more people doing that than you'd make happy.

Yeah, probably, but I was being optimistic that they might be able to find some sort of happy middle ground between OD&D/BECMI and the same for the two AD&D editions...
4 editions being easier and cheaper to manage and maintain than 6...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, probably, but I was being optimistic that they might be able to find some sort of happy middle ground between OD&D/BECMI and the same for the two AD&D editions...

1E and 2E have more in common than either has with BD&D. And the people who like OD&D and the various versions of BD&D are very attached to them, and conglomerating them all into a whole wouldn't really work.

If you were going to streamline, it'd be AD&D (1E and 2E), 3E, 4E, and Other. But I don't think there's much value in that sort of recategorization.

As Mearls has been suggesting for a while now, the core D&D game play of "roll a D20, higher numbers are better, compare to a target number, roll different dice for the result," is pretty universal to all editions. If they were going to support previous versions, I'd imagine they'd create a Universal D&D core that worked off that, with other edition-flavored rule set add-ons, that they'd support with an appendix in any given adventure (or, in the age of Internet publishing, by selecting the right version on a Web page, and the edition-specific stuff would be added to that basic core).

 

[DEFCON 1]

That would be about the best they could do for their fans, IMHO.

Yeah, except for the little fact that each item would cost about $500 as they'd have to find some way to recoup the money spent on the hundreds of man-hours it would take to do all you suggested. When you're only going to sell about 50 copies... you need to get as much cash as you can from them.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Yeah, except for the little fact that each item would cost about $500 as they'd have to find some way to recoup the money spent on the hundreds of man-hours it would take to do all you suggested. When you're only going to sell about 50 copies... you need to get as much cash as you can from them.

Or sell 'em exclusively on DDI so that they get their $500 per by the time the fans have finsihed using them.

 

[delericho]

As Mearls has been suggesting for a while now, the core D&D game play of "roll a D20, higher numbers are better, compare to a target number, roll different dice for the result," is pretty universal to all editions.

Problem is, even that's not all that true. In 1st Ed, thief skills were d%, roll low, surprise was d6 roll high. In 2nd Ed, NWPs were d20, roll low, initiative was d10, roll low. In both cases, resurrection survival was d%, roll low. I forget "open doors", but it was something else again.

The "roll a D20, higher numbers are better, compare to a target number, roll different dice for the result," does appear in all editions, but it wasn't a "universal mechanic" until 3e. And even 3e didn't use just that - for rolls that had no modifiers, it used d% instead.

If they were going to support previous versions, I'd imagine they'd create a Universal D&D core that worked off that...

Wouldn't that just be rejected out of hand by the people currently playing OD&D, BD&D, 1st Ed, 2nd Ed or 3.x? They've already got their ruleset. Why would they want some new WotC edition, even if it does work out as being functionally identical?

 

[alms66]

1E and 2E have more in common than either has with BD&D. And the people who like OD&D and the various versions of BD&D are very attached to them, and conglomerating them all into a whole wouldn't really work.

If you were going to streamline, it'd be AD&D (1E and 2E), 3E, 4E, and Other. But I don't think there's much value in that sort of recategorization.

I think a reorganization could work. Take OD&D and BD&D, make what's common to them standard rules and put in the other stuff from other variations of the rules as optional. You'll still have the same ruleset, you'll just need to tweak the options. Granted, I haven't seen anything pre-AD&D 1E in a very long time, so I could be wrong - I have to admit. But I seriously doubt that they are so very different that it couldn't be done.

Take AD&D1 and AD&D2 and do the same. I'm absolutely certain this one could be done.

3E and 4E are unique beasts of their own that I don't see any meshing of those with anything else (well 3.0 and 3.5 + 4E essentials and 4E).

Yeah, except for the little fact that each item would cost about $500 as they'd have to find some way to recoup the money spent on the hundreds of man-hours it would take to do all you suggested. When you're only going to sell about 50 copies... you need to get as much cash as you can from them.

Yeah, I seriously doubt WotC sells only 50 copies of anything they make...
That and I don't think it would take as many man-hours as you're thinking.

Wouldn't that just be rejected out of hand by the people currently playing OD&D, BD&D, 1st Ed, 2nd Ed or 3.x? They've already got their ruleset. Why would they want some new WotC edition, even if it does work out as being functionally identical?

In my model, you're just making the editions available again in some form, for those that missed out on it the first time and want to try it, and for those old edition players out there that wished their version still had some form of support with new adventures/settings, etc. Or just a way to get their hands on a new book if their old one needs replacing.

Oh, and btw, if anyone at WotC sees this and thinks it's a good idea. I just so happen to be available and looking for a new job (as long as I don't have to relocate, of course)!

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Wizards_DnD Wizards_DnD
"We are looking at ways to keep ALL editions of #dnd alive." #dndsdcc
23 Jul

Lies.

 

[TwoSix]

Lies.

Well, that's succinct.