Interesting Tweet

[TarionzCousin]

I know I shouldn't say anything, but I know the secret about [Redacted]. See, I was there when Chris Perkins and Mike Mearls were discussing--

--hold on. There's a knock at the door.

 

[DumbPaladin]

Big news from GenCon! Former DnD guru [redacted] and new star [redacted] will [redacted] [redacted] with a [redacted] monkey [redacted]!

 

[Beginning of the End]

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.

The truth is OD&D, AD&D1, and AD&D2 all use an essentially interchangeable ruleset. Particularly if you're talking about published adventures: You can pick up a module written for any of those systems and run it with zero conversion in any of the other systems. About the only real hitch would be if you're running OD&D and they mention a spell that doesn't exist in OD&D.

BECMI presents a slight hiccup in this cross-compatibility because of the race/class conflation. But back in the '80s I was running BECMI products in AD&D and vice-versa all the time. More recently, we've been running BECMI modules in OD&D without any sort of meaningful hitch.

 

[Sonny]

Ah. So we're just looking at another marketting ploy. Too bad. I was hoping for something more real.

I really could care less how crass their marketing is, as long they are heading towards some support for most or all editions.

By now there is no way out of the fractured D&D fan base other than supporting different editions. Doesn't matter if it's reprinting older books, PDFs (again) or adding support through DDI.

They've sat on their duffs for too long while reminding us every so often they consider people playing older editions, retro clones or pathfinder to still be playing "D&D", but not doing anything to actually support these fans and the hobby they love.

 

[Reynard]

How would it look different if it were "more real," if The Powers That Be forbade them going public with it until GenCon?

At this point, both "real" and "marketing hype" would have to look identical.

First off, they would have left out the insipid "redacted" bit. It's tired, and more importantly, it exposes the entire thing as someone's "clever" idea.

 

[delericho]

This was tweeted about an hour ago:

(Mike) There's a GIANT @Gen_Con meeting happening right now. A "who's who" of #dnd superstars. We're talking about [REDACTED]. #dndgencon

Ah. So we're just looking at another marketting ploy.

Yeah. If they have something to say, they should say it. If not, they should stop trying to build a false hype.

In the lead-up to the 4e announcement, they tried to be really clever and talk about 4e without talking about 4e. ("We're not working on a fourth edition that requires miniatures.") It didn't work - when they finally announced 4e they were met with widespread accusations of lying and the outrage to match. They really should learn from that mistake.

 

[amethal]

This was tweeted about an hour ago:

(Mike) There's a GIANT @Gen_Con meeting happening right now. A "who's who" of #dnd superstars.

Sounds awesome.

Have they set the record for the greatest number of ex-TSR / ex-WotC employees in a room at the same time?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

First off, they would have left out the insipid "redacted" bit.

No, I've seen that quite a bit in "real" tweets. You seem to be missing that they may not be holding info back of their own accord.

But everyone does this: All the companies that are releasing new products at GenCon, for the most part, could release their PDFs today. But they're not, because they want to use GenCon as a way to build hype and sell more products.

I'm not enthusiastic about a lot of the stuff WotC has done over the years -- and I'm still playing 3.5 and will likely switch to C&C next year -- but you're mad at them for doing something that dozens and dozens of companies are bragging about doing in the run-up to GenCon.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah. If they have something to say, they should say it. If not, they should stop trying to build a false hype.

Every RPG board on the Internet is drowing in comparable pre-GenCon hype. A few months ago, every computer game forum -- and ENWorld's other media forum -- was drowning in pre-E3 hype.

At least they're not making threads about general subjects here on ENWorld and then, halfway through their post, suddenly turn it into discussions about their upcoming retroclones or fantasy heartbreakers, which we've had several times here in the last few weeks. They're doing it on their own Twitter feed, which you cannot follow involuntarily.

Like the old joke goes, if it hurts when you do that, stop doing that.

 

[rkwoodard]

Mwp

Every RPG board on the Internet is drowing in comparable pre-GenCon hype. A few months ago, every computer game forum -- and ENWorld's other media forum -- was drowning in pre-E3 hype.

At least they're not making threads about general subjects here on ENWorld and then, halfway through their post, suddenly turn it into discussions about their upcoming retroclones or fantasy heartbreakers, which we've had several times here in the last few weeks. They're doing it on their own Twitter feed, which you cannot follow involuntarily.

Like the old joke goes, if it hurts when you do that, stop doing that.

Agreed. I don't there were any negative post in thread about what the new licsenes MWP has gotten for the Cortex System.

RK