Is WotC's policy of no 4.5 good or bad?

[Tony Vargas]

True. The on-line Compendium does lack crucial, basic rules, even the glossary doesn't cover them adequately.

If you had the Essentials Compendium and the on-line Compendium, you'd probably be good...

... but, they went and called 'em both 'Compendiums,' which'll doubtless confuse people, too...

 

[ferratus]

I'll agree that the compendium needs to be better.

However, I still think physical book rules splats are of the devil, and are holding back the game. Unfortunately, that's what people want to buy, so I'm stuck.

The thing that is also unfortunate is that you can see places in 4e (and to a lesser extent in 3e) where you can see rules for the sake of more rules (to expand on or break the rule in place), rather than for the sake of "realism", "simulation", "fidelity to a character concept" (or more importantly) tactically rich and cinematic combats.

 

[ExploderWizard]

You really like to flog that "No companion or familiar rules in D&DI!" horse, don't you?

My point is not that "these rules don't exist in D&D" or anything like that. The point is that the DDI is supplemental to game rules and not a replacement for them, at least at this point in time.

If the actual items are in the DDI and the rules for how they function are not then how does the DDI stand in for "replacing" the need for Martial Power and Arcane Power?

Presumably the new rules compendium will include all rules and errata to date in a single volume. That sounds great but it still means buying rules you already have again. Also, since Essentials is NOT a 4.5 revision it means you are buying rules for the same edition again. Add in the DDI as it currently functions and you have a third purchase of material that exists in the other two formats (with added other stuff, but missing core rule stuff)

What about splatbooks that come out after the " all inclusive" rules compendium. The bits and pieces will certainly get added to DDI but will any new basic additional rules get added to the compendium or will the purchase of the splatbook actually be required to use the bits they put in the DDI?

 

[Ryujin]

Call it "nerd rage" if you like, but the idea of 3.5 really burnt my butt. To me, it seemed like a massive errata of things that they screwed up by releasing a game that wasn't ready for prime time. I didn't buy the 3.5 books and wouldn't buy 4.5 books. It's a massive cash outlay when you're likely talking about 5+ books, that here cost around $50.00 each.

The idea of "no 4.5" is really the way to go. A little stability is a good thing. They now have a business model, that will permit them to continue making money on the original product, for a long time to come. There's no need to dump everything in the circular file then start again, in a quest for more cash.

 

[ExploderWizard]

There's no need to dump everything in the circular file then start again, in a quest for more cash.

Heh. Sounds fine to me but do you think Hasbro will buy that?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

You must have missed my post, since I'm living proof that you're wrong

Ok, I should pay more attention to the precision of what I type. However, if you stuck to 3.0 and bought later 3.5 splat books for use in your 3.0 game you could find that things would need conversion. As someone else pointed out you could have just used the SRD though.

Edit: Of course you could play away with the combination but at that point you are not playing either 3.0 or 3.5 but some hybrid.
3.25 perhaps

 

[Thanlis]

There are some fundamental things about 4e that don’t work and prevent it from being a truly great game. If these things were changed, however, they would most definitely represent a 4.5 edition upgrade as they would be changing underlying mechanics and classes, not just tweaking rules.

I feel this would be a great thing. IMO, making these changes would make 4e one of the best RPG’s ever marketed. And yet… the grognard, fatbeard, nerdrage backlash that incited the promise of “No 4.5” in the first place, prevents WotC from going ahead and doing this.

Problem is, everyone agrees with you... but everyone's list of things and changes is different.

I personally don't want to see a 4.5 because I want WotC to dampen the cycle of gamer paranoia about new editions. When and if 5e happens, it'd be nice if we didn't have to hear people say that WotC always publishes a .5. I know, I know, we will anyway, but still.

 

[ferratus]

If WotC could go back to the well of cash by simply selling adventure modules and other flavour books, then they probably wouldn't jeopardize that by releasing new editions or more rules. They'd just have the system that suits running adventure modules.

However, since the gamer public loves buying new rules, they are going to release more and more of them. Along the way they will discover new ways of doing things, which things aren't working so well, introduce power creep, and come out with so many rules that eventually the system needs to be streamlined again.

We can't complain about updates to editions and new editions every few years if what we want is a stream of more and different rules. What is more, D&D wouldn't be able to survive as a constantly supported product. If D&D just released a rules set that they never updated or revised or added new rules to, they would just be releasing a self-contained game like your favourite board games. That certainly doesn't require several full time staff.

 

[Ryujin]

Heh. Sounds fine to me but do you think Hasbro will buy that?

As long as 4e keeps the cash rolling in? Sure.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I literally hate people who are buying a lot of the physical books. It is a burning enmity that I carry always in my mind, vowing retribution with every breath.

Dude, it's only a game.

Why not read something interesting, like new adventure modules or adventure theme books (Underdark, Plane Below etc.)?

Because I'd rather read something interesting like The Lord of the Rings or The Curse of Chalion. Both are much better for inspiration than somewhere I find ridiculous like the Underdark - and for populating wherever I'm playing, there are Monster Manuals.

Rule books increase what can be done with the system. Monster Manuals increase what it's easy to do. Both are to me important. Fluff heavy books are to me seldom as inspiring as real fiction or as useful as my own worlds - and come as a poor second to rules heavy books for turning something into a game element. And the huge problem with adventure modules is that I do not want to have read any I'm currently playing.