D&D 5E Legends and Lore 6/23: System vs. Content in D&D Next

[Warbringer]

"One of the biggest challenges in working on D&D Next lies in finding the right balance between addressing issues in rules design and in campaign or adventure design. It's easy to conflate the two, and making a mistake in this area can have big consequences."

So actually a little light apart from saying its hard to write balanced play style modules (but they will give advise for changing modules to fit style) and Gen Con plans for Next sounds like it will be a blast. Wish I were going.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20130624

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think, it is very important, what he states. It directly adresses the reasons for the hostility on the wizards D&Dnext forums:
people confuse: "good game design" with "good adventure design" and "System failures" with "playstyle preferences".

If people could accept, that their way of playing is one of many, and wotc just hast to make a default assumption, which can be replaced by modules, the forums would be a much nicer place overall.

 

[Raith5]

I think, it is very important, what he states. It directly adresses the reasons for the hostility on the wizards D&Dnext forums:
people confuse: "good game design" with "good adventure design" and "System failures" with "playstyle preferences".

If people could accept, that their way of playing is one of many, and wotc just hast to make a default assumption, which can be replaced by modules, the forums would be a much nicer place overall.

Agree! But I also think that they need to 'show' how this is going to work in DDN rather than just 'tell' us that this is what they are going to do. They showed us a few different healing methods, but without showing alternative pacing mechanisms it it hard to tell how healing can work. Modularity is in the execution rather than the intent, so the speak.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Modularity should offer the flexibility to allow different playstyle and thats a good thing they're planning this way.

Wow it seems like a good year to be in Gen Con! Confrontation at Candlekeep interactive multitable experience the Devs playtested last week looks freakin cool, so is the Murder In Baldur's Gate Launch Weekend and so is the Sundering kicking with the Night in Dungeons & Dragons party sounds exciting! I wish i could be there!!!

PS Also really cool to include a section for designers note in Ghost of Dragonspear Castle!

 

[urLordy]

I'm wondering where they're going to draw the line between rules design and adventure design.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Agree! But I also think that they need to 'show' how this is going to work in DDN rather than just 'tell' us that this is what they are going to do. They showed us a few different healing methods, but without showing alternative pacing mechanisms it it hard to tell how healing can work. Modularity is in the execution rather than the intent, so the speak.

And this is where we all need to have a little patience. Slowly but surely, all these things are being rolled out in the playtest. Everything will eventually get tested... just not as fast or in the order that some people might want. Which mean unfortunately, we have to put up with the people who can't see the forest through the trees and jam up every D&DN thread with complaints about how WotC are morons and can't design games... simply because they aren't getting what they think needs to be tested right here and now.

 

[Nymrohd]

And this is where we all need to have a little patience. Slowly but surely, all these things are being rolled out in the playtest. Everything will eventually get tested... just not as fast or in the order that some people might want. Which mean unfortunately, we have to put up with the people who can't see the forest through the trees and jam up every D&DN thread with complaints about how WotC are morons and can't design games... simply because they aren't getting what they think needs to be tested right here and now.

Everything cannot be tested. DDN must be on some internal deadline. The parent company expects some product out by that deadline and that means at some point whether playtesting is enough or not, they'll need to stop and get the product ready for print.

 

[Jester David]

Agree! But I also think that they need to 'show' how this is going to work in DDN rather than just 'tell' us that this is what they are going to do. They showed us a few different healing methods, but without showing alternative pacing mechanisms it it hard to tell how healing can work. Modularity is in the execution rather than the intent, so the speak.

But they can't do that until the base mechanics are solid and refined otherwise they'll be previewing broken mechanics that modify other broken mechanics, which gives an unflattering first impression of the module.

Ad, if they release modules, people will use those rules modules. Which reduces the number of people testing the core game and providing feedback. Instead, they get feedback on unfinished demo modules that is more-or-less useless as there are too many variables to know what needs fixing.

 

[Jester David]

Everything cannot be tested. DDN must be on some internal deadline. The parent company expects some product out by that deadline and that means at some point whether playtesting is enough or not, they'll need to stop and get the product ready for print.

They can do some testing. It takes four months to publish a book. While the core book is being published they could plan to release the first expansion three months later and test several modules for three months. And content being planned for the next year could also be tested.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Everything cannot be tested. DDN must be on some internal deadline. The parent company expects some product out by that deadline and that means at some point whether playtesting is enough or not, they'll need to stop and get the product ready for print.

Playtesting enough and playtesting at all are two different things. And yes... every rule WILL get tested at some point. Some just might not have gotten enough testing when all was said and done. But that won't be determined until after the fact.