D&D 5E (2014) Light release schedule: More harm than good?

[Warmaster Horus]

I can play 5e for the rest of my life with the material that's been released thus far. There's a wealth of older edition products that I have no problem adapting to 5e, if I feel the need to so do. The tools are there for those who would use them.

 

[delericho]

We also haven't seen a bunch of untenable promises at launch of digital products like we did with 3e (character builder demo in the PHB) and 4e (DDI features like the virtual table top).

Other than Codename: Morningstar?

Also worth noting: much as they failed to achieve their stated goals, both 3e and 4e at least had electronic tools. Is "promise the world and deliver something" really worse than "deliver nothing"?

 

[DEFCON 1]

Other than Codename: Morningstar?

Also worth noting: much as they failed to achieve their stated goals, both 3e and 4e at least had electronic tools. Is "promise the world and deliver something" really worse than "deliver nothing"?

Depends on who you ask. And what kind of tools the person was looking for when they signed up to get it. Heck... there are people out there who still say that getting DDI's Character Builder, Monster Builder, Compendium, Dragon Magazine, and Dungeon Magazine for $5 a month was a rip-off and completely worthless.

Having a Dungeonscape product that was only an Apple-based app that could only work on iPads and iPhones would be a complete piece of crap for a lot of people, and the greatest thing in the world for another. And in either case... we'd still continually hear the siren song of "WotC doesn't deliver on digital products!" from a segment of the population.

 

[chriton227]

Other than Codename: Morningstar?

Also worth noting: much as they failed to achieve their stated goals, both 3e and 4e at least had electronic tools. Is "promise the world and deliver something" really worse than "deliver nothing"?

I had actually completely forgotten about Codename: Morningstar, and if it hadn't been for ENWorld I wouldn't have known it existed at all. As opposed to the 3e and 4e tools that were advertised as "coming soon" in print in the respective PHBs on the day of release.

I have always been told "underpromise and overdeliver". If you offer to make someone a cake and then give them a pack of Twinkies, they will often be more disappointed than if you had offered nothing and given nothing. On the other hand, if you offer a pack of Twinkies and instead give them a homemade cake, they will usually be happier than if you just gave them the Twinkies (unless they are named Tallahassee).

 

[Staffan]

I've seen a number of people talk about six supplements a year.

Ok. Well, that would mean in 3 years, you'd have 18 supplements. That's more than 1e had in its ENTIRE run. At least hardcovers. 1e managed to go 10 years with what, a couple of dozen supplements tops? Two a year, maybe, and lots of years of only one.

I'm not going to buy more than one book a year, maybe two, and I haven't since, 3.5 hit the shelves. So, for me a 2 book a year schedule is fine.

The six books a year people are talking about is counting adventures.

Looking at just 1983-85 (roughly the midpoint of 1e), there were about 50 AD&D products released (depending on how you count - but I didn't include BECMI D&D, which was coming into its own at that time). That's over 15 per year. Mind you, many of those are rather short adventures, but those are good to have too!

 

[Staffan]

P.S. For the record, I prefer a light release schedule...look at my freakin' signature, for pete's sake.

I would, but it's black text on a dark gray background.

 

[Bugleyman]

I would, but it's black text on a dark gray background.

Seriously? That must be a style option or something; ENWorld appears with a off-white/light grey background for me.

For the record, it is "Just say NO to system bloat."

 

[Bugleyman]

I'm not going to buy more than one book a year, maybe two, and I haven't since, 3.5 hit the shelves. So, for me a 2 book a year schedule is fine.

This.

 

[Morrus]

Seriously? That must be a style option or something; ENWorld appears with a off-white/light grey background for me.

Information here on how to fix it:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?348563-Dark-Text-on-a-Dark-Background-Tutorial

 

[chriton227]

Seriously? That must be a style option or something; ENWorld appears with a off-white/light grey background for me.

For the record, it is "Just say NO to system bloat."

Down in the bottom left corner of the page there is a drop down to choose the style. Reborn is the light background (and I think the current default), Legacy, Eric Noah, and Eric Noah's Half Fiend Love Child are all black or dark gray backgrounds. I personally find the dark background to be easier on my eyes, but that is pure personal preference.

And I agree with your sig, the longer I've been gaming the more I like sticking to either core rules only or core rules plus limited setting specific options. I'm a fan of the way Savage Worlds does many of the setting/plot-point books rather than the parade of splat books that D&D has had in the past.