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

[MerricB]

What percentage of board games are still in print 10 years later?

Very, very, very few.

And there are very few board games that get played as extensively as a RPG. I've played perhaps 200+ hours of Settlers of Catan, and 50+ hours of Ticket to Ride. Both those numbers are on the higher end of the scale, although there will be a few outliers with much, much more.

Meanwhile, just for D&D 4E, I would have played 1000+ hours.

Cheers!

 

[BryonD]

It then bangs out an OGL

Do you mean bangs out an SRD? Or do you think a different OGL is needed? (and why?)

 

[Hussar]

That's a good point MerricB. I hadn't considered that.

 

[Hussar]

The second survey from WOTC that came out today got me to thinking about the light release schedule. It could be said that the light release schedule is due, in part, to WOTC wanting to be very careful about the changes they make to the game. By surveying gamers every couple of months, they can be more sure about what they need to do going forward. Looking at the comments about changing the ranger on the survey page I wonder if this isn't tied together. Look at what Mearls says about the process of "fixing" the ranger:

To start with, a majority of players and Dungeon Masters are happy with the ranger overall. The game as a whole is grading well, so we don’t want to make a huge, sudden change to that class. But taking a deeper dive into the ranger, we can see that favored enemy and the beast master archetype received the lowest ratings. Our next step is to take a closer look at why that is.

We’ll start with an internal assessment mixed with feedback from our closed circle of testers. From there, we’ll work up some options and present them to you, most likely in the Unearthed Arcana column. That process allows us to determine if the track we’re on answers your concerns with the class.

The critical step is making sure that any changes we make genuinely improve the class. Remember, plenty of people are happy with the ranger, so any changes need to cover a number of options:

This is a VERY different approach than what we've had previously. Changes to classes were almost never done by asking us what we think. They just changed this or that and threw it at the wall and hope it stuck. This time around, it's a much slower process and much more involved.

Thoughts?

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

The second survey from WOTC that came out today got me to thinking about the light release schedule. It could be said that the light release schedule is due, in part, to WOTC wanting to be very careful about the changes they make to the game. By surveying gamers every couple of months, they can be more sure about what they need to do going forward. Looking at the comments about changing the ranger on the survey page I wonder if this isn't tied together. Look at what Mearls says about the process of "fixing" the ranger:



This is a VERY different approach than what we've had previously. Changes to classes were almost never done by asking us what we think. They just changed this or that and threw it at the wall and hope it stuck. This time around, it's a much slower process and much more involved.

Thoughts?

Changes to the ranger where? 6e or in a new printing of 5e or just in an options book?

 

[Fildrigar]

Changes to the ranger where? 6e or in a new printing of 5e or just in an options book?

Unearthed Arcana, or an options book, or errata. Who knows?

 

[BryonD]

This is a VERY different approach than what we've had previously. Changes to classes were almost never done by asking us what we think. They just changed this or that and threw it at the wall and hope it stuck. This time around, it's a much slower process and much more involved.

Thoughts?

It is a good thing. But it is not entirely applicable. They are looking at the quality (as perceived and reflected in an online survey) of existing material.


This could certainly inform choices for new material. But it doesn't really do much to advance new content.

And if the lack of hype costs more fan attention than the theoretical improvement in revisions adds, it is a penny wise and pound foolish solution.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Can I ask you a question BryonD? Why do you care about hype so much?

 

[BryonD]

Because there are lots of options (other games and other hobbies altogether) and the new shiny will wear off very fast.

 

[PallyFire84]

Because there are lots of options (other games and other hobbies altogether) and the new shiny will wear off very fast.

Let me give you a little secret. Lack of communication DOES generate hype. Look. How many pages and pages and pages of people complaining get about the release schedule? Granted it's not the positive hype they want (hopefully) but it is hype.

I think this time next year we will still be talking about it.

Look I think right now a slightly light release schedule is better. I've looked and loked and read all the hundreds of threads and u see a common theme:

1. I want setting materials.
2. I don't want character splat books.
3. I want more character options.
4. I don't want wotc adventures

Tell me after the amazing success they have had and how awesome the books came out that they wouldn't want to be very careful about releasing the next major (not adventure) book.

Tell me why they can't achieve the above 4 in unearthed arcana and just nail down what exactly players really want in another 2 to 3 months?

Edit to add: as anyone who has played destiny and that mess will tell you, hype is really not all its put out to be. Good god. That game was the definition of hype and ended up being a huge disappointment