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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Korgoth" data-source="post: 4337925" data-attributes="member: 49613">My interpretation, which is just an interpretation since my invisible spy robots are currently on the fritz thus limiting my access to the Hasbro halls of power, is that a number of the design decisions in 4E are probably due to imperatives from the Hasbro bosses rather than being direct design decisions by the underlings (WOTC). I hope it's evident that in saying this I'm actually being nice to WOTC.Consider the worst offender (IMO, of course): the fact that numerous core elements and concepts were deliberately withheld until later 'core' books. I'm not just talking frost giants and iron golems. I'm also talking about core concepts like necromancy (esp. given that Orcus is the main villain in the first release) and conjuration. Of course you'll be able to buy them later... but 4E seems to deliberately include a lot less than past core editions. And then there's the MMO influence. Yeah, roll your eyes if you want to, but when you're spamming your Controller powers at Fangtooth Goblins, Fangtooth Slingers and Fangtooth Elites you might feel a tingle of conscience when you're reminded that I'm right. I'm hypothesizing that the "Get the MMO crowd" design directive came down from Hasbro rather than being a WOTC idea... just a hypothesis. And then there's the question of rebranding.You can see the rebranding, right? "It's not about gnomes dressed like medieval peasants and their stupid familiars, it's about badazz goth devil chicks in hurtmewear shooting death rays at people." Tieflings, dragonborn, feywild, shadowfell, GSL clauses, etc.: it all has to do with forging a unique brand identity. That's my guess, anyway.Design decisions driven by business decisions, rather than the other way around. That's the "Lorraine Williams Scenario". That's all I'm saying.In the original thread, gamersgambit suggested that somehow by supporting your FLGS gamers would be able to control/influence the character of D&D 5E and 6E. My pointing out the LWS is an attempted refutation of his proposal.</blockquote>

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