Losing interest....

[B.T.]

Why? Its a playtest.

If I'm going to playtest the game, I'd like to be able to playtest the mechanics.

 

[Texicles]

If I'm going to playtest the game, I'd like to be able to playtest the mechanics.

But you can playtest some of the mechanics. No, not all of them, but it's not like the playtest packet was just a bunch of concept art of people sitting around a table throwing dice and looking happy with WotC saying, "don't these people look like they're having fun? Well, they're playing DDN and so can you!"

 

[Agamon]

If I'm going to playtest the game, I'd like to be able to playtest the mechanics.

More robust mechanics are coming. People that want to help out with the core (which indeed have mechanics, what else have people been debating here?), get to, and if you want to wait for something more robust, nothing is stopping you. Everyone should be happy here....

 

[Warbringer]

You're kidding, right

 

[ren1999]

I don't think this should be a discussion about 5th edition being doomed. I think this should be a discussion about keeping play-testers sitting on their hands with nothing to do. We know what the developers have suggested -- especially about tactical rules and action economies. We are eager to test their ideas now. This is not to entertain us, this is so we can keep the conversation going about the development of the game. This forum has dwindled down with conversations devolving into speculative threads about what level limits might be, what character development might be, etc. We get requests from developers such as "What would you like to see in 5th Edition.." Well, how about giving us some ideas and we'll see if they work or not. I like the idea of a random treasure generator. I could have found something from the previous editions and have mocked up a roll table in 1 evening. Most of us have day jobs. So, it leaves me with a suspicious feeling that I voiced when the initial play-test came out. Some of you say that interest will pick-up again when the next material comes out. True, but we will lose some testers who won't be coming back because we failed to keep them interested in the process.

 

[Morrus]

I don't think this should be a discussion about 5th edition being doomed. I think this should be a discussion about keeping play-testers sitting on their hands with nothing to do. We know what the developers have suggested -- especially about tactical rules and action economies. We are eager to test their ideas now. This is not to entertain us, this is so we can keep the conversation going about the development of the game. This forum has dwindled down with conversations devolving into speculative threads about what level limits might be, what character development might be, etc. We get requests from developers such as "What would you like to see in 5th Edition.." Well, how about giving us some ideas and we'll see if they work or not. I like the idea of a random treasure generator. I could have found something from the previous editions and have mocked up a roll table in 1 evening. Most of us have day jobs. So, it leaves me with a suspicious feeling that I voiced when the initial play-test came out. Some of you say that interest will pick-up again when the next material comes out. True, but we will lose some testers who won't be coming back because we failed to keep them interested in the process.

It's only been four weeks. Some of us only got to try their first 2-hour playtest session last week. We won't be done for a month yet, at least. And it's a playtest - which we're invited to voluntarily partipate in because we pretty much demanded it - not a free game. It's a job, which we can do or not do as we wish.

"The playtest isn't interesting enough" [my paraphrase form many people, not you specifically] pretty much invalidates the idea of a playtester.

Do folks here think video games playtesters enjoy their job? They play the same level over and over and over and over until they have nightmares about it.

Playtesting isn't for fun. It's a job. Normally a company does it all in-house. We demanded they do it publicly, so they are. And now people are complaining the process isn't fun enough.

 

[ren1999]

Ironically, I complained that the initial play-test was rushed because some of the material was lifted from a previous edition with the same spelling errors indicating nobody read and edited it.

Now I'm saying, if you've waited a month to start play-testing this material then you're dragging your bottoms on the ground. Too slow! He, he, he. No worries.

 

[Agamon]

I don't think this should be a discussion about 5th edition being doomed. I think this should be a discussion about keeping play-testers sitting on their hands with nothing to do. We know what the developers have suggested -- especially about tactical rules and action economies. We are eager to test their ideas now. This is not to entertain us, this is so we can keep the conversation going about the development of the game. This forum has dwindled down with conversations devolving into speculative threads about what level limits might be, what character development might be, etc. We get requests from developers such as "What would you like to see in 5th Edition.." Well, how about giving us some ideas and we'll see if they work or not. I like the idea of a random treasure generator. I could have found something from the previous editions and have mocked up a roll table in 1 evening. Most of us have day jobs. So, it leaves me with a suspicious feeling that I voiced when the initial play-test came out. Some of you say that interest will pick-up again when the next material comes out. True, but we will lose some testers who won't be coming back because we failed to keep them interested in the process.

Wait...are we sitting on our hands or are we too busy? I guess we could be too busy sitting on our hands.

 

[Agamon]

Ironically, I complained that the initial play-test was rushed because some of the material was lifted from a previous edition with the same spelling errors indicating nobody read and edited it.

I don't think they are at the copy edit stage yet.

 

[Greg K]

I
"The playtest isn't interesting enough" [my paraphrase form many people, not you specifically] pretty much invalidates the idea of a playtester.

Do folks here think video games playtesters enjoy their job? They play the same level over and over and over and over until they have nightmares about it.

Playtesting isn't for fun. It's a job. Normally a company does it all in-house. We demanded they do it publicly, so they are. And now people are complaining the process isn't fun enough.

I know two people that playtest video games. Yes, it is work, but they do enjoy their job except when they have to pull double or triple shifts. Even the double shifts are not that bad in their opinion as they get extra pay and the employer brings in meals and snack.

As for myself, I have tested a few rpgs. Everyone one of those experiences has been interesting and fun. However,
1. everyone of them was much farther along before we were asked to test .
2. We were able to create our own characters.
3. The designer had run/provided an interesting adventure or allowed the groups to create their own.

Yes, we sent things back and things were redesigned based on the feedback. Often we had something new within two or three days (not that I expect this to happen with Next due to the size of the playtest).

I think the designers should have had more things worked out (e.g., Fighters and Monsters) before presenting this for playtest. I also think they should have given us something more interesting than Caves of Chaos,