D&D 5E New WotC Survey! Learn About A New D&D Product!

WotC has launched a new survey about the future of D&D. This survey includes an NDA (which some people have not taken to well!) halfway through, which asks you not to talk about the survey on pain of being tracked down and fined, but it's about an upcoming (unannounced) new D&D product. You can find out what it is by taking the survey (or it's all over social media aready).

 

[TiwazTyrsfist]

I got the video, but no audio, so I have only the loosest idea what it was about.

 

[Charlaquin]

Someone else probably already pointed this out, but it seems a lot more likely to me that, rather than screening out non-d&d players, they wanted to be able to screen out the more intense d&d players. From a business perspective, if they're trying to grow the game, they need to know more about people who don't already know all the rules. Also, it is very easy to get the opinions of serious d&d players (citation: this entire forum, for starters). Finding the opinions of people who are less into the game is harder, and would maybe justify a weird survey.

I don’t think questions like “what dice do you roll for initiative?” are there to screen out hardcore players. They were very basic questions that literally anyone who plays D&D would know the answer to. And they obviously weren’t looking for people who got answers wrong, because I answered them all correctly and got the NDA and the secret questions.

 

[lkj]

Whoa! Good point.
This could be all about a ddb thing?

Well, I've been surprised by the software stuff enough times over the years, I wouldn't place any particularly huge bets. And if WotC is promoting it, that would suggest something much more than promoting the work of a third party partner. It would be something they are pulling together themselves, perhaps by bringing in several partners into a common project.

I just think it is interesting that the DDB folks have acknowledged that their DM tools have been languishing a long time. But they keep hinting that moving toward a virtual game space is a big part of their goal this year. Then in the last dev update, Joe Starr said something along the lines of 'This is kind of the calm before the storm.' And they were definitely hinting about some major thing related to their eventual goal of creating a virtual game space-- or at least a move in that direction using their DM tools.

Now, I never guessed from those clues that it was some kind of multi group partnership. I just figured they were closer to releasing some upgrades than they were letting on. And maybe it still isn't some big partnership. Maybe it's just a coincidence of WotC pursuing similar plans.

But when I saw that the purported video (no one has actually verified that these pictures are from the actual video in this thread) has DDB character sheets, well, it made me wonder.

AD

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I don’t think questions like “what dice do you roll for initiative?” are there to screen out hardcore players. They were very basic questions that literally anyone who plays D&D would know the answer to. And they obviously weren’t looking for people who got answers wrong, because I answered them all correctly and got the NDA and the secret questions.

A. The NDA and stuff aren’t the real deal. They want word of this to get around

B. They are trying to see if you are an actual player. Real players know D20 is for initiative. Nonplayers dont.

C. Our age and spending pattern help them know if they cared how we answer. They want the younger crowd and their habits.

imho. I answered it all correctly, and got no NDA or video. But I also answered ‘no’ about buying digital products in combination with Hundreds in minis probably means I am not a digital player. If that is what they wanted to know…

and I am in my 40s…also less of a target for them

 

[darjr]

Well, I've been surprised by the software stuff enough times over the years, I wouldn't place any particularly huge bets. And if WotC is promoting it, that would suggest something much more than promoting the work of a third party partner. It would be something they are pulling together themselves, perhaps by bringing in several partners into a common project.

I just think it is interesting that the DDB folks have acknowledged that their DM tools have been languishing a long time. But they keep hinting that moving toward a virtual game space is a big part of their goal this year. Then in the last dev update, Joe Starr said something along the lines of 'This is kind of the calm before the storm.' And they were definitely hinting about some major thing related to their eventual goal of creating a virtual game space-- or at least a move in that direction using their DM tools.

Now, I never guessed from those clues that it was some kind of multi group partnership. I just figured they were closer to releasing some upgrades than they were letting on. And maybe it still isn't some big partnership. Maybe it's just a coincidence of WotC pursuing similar plans.

But when I saw that the purported video (no one has actually verified that these pictures are from the actual video in this thread) has DDB character sheets, well, it made me wonder.

AD

Yea, something is going on. Any of hear from Roll20 or the other big licenseee VTTs? @Morrus

 

[Omand]

No NDA request here, and it was a really weird survey. I usually DM, when I have the chance to play. COVID has wrecked that for the last year, and I did not even get a question about how much I DM. Seems like lots of other folks on this thread got that question though. Not sure what is up.

Did get the usual gamut of questions about the races and their abilities/attributes and what I liked/disliked, etc.

We will see what comes.

Cheers

 

[lkj]

Yea, something is going on. Any of hear from Roll20 or the other big licenseee VTTs? @Morrus

Here's a question-- if the character sheet is a DDB sheet, does anyone recognize the virtual 3D tabletop from anywhere?

AD

 

[Swedish Chef]

Did the survey, no NDA. Mainly focused on Discord, from what I could see.

 

[grimslade]

Talespire could be in a consortium with DDB and WotC to make a 3D tabletop. The missing component is who makes the virtual miniatures that will take up much of a cash shop along with tilesets for the map maker. I suppose BouncyRock could be in charge of the in-game assets, but they don't have customization options (yet) for the minis and props. Those 'skins' would also be in any putative cash shop.

 

[Jaeger]

Lots of questions about satisfaction with the races and race features in the PHB, which reminded me very much of the Next Playtest surveys. I was a skeptic that there would be any edition change or major revisions to 5e in the near future for a while, but at this point I think the writing is on the wall.

I'm in agreement - the 50th anniversary of D&D is just too much of a marketing opportunity to ignore.

But I'm thinking it will be a revised 5e along the lines of 1e to 2e AD&D.

WOTC ought to shift to an incremental "new edition" model similar to how Chaosium did CoC for decades.

Didn't get offered the NDA, survey ended after the player race satisfaction sections (where I gave bad marks to dragonborn) and demographic stuff.

LOL! I did the same thing (slagged on all the non-human races) and got the same result!

One could get the impression that if you're not down with the furries it seems that you are someone that they are not interested in selling their new digital tools to.

It's a digital tools set, with 3D graphics. Like a super-advanced version of Roll20 and D&D Beyond. Isometric looking maps with customizable digital miniatures. Uses phones and tablets as character sheets.

To be fair, the last time around, WotC's digital offerings were stellar. For all the hoopla about Gleemax and whatnot, what you got for a very nominal subscription fee was freaking fantastic. Every single 4e official publication, in a searchable format for what, 6 bucks a month or something like that? Later on they did try a VTT which looked very promising.

I'm going to wait and see on this, but, if it's the same deal as 4e? I'll drop Fantasy Grounds like a bad habit in an instant.

If they're smart they'll wait until 2024 and a revised/new edition to end any licenses anyone else has, and only then become the sole purveyor of online D&D.

But I can see why they would want to make this move. The way the player base has grown, even with a super cheap subscription they can rake in tens of millions if they can just sign up a fraction of the player base.

Talespire could be in a consortium with DDB and WotC to make a 3D tabletop. The missing component is who makes the virtual miniatures that will take up much of a cash shop along with tilesets for the map maker. I suppose BouncyRock could be in charge of the in-game assets, but they don't have customization options (yet) for the minis and props. Those 'skins' would also be in any putative cash shop.

What they ought to do is also partner with someone like heroforge so that you can get a 3d mini printed from the virtual mini in the VTT.

That way a player can have their figure no matter what kind of table they play on. or just to have a collectable physical version of their character.

I can see many $$$ flowing their way if they could make such a thing a reality...