D&D (2024) Next Playtest Packet?

[DEFCON 1]

Heh... considering that if EN World is any indication, people make snap judgements on the playtest packets and dig in their heels on them within like 30 minutes of reading them... so it probably doesn't matter when they release a packet. They already know what they love and hate about the rules immediately upon reading.

 

[Vael]

Yes, but it's been two months, people are dying to give new snap judgments!

 

[Kobold Stew]

Heh... considering that if EN World is any indication, people make snap judgements on the playtest packets and dig in their heels on them within like 30 minutes of reading them... so it probably doesn't matter when they release a packet. They already know what they love and hate about the rules immediately upon reading.

Ain't that the truth.

My sense is that the number of threads engaging with the substance of the playtest packs has diminished with each new release, and that's particularly surprising given the amount of material in the April packet. Quick judgements replace thoughtful engagement with actual play experience, and there has been remarkably little substantive engagement with Playtest 5.

Part of that is fatigue from the process, but I also believe that the community feels that the changes are mostly on track. That's way I was so disappointed with the revelation that the designers are likely backpedalling on ideas that do not instantly get overwhelming support. That release, if nothing else, will increase a feeling of disengagement (and, unfortunately, will reward snap judgements).

 

[Kobold Stew]

That said, I am expecting Playtest 6 this coming week.

 

[Amrûnril]

Ain't that the truth.

My sense is that the number of threads engaging with the substance of the playtest packs has diminished with each new release, and that's particularly surprising given the amount of material in the April packet. Quick judgements replace thoughtful engagement with actual play experience, and there has been remarkably little substantive engagement with Playtest 5.

Part of that is fatigue from the process, but I also believe that the community feels that the changes are mostly on track. That's way I was so disappointed with the revelation that the designers are likely backpedalling on ideas that do not instantly get overwhelming support. That release, if nothing else, will increase a feeling of disengagement (and, unfortunately, will reward snap judgements).

Fatigue is definitely an issue. In the forum community at least, I think smaller, but more frequent playtests would have inspired more focused, productive discussions, but either way, the May 2023 content was unlikely to generate as much excitement as the August 2022 content.

I'd argue though, that WotC's corporate conduct is even more important to understanding the progression of player engagement with the playtest. The OGL debacle meant that the rules revisions were no longer the most important/engaging D&D news. It caused a huge delay between the second and third playtests, and it soured a lot of players' attitudes towards WotC. No one knows exactly what the playtest and associated discussion would have been like without all this, but I have to imagine them looking quite a bit different.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I thought they were going back to a monthly release schedule after the big "catch-up" packet, and it's already been like, 87 months since then.

Bimonthly is what they said IIRC

 

[MNblockhead]

What do people do onvacation, if not indulge in their hobbies...? The week before a big Holiday seems a perfect time to drop this, so people can digest it at their leisure before WotC starts collecting feedback later next month.

Eh, its a family holiday. Also a time for big outdoor festivals and concerts. I suspect lots of gamers don't game on this holiday unless they are far from family and aren't into whatever outdoor activities are available in their area. I game more during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays than the 4th. All anecdotal of course. Would be interesting to see some solid survey data on gaming during holidays.

 

[MNblockhead]

I mean, forget just reading PDFs, my experience of 4th of July is conducive with busting out some dice and paper and taking rules out forma test. But my family is cool, and that's how we party...?

Anyways, expecting hobbyists to digest the rules in the few weeks after the PDF drops doesn't seem impractical, and coinciding the drop with the team going on vacation makes sense: they won't start collecting feedback for a few weeks, dropping the test and going out of office just fits.

Do you set off fireworks whenever a crit is rolled? Because that would be cool.

Unfortunately, my extended family are not into TTRPGs, nor would the outdoor setting be conducive to it.

 

[MNblockhead]

<sarcasm alert>

Hopefully they drop the new test packet soon. I'm missing the heated posts relitigating the OGL debate and not-so-humble bragging about how the posters moved to X new DnD clone.

 

[Parmandur]

Eh, its a family holiday. Also a time for big outdoor festivals and concerts. I suspect lots of gamers don't game on this holiday unless they are far from family and aren't into whatever outdoor activities are available in their area. I game more during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays than the 4th. All anecdotal of course. Would be interesting to see some solid survey data on gaming during holidays.

My first experience with 5E was actually a 4th of July get together!

My family is...not outdoorsy. And July isn't particularly a more or lessoutdoorsy time than any other in California.