Which is a really great reason to move beyond physical books.
If you ever want to see an end to the edition treadmill, this is the only way that happens.
This doesn't end the edition treadmill, it just turns the speed up a notch.
Which is a really great reason to move beyond physical books.
If you ever want to see an end to the edition treadmill, this is the only way that happens.
This doesn't end the edition treadmill, it just turns the speed up a notch.
Nonsense.
People dislike the edition treadmill because it forces them to choose between making all of their prior purchases obsolete and being able to make use of new releases.
The living model avoids this dilemma - the game updates automatically, new releases are always compatible with older releases (because the older releases always use the most up-to-date rules), and nothing becomes obsolete. . . .
So WotC will reach into the .PDF file on my laptop and replace it with the newest version, even if I explicitly ask them not to? What if I print out a character sheet?
Why would everyone else be at 1.1? The system should push updates automatically.
Besides, that sure as hell isn't any more complex than the idea of house rules, which we've been dealing with fine for decades now.
Then why not get on board with the living game idea? The game gets improvements when it needs them - big or small - but never too fast or too large to manage, changes can be broadcast well in advance, and you structure the game line as a service rather than a set of products.
So WotC will reach into the .PDF file on my laptop and replace it with the newest version, even if I explicitly ask them not to? What if I print out a character sheet?
Nonsense.
People dislike the edition treadmill because it forces them to choose between making all of their prior purchases obsolete and being able to make use of new releases.
Not to raise the hackles of the anti-MMORPG crowd, but look at games like EVE Online and World of Warcraft. Both have been around for about a decade now, and neither is showing any signs of being abandoned. Both have received incredible amounts of retroactive attention. EVE has seen multiple huge graphical updates in addition to its content expansions to keep it looking fresh. World of Warcraft went through an entire core continent redesign to bring level 1-60 content in-line with the quality/look of post-60 content. Someone who bought into World of Warcraft in 2005 can be running the same character, with no interruption of continuity, in 2015. Some EVE corps that existed in 2004 still exist today. At no point was anyone's game rendered obsolete.
Nonsense.
People dislike the edition treadmill because it forces them to choose between making all of their prior purchases obsolete and being able to make use of new releases.
The living model avoids this dilemma - the game updates automatically, new releases are always compatible with older releases (because the older releases always use the most up-to-date rules), and nothing becomes obsolete.
Granted, this model may end up untenable after a couple of decades as the prospect of retroactively updating content becomes too daunting, but that's a damn sight better than five years.
Not to raise the hackles of the anti-MMORPG crowd, but look at games like EVE Online and World of Warcraft. Both have been around for about a decade now, and neither is showing any signs of being abandoned. Both have received incredible amounts of retroactive attention. EVE has seen multiple huge graphical updates in addition to its content expansions to keep it looking fresh. World of Warcraft went through an entire core continent redesign to bring level 1-60 content in-line with the quality/look of post-60 content. Someone who bought into World of Warcraft in 2005 can be running the same character, with no interruption of continuity, in 2015. Some EVE corps that existed in 2004 still exist today. At no point was anyone's game rendered obsolete.
Taken from Chris Tulach's twitter feed
DMG has more optional stuff for combat. Flanking, using characters as weapons, friendly fire, lingering wounds, etc.