D&D 4E redacted: WotC to print 4e Gold Limited edition rules, from 2d6 feet in a random direction.

[darjr]

2d6 feet in a random direction, episode 64, besides being a welcome, lately rare, podcast from them talks about a new edition of the 4e rules. At about 25:28 they mention the limited gold edition of 4e from WotC.

Is this old news? It's the first time I've heard of it. If it included all the erratta and contained more of the game than the PHB 1 I might consider buying it for the occasional 4e game, especially to play through the Dark Sun living campaign adventures.
[MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION];

 

[GreyLord]

Kind of interesting comment, eh?

However, if you listen, they are discussing the various reprints. It sounds like the 4e one is more of a sarcastic hyposture of one of the podcasters.

 

[fjw70]

Sounded like a sarcastic comment to me.

 

[darjr]

Well, I'm going to chalk it up to holiday cheer. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[MJS]

I hope 4E does see perennial support. It's dumb to create a game, generate a fanbase, and then abandon it. It does seem WotC have seen the light in this respect.

 

[darjr]

WotC to print 4e Gold Limited edition rules, from 2d6 feet in a random direct...

I think it would be smart.

 

[Mercurius]

I hope 4E does see perennial support. It's dumb to create a game, generate a fanbase, and then abandon it. It does seem WotC have seen the light in this respect.

Does your hope extend to OD&D, Holmes Basic, Moldvay B/X, BECMI, AD&E 1E, AD&D 2E, and 3.XE?

How has this not been the norm for WotC - and any other company, for that matter, that offers a new edition of a game - that they "create a game, generate a fanbase, and then abandon it?"

Is 4E different in this regard in that it deserves perennial support and previous editions don't?

While we're at it, should a company such as WotC not offer new editions and just stick with one version and forever support that?

 

[MJS]

Does your hope extend to OD&D, Holmes Basic, Moldvay B/X, BECMI, AD&E 1E, AD&D 2E, and 3.XE?

How has this not been the norm for WotC - and any other company, for that matter, that offers a new edition of a game - that they "create a game, generate a fanbase, and then abandon it?"

Is 4E different in this regard in that it deserves perennial support and previous editions don't?

While we're at it, should a company such as WotC not offer new editions and just stick with one version and forever support that?

Very few board games and wargames are so slash-and-burn as the RPG industry. I observe things are shifting, though, with WotC and the industry in general.

First, we have what began with the 1E reprints. I severely doubt these premium reprints would have expanded so dramatically had they not been profitable. We also have a large amount of previous editions supported in pdf format.

So, all of official D&D is making money. I think businesspeople in WotC have realized that leaving a whole system to the retro-clone market alone is dumb.

4E, a system which btw I don't like at all, will continue to be played by its fans just as we have ongoing 1E campaigns today. If I owned that system's rights, I would damn well serve those customers with the best material possible even after 5E debuts.

We also have 5E, which is the first attempt to combine new and old. I don't like 5E either, but I support the concept, and want to see it do well. Naturally, the focus will rightly be on the new. But occasional new material for previous editions, especially employing its star designers, would make money. Everybody wins.

Also, look at Gygax magazine, arguably the leading publication of its kind. The philosophy of Gygax magazine is, I believe, the way of the future - wholistic support of the hobby.

Whether WotC does , or is able, to have a legacy edition department, of course I've no idea, but the strength of Pathfinder and the OSR shows a vibrant market for systems they have, until recently, largely abandoned. And regardless of WotC's business sense, I feel sure that THIS is the Golden Age of th RPG, not the 80's or 90's.

Cheers,
MJS

 

[TerraDave]

Does your hope extend to OD&D, Holmes Basic, Moldvay B/X, BECMI, AD&E 1E, AD&D 2E, and 3.XE?

Hmm, I am pretty sure you know that they did do deluxe reprints of OD&D, 1E, 2E and 3.5. And that legal pdfs for all these are available again. They even did a new 1E adventure as part of a wider compilation.

I expect them to do some of this for 4E, at some point. An errated PHB would be great for its fans.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I errated (by colour printing and sticking in the fixes) the three core books a while ago. these were the already a little bit errata'd silver edition books. Took me hours. To errata those books would take a long time. Latter premium edition books have not been errated like the 3.x Magic Item Compendium.. which really really needed it! So the chance of them basically doing a totally new lay out for the 3 core books is pretty slim IMO,