Rule-of-Three: 12/19/2011

[Lindeloef]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Rule-of-Three: 12/19/2011)

Some interesting questions and answers that shed some light behind the scenes

 

[Balesir]

I think I'm really going to miss Rich Baker doing these RoT columns. Yet again some answers that seem honest, strightforward and to give real insight into the outlook of the design team. A real breath of fresh air - and then they "let go" the guy responsible...

 

[Nikosandros]

It would be really cool to see those formulas for balancing powers and classes that Rich mentions.

 

[I'm A Banana]

it would be really cool to see those formulas for balancing powers and classes that rich mentions.

santa, i want this for christmas.

 

[Nyronus]

Wait, their letting Rich Baker go?

What the flip?

 

[Incenjucar]

Wait, their letting Rich Baker go?

What the flip?

http://www.enworld.org/forum/news/315187-wizards-coasts-annual-xmas-layoffs.html

I fear it's something we have to get used to until D&D gains some measure of cultural force that isn't hidden behind the more lucrative franchises it inspires.

 

[Riastlin]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/news/315187-wizards-coasts-annual-xmas-layoffs.html

I fear it's something we have to get used to until D&D gains some measure of cultural force that isn't hidden behind the more lucrative franchises it inspires.

Even more sad though is that I wouldn't be surprised if a large part of it has to do with the surplus of freelancers and "wannabe" designers out there. I say wannabe not to imply they are not good, just that they haven't got their foot in the door yet. I reckon it was no coincidence that two of those who were let go were long time employees. Pretty much anyone who's been there 20 years is going to cost the company more (in terms of compensation) than a newbie off the street. In fact, the problem might almost get worse if D&D does really well. "People are buying our product regardless, so why spend more than we have to?"

The part that I find really bad in all of this though is that they always do it right before Christmas. I'm sure there's some economic reasoning behind it (whether its merely avoiding Christmas bonuses or a fiscal year, etc.) but to me, it just really sucks to fire somebody right before Christmas for anything other than "for cause".

 

[Plane Sailing]

It would be really cool to see those formulas for balancing powers and classes that Rich mentions.

I would bet that they didn't have them when the released 4e - the initial pub had far too many Whaaa? Moments in their powers. Even now, I don't think they have any way of costing damage die vs stun vs push vs slide vs daze vs save ends vs one round vs etc.

I'm not surprised to read about the way which they did play testing - which was severely flawed in my mind. Unlike the far more open playtesting which went on with 3e, they wanted to just ask specific questions for specific answers - which limited the play testers ability to let them know about problem areas beyond the questions asked.

In software testing you want scripted tests to check they essential functionality for sure, but you also need exploratory testing, where experienced testers push the boundaries and attempt to break things. It seems to me that the 4e designers and developers missed out on that. Perhaps not entirely, but missed to a greater extent than before.

I also find it telling that the designers appear to have concentrated on what they thought might be good for the game on a psychological basis, without considering strongly enough that thirty years of history suggested that people liked the traditional D&D way of running classes. Hubris might be too strong a word, but the combination of design and marketing decisions did no favours to the maintainance of their fan base!