Sage Advice - multiclassing

[Kaodi]

I think the bigger question I have is whether I am misremembering about them saying that there would be rules for retraining in the PHB or DMG. For instance, if Bob the Fighter put a bunch of his feats into wizard, but decides he wants to be Bob the Wizard, perhaps with retraining he could turn out to be a Wizard with fighter feats...

 

[Ander00]

I like the idea of answering such questions in the form of small videos but I'd say the ones we're actually seeing are pretty much worthless.

I can't see those videos doing more good than harm, the way they are posted without even a disclaimer about them having been shot quite a while ago. If people come expecting something new and hear some variation of "We still haven't decided on how to do this yet so I can't really comment on that" as the answer to a different question every day, at this point in time, that probably isn't very reassuring.


cheers

 

[Lizard]

Why bother with video?

Can I ask for the point of having a video instead of a simple text answer? What is gained by having two paragraphs or so spoken by a talking head in front of a wall of books? (What is LOST is time, as I can read far faster than someone can speak. Also utility, as text can be cut&pasted for message boards. And even more time, since downloading video takes longer than text.)

What is the benefit which outweighs these losses?

 

[Traycor]

To be honest, I can't see the value of having whizzy video answers to questions which were recorded so long ago that they can't give current answers (or in some case any answers) to the questions.

I don't like to nay-say, but in all honesty, WotC is starting to make me very worried that DDI will not be able to provide a steady stream of content to make its subscription worth while.

And even if they improve what they are putting out, will the content go sour again every time they have a major release going out? I seriously doubt the subcription price will go down during lean months.

 

[Ander00]

I should add that I like the idea of the videos in addition to having the full answer in text form. If I'd have to choose between one of the two, I'd pick the text.


cheers

 

[Xyl]

How do you typeset, layout, and edit something that hasn't be written yet? I think it would be especially hard to do the layout if you don't know what the rules are going to be: how long are they? Actually, typesetting and editing would be impossible without the actual text of the actual rules.

They typeset and edit a draft. When the designers make changes, the typesetters and editors just have to redo a page or two. There are limits on how much the designers can modify, but nothing is fixed in stone.

 

[StarFyre]

hmmm

Kaodi - no, I believe you heard correctly.... They did say something about retraining similiar to stuff in PHB2...

Sanjay

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This may be heresy, but I sort of hope they drop multiclassing as the primary means of mixing classes. I much prefer the previously described class feat trees. Want to multiclass as a fighter/wizard, but not suck as a wizard? Grab a series of fighter feats that unlock progressively better fighter abilities.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Chris Perkins says, in the video, about the mechanics "they're still in heavy playtesting phase and do still need more work". I thought the PHB was done and out the door to the printers. Is there still time to change rules in the PHB (assuming multiclass rules appear in the PHB)? Or was the video made before the PHB went out?

They better not be. They should playtest 'til March, or (better yet) "'til it's done". (I think books are ready for printing two months before the release date.)

 

[Zaruthustran]

Can I ask for the point of having a video instead of a simple text answer?

What is the benefit which outweighs these losses?

Video content is harder to reproduce on external sites like ENworld. The point of the video posts is: "have something unique to Gleemax, so people have to come to Gleemax if they want to see it."

It's all about driving traffic. Secondary benefit is that the video ads put a human face to WotC, making the relationship between content producer and content consumer more intimate.

Why would he sent the material to the printers in January for a June product release?

Well typesetting takes a while, especially since typeset proofs have to be reviewed and corrected (some errors aren't apparent until you hold the object in your hands). And then there are those last-minute changes to the text, which require re-typesetting. But the big time delay is shipping:

Most non-time-sensitive printed material sold in the US is produced in China. If it's not a magazine or newspaper, it's likely printed and bound somewhere overseas and put on a slow boat to the US. Freighters are HUGE and they don't leave until they're full, so any shipment will be delayed until the freighter is filled. Once filled it has to physically travel across the Pacific, wait for a berth, be vetted by Customs, be unloaded, be found by the shipping company, be broken out and loaded onto trucks or trains, and then be sent to distribution. From distribution it has to be loaded and sent to retail.

That whole process, if well-managed, takes 2-3 months*.

Yeah, June is 6 months away. But remember that we've only heard a rumor that the PHB has been sent to typesetting. We haven't heard anything about the state of the DMG or MM. All three books are supposed to come out on the same day. It makes sense to send the one completed book, and have the printer work on that while the devs polish up the DMG and MM.

So that's why it'd make sense to send the PHB material to typesetting in January even though it's not due to come out until June.

-z

* You can rush the process (bump to priority placement on an almost-full freighter, go air freight, or even print in the US) but it's ridiculously expensive. The new PHB is not the new Harry Potter.