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Message: <blockquote data-quote="innerdude" data-source="post: 6203570" data-attributes="member: 85870">I, on the other hand, am supremely unsurprised at the lack of support, or "buzz" as it were. Most of the 4e fans I see here and elsewhere on the 'Net are very satisfied with their current D&D of choice, since it fills a unique niche in their gaming sphere, something that's not "old school" nor a 3e retread. Hardcore 3e fans are incredibly well served by Paizo, and even those that didn't switch to Pathfinder have the 3.5 premium core books still in print. People wanting simpler, easier to use, or just more unique versions of 3e have more options than you can shake a goblin holding a toad at---True20, Castles and Crusades, Dungeon Crawl Classics, the true "retroclones," "micro" d20 systems, Basic Fantasy Roleplay . . . .D&D Next just isn't carving out a real niche within any of these areas. If anything it seems like it would most appeal to the "old school" crowd that never switched to 3e, and is sick of carrying around their hundred pages of house rules in a binder for 1e / 2e. Or it's for those that stuck with 3e, but want some help in streamlining it without having to go to an actual retroclone. Everyone else seems more than well served by their current situation. Of all the current games in the "D20 Family," there's three entries I really consider "unique" in what they're trying to accomplish. 1) Fantasy Craft is a fantastic rendition of the 3e "core" taken to its most logical conclusion, basically building on everything that works about the core of the system, and then jettisoning everything else around it to create a unique kind of "cinematic" fantasy gameplay.2) Radiance RPG is a fantastic take on using the D&D "skeleton" to fully realize a new kind of gameworld that also discards whatever "sacred cows" are getting in the way. Radiance is the steampunk version of D&D that Eberron SHOULD have been from Day 1. 3) 13th Age, from what I hear, finds a delicate balance between the 4e "chassis" and narrative-style, "theater of the mind" gaming. Based on this description (I haven't checked it out myself yet), it's no surprise that this game has had a highly positive overall reception in the hobby. Honestly, I hope they manage it too, because it will mean good things for the hobby overall; I am just highly skeptical that it's going to be anything truly remarkable.At best it seems to be heading squarely into "A nice rendition of D&D that may or may not be better than what you've already got."At worst it's "The unwanted, unloved release of D&D that had some nice ideas, but really served no one." If it's a game worth playing, the format is almost an afterthought. My current Savage Worlds group is the first group I've played with EVER where every single player had their own physical hard copy of the core rules. For me personally, I think a truncated PHB/DMG hardcover in a single volume should go in a boxed set, with maybe a small, 15-20 page paperback monster supplement with 15 "iconic" monsters to fight would be an ideal starting point, the assumption being that most DMs will have gobs of old monster manuals to easily convert, and the "newbies" will just pick up one or more separate MMs down the road. Throw in an adventure and a set of dice for the boxed set and price it at $49.99 or $59.99. For players who only want the PHB, do a softcover "perfect" binding version for $24.99. Then you have a separate hardcover monster manual, and the successive PHB2, DMG2, etc. hardcovers that introduce more "modules" to the core.The bigger issue than the format for D&D 5e? Educating the consumer who's new to the hobby which of all the current "D&D" books on the shelf they're actually supposed to buy. FLGSes aren't simply going to pull down their 4e stuff and sell it a loss, so it's just going to sit there. The 3e reprints aren't going anywhere soon. There's still a ton of Essentials product flying around. Try being a "first time" D&D shopper and try to figure out what it is exactly you're supposed to buy?If Wizards marketing team is smart, they should be planning RIGHT NOW how to get Next FRONT AND CENTER into retail displays. Every 5e product should have some prominent visual queue to consumers that "This is the 'real D&D,' ignore those older editions in the corner."</blockquote>

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