D&D 5E Should I bother to subscribe to DDI if 5e is coming?

[Morrus]

Were you not the one that stated that you had it from an "inside source" that there was going to be an announcement at Gencon about 5e?

Just so we know which side of the fence you are riding.

I'm pro speculation. I think it's an important part of conversation.

 

[Obryn]

For what little it's worth, I expect 4e to enter the "Mearls Transitional Stage" in about a year - you know, much like how Mearls shook up 3.5 when he joined the team, with books piloting 4e mechanics (PHB2, Bo9S, Complete Mage, Complete Champion, etc.)

Whether this will herald a 5e, or a separate branch of 4e, remains to be seen.

I've said all along, "They are not making a new edition until they start hiring." If you hire someone as high-profile as Monte Cook, you're cooking up something big. I don't know what - other than a new edition or major branching of the 4e core - that could indicate.

However, I'm a happy 4e player and subscriber. I don't care what will come out in a few years - I'm running a game now, and loving 4e, and DDI is very much worth the money.

-O

 

[zoroaster100]

Reading the arguments on this thread now have me leaning towards subscribing anyway, for the current value to the game. Though I will be very upset if 5e comes out and WOTC deletes access to the 4e online tools before I finish the campaign I'm hoping to start up soon.

 

[Jack99]

I'm pro speculation. I think it's an important part of conversation.

Hah!

You mean you are pro-speculation, it's an important part of getting people to come to and use your web-site?

 

[Jan van Leyden]

No, but I was thinking of starting up a group again, as DM, and I don't want to invest a lot of time and energy into learning the new tools and loading characters and monsters into the tools to run a 4e campaign only to find out half way through the campaign that the tools will be yanked from me because WOTC decides to put out a new edition.

So the first question would be how long do you expect your campaign to run? If it's more than, say, two years, reliance on an online service can be a risk. But note that, even if WotC pulls the plug of DDI 4e, you can still use all the 4e material. Dungeon and Dragon can be downloaded for good, files generated with the Character Builder of the Monster Builder can be processed with a variety of free tools.

The thing you would lose - and it'd a big loss! - would be the Compendium with its access to the rules.

The other question, whether WotC really pulls the plug or lets the 4e support continue, is open to speculation. I can only say that if they stop supporting 4e with an upcoming edition changed, WotC will officially remove me from their customer list.

I'm all for cool support for a game and have no objections against the subscription model, but I don't want anyone to tell me when I have to switch systems or end a campaign.

 

[Grabuto138]

For what little it's worth, I expect 4e to enter the "Mearls Transitional Stage" in about a year - you know, much like how Mearls shook up 3.5 when he joined the team, with books piloting 4e mechanics (PHB2, Bo9S, Complete Mage, Complete Champion, etc.)

Whether this will herald a 5e, or a separate branch of 4e, remains to be seen.

I've said all along, "They are not making a new edition until they start hiring." If you hire someone as high-profile as Monte Cook, you're cooking up something big. I don't know what - other than a new edition or major branching of the 4e core - that could indicate.

However, I'm a happy 4e player and subscriber. I don't care what will come out in a few years - I'm running a game now, and loving 4e, and DDI is very much worth the money.

-O

"High-profile" maybe, but I doubt he is being paid more than a sales manager at mid-sized, regional, corporation. (Probably a fair bit less.) Enough money to have to make a case at corporate but not enough money that corporate actually pay attention. I am not sure if the italized "big" is called for.

 

[Morrus]

Hah!

You mean you are pro-speculation, it's an important part of getting people to come to and use your web-site?

This place has always been a hub of speculation, going back to before 3E was released. It's one if its charms and a large part of what the site was originally designed to do.

I think it's fun when there's meaty stuff to speculate about. We go long periods when there isn't so much of that; I enjoyed the run-up to 3E (although Eric was doing it then), 4E, and expect to enjoy the run-up to 5E, too - whether that's now or not.

It all starts with speculation. And then small snippets of solid info start coming through. And then more comes through and we start to build a picture up. It's fun.

Right now the speculation is at the very early stage of "is 5E even being worked on?", which is the nebulous beginning. People posit their theories on why they think it is, or why they think it isn't, and as long as it remains civil it's all good.

And - most importantly - it's great that people care enough to speculate. I imagine that WotC would be disappointed if nobody speculated over what they're doing any more!

 

[Scribble]

I don't mind speculation- it can be fun... But the anger and fighting and general negativity that seems to be arm in arm with it lately bums me out.