D&D 5E (2014) Signs & Portents (that we can read into) about the ETA of 5E

[Blackwarder]

Doubtful for two big reasons.

1) Boxed sets are hard to sell at an affordable price. Paizo sells theirs for $50 and had to do sneaky things to turn a profit.
If WotC does boxed sets again they will likely be flimsy things like Gardmore Abby and Gloomwrought.
2) Boxed sets take a year to get from the printer in sellable numbers. Streamlining things and a small print run might get that down to eight months. The game still wasn't ready back in last May. We're not likely to see boxed sets prior to 2015.

Hush you, don't try confusing me with facts.

Warder

 

[Plaguescarred]

Plague, what's your source for that info?

Greg Blisland announced it during the 25 Hours of Dungeons & Dragons! Extra Life Marathon event.

 

[Weather Report]

I'm thinking August next year (3rd and 4th ed were both released in August, right?), I think a 2015 release would be a form of suicide.

 

[Tortoise]

My guess would be a basic boxed set around May or June, then the grand release of full hardbound 5e at Gencon.

I feel that missing out on the marketing value of the 40th anniversary would be a mistake.

 

[Weather Report]

My guess would be a basic boxed set around May or June, then the grand release of full hardbound 5e at Gencon.

I feel that missing out on the marketing value of the 40th anniversary would be a mistake.

And the drift factor, people waiting around until 2015, they might forget, and have moved on completely (as many already have...).

They will need to crap or get off the pot eventually.

 

[fjw70]

I'm thinking August next year (3rd and 4th ed were both released in August, right?), I think a 2015 release would be a form of suicide.

4e was released in May/June.

 

[Tortoise]

And the drift factor, people waiting around until 2015, they might forget, and have moved on completely (as many already have...).

They will need to crap or get off the pot eventually.

You may well be right. I am sure WotC was seeing that as well.

Even if not boxed, at least a softcover set of the basic rules which are likely almost complete, could be sufficient to hold people until the full game releases.

 

[Weather Report]

4e was released in May/June.

Really, I recall August in the UK, I guess another "groundbreaker"!

 

[Weather Report]

You may well be right. I am sure WotC was seeing that as well.

Even if not boxed, at least a softcover set of the basic rules which are likely almost complete, could be sufficient to hold people until the full game releases.

Yeah, see, I don't like the word "almost"...

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I sincerely hope they do not rush it. I realize that what we've seen in the packets is only a portion of what they have created, but I also realize that they heavily revise it every time they give us a chance to test it. With internal testing ongoing, there should be continued revisions to any addition parts of the game, as well are serious refinement action going into the most recent packet.

I cannot possibly see it being done right before GenCon, and I hope they take until the end of 2014 to finish it properly.

I think the Basic Set has to come out shortly before the Standard books--it cannot come out too far in advance. The reason is that it is supposed to follow the exact same rules, just using a minimalist version of them. The classes for instance, will each have a baked in subclass--that is the same as a subclass in the standard rules. Ie, the warrior subclass will be the only fighter option, the thief will be the rogue, etc. The races will also need to be the same as the standard version. If they put out the basic set before they have completely refined the rules for the standard game, there will be discrepancies, and that will be bad.