Some interesting news about 4th edition

[runtime]

and this game will be called "D&D 4E: The Deck of Many Things"!

 

[Rasyr]

Precisely. I think you nailed it with "DM is now rules arbiter". Why I long ago grew disillusioned with 3.0/3.5 and why I don't see a M:tG model for 4.0 as an unusual or unexpected thing.

The question is not whether or not you, me, or any other player sees it as such. The question is how to the execs and other big wigs see this idea (IF this rumor is true).

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

The question is not whether or not you, me, or any other player sees it as such. The question is how to the execs and other big wigs see this idea (IF this rumor is true).

Very true, of course. The thing is, I wonder what WotC has to *gain* by integrating the two lines. Although the game seems headed in that direction, I find it hard to believe that the merge will instantly strengthen both lines. Someone earlier in this thread mentioned that D&D is the shrimp and M:tG is the 800-lb. gorilla (I'm paraphrasing, mind you ) and that's certainly true. Which makes a merge even more questionable. Why does M:tG need D&D, is one way to think about it.

OTOH, D&D 3/3.5 fanboys have certainly proven that they'll happily shell out hundreds of dollars for virtually anything WotC tells them to buy, including (especially!) *randomly assorted miniatures*. Surely it's not such a huge stretch for WotC to already be designing 4th edition with *increased* randomization, is it?

 

[Cedric]

You know...

To be honest I wouldn't be at all surprised if WoTC took a clue from other very successful marketing efforts from other industries and released rumors like this among their 'hardcore' fan base in order to test reactions.

Let's be honest for a second though.

4th Edition is going to be seen as just a cheap, money making effort unless they do something either revolutionary or VERY evolutionary with D&D.

Cedric

 

[Storyteller01]

Why? Personally, I think it's a fantastic idea, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they implement it. The 800 lb. gorilla of the CCG business and the 800 lb. gorilla of the RPG business . . . combined, should be a stellar product.

I'm interested in seeing if the M:tG integration makes it *mandatory* to use M:tG with D&D 4e, or if it will be more of an "optional" kind of thing.

But still, the idea is a good one.

White Wolf thought the same thing about their Changling line...

 

[Storyteller01]

Mechwarrior: Dark Ages lost a large segment of the Battletech audience (Including me). And Battletech wasnt a roleplaying game. If I need to buy booster packs to find what iI need for my RPG character, I will not play that RPG.

Collectibility is great for companies; its horrible for people who actually want to play the game and dont have the money to throw it away trying to get what they want.

Mild hi-jack...

Fasa isn't running the MechWarrior line anymore. Do you know who is?

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

Let's be honest for a second though.

4th Edition is going to be seen as just a cheap, money making effort unless they do something either revolutionary or VERY evolutionary with D&D.

Before the release of 3.5, I would have agreed with you. But what on earth was 3.5 other than a "cheap money-making effort"? And look how it was gobbled up the faithful, who suddenly found 3.0 "didn't work".

4th edition could come out tomorrow and it would be a HUGE success. Even the vast majority of people on this board who crow on and on about "I won't buy it unless it comes out after 2010, dammit!" are full of crap. That's the power of branding, folks. And it has nothing to do with Gygax and Arneson's vision from 1974. It's modern corporate marketing.

 

[Storyteller01]

Well, with a collectible business model, more players does often equate to more dollars in the long run, and it was what I meant, even though I did not phrase it properly.

Look to WH40K as a model. Prices on models have gone up over time, creating (as I hear anyway) an elitist reputation for that game (only those with cash). As player numbers lowered, Games Workshop took a hit...

 

[Banshee16]

My FLGS owner, who is a close friend of mine, was told by a source at WotC that 4th edition will be integrated with Magic: the Gathering. He was vague on *how* this would be done, as 4th edition is still very much in the preliminary stages. But the terms "feat cards", "spell cards" and "power boost cards" (?) were used.

Please note: this is NOT just another "4e rumor". I've known this FLGS owner for years now, and his WotC insider friend is a man of honesty and integrity, who was with TSR long before WotC took over.

At any rate, I thought I'd share it here. Personally, I'm looking forward to it already!

I highly doubt this. 3rd rank connection, uncorroborrated source, and highly suspicious/unlikely changes to the game? Getting rid of die rolls, or integrating cards into the game was done several years ago. It was called SAGA, and AFAIK, it flopped, because *many* D&D fans of Dragonlance (myself included) dropped it like a hot potato.

I doubt WotC would be this foolish. And hey, if they are, there are plenty of other companies to become a customer of. That would basically guarantee my leaving WotC in the dust.

Banshee

 

[Herobizkit]

Now, I'm sure I may be in the minority here, but let's think this through...

Personally, I've thought about integrating M:tG cards into my own homebrew. I find the monsters, spells, and artifacts are much more interesting than their current core counterparts. Frankly, I'm bored to tears of core anything, and believe that a M:tG style campaign world et al might be interesting.

Keep this in mind as well: D&D Minis was 'integrated' into core. You can play both separately; many of the rules for 3.5 combat and Minis combat cross over, and the boys at WotC even give you D&D translations to/from the Mini rules.

I think having all the D&D spells on pretty spell cards with pictures, flavour text and effects would be wonderful.

I remember that TSR tried this a long time ago with spell decks and magic item decks, but these were more like index cards than playing cards. Yech!

Such a thing might better suit newer players, as veterans already know what most magic items and spells do. But, if WotC goes 100% with the concept, players and DMs might consider picking up a deck or two, if only so they have a quick reference to said items.

And of course, encouraging players and DMs alike to purcase new and exciting cards to add to their repertoire... well, WotC is a business, after all.