Target Demographic?

[marune]

It's almost as if it's geared towards people who like fun.

Good answer !

I never understood the "In 2E we played wizards with 1 spell per day, like real wizards should be and we don't cried like babies".

 

[Celebrim]

Video game developers.

4E changes were predicated on the assumption that the vast majority of profit in the RPG market of the future would be in CRPGs, and MMORPGs in particular. To reach that market, they had to come up with a system that wasn't so rigidly turn based and could transition easily and naturally to a real time system. Every aspect of the game will need to take into account the different assuptions of a cRPG. Hense, the game needs finer gradients for more frequent leveling (go from 20-25 levels), it needs resource management that fits the pacing of a video game, it needs simplified monsters with highly cinematic trigger/response abilities, and so forth.

I can't really blame them for that. They are probably right on all counts, but I don't expect to be playing thier game in either its paper or computer form.

 

[F4NBOY]

I never understood the "In 2E we played wizards with 1 spell per day, like real wizards should be and we don't cried like babies".

Neither do I. And I hope I never do!

So I'm outside of it then...

Time to start sitting on a park bench feeding the pigeons then I suppose.

Let's play some chess in the park?
Look at the babes and talk about the good old times...

it seem like the new game is geared more towards instant gratification and cry-babies

If you think that about 4E so far, you REALLY should stay like a 100 paces away from Star Wars Saga Edition.

I disagree with you about 4E, but regarding SWSE, it looks like the game plays by itself sometimes...

 

[Mephistopheles]

At this point I'm trying to hold the marketing at arms length while waiting for more solid details about what they're really doing to the game. Once we have more specifics than speculation I'll decide whether or not I like it regardless of who they might think they're designing it for.

 

[Moggthegob]

Not gnome lovers apparentally. If gnome doesn ot appear in the PHB I will not play thre game. I dont care if it appearsi na splat book immediatley afterward. All those core-only games will have me unable to play my beloved gnomes.
Plus,if dnd becomes a crpg in stlye in my mind it ceases being D&D. I feel tha to be a grave mistake and I will just giveup on wizards
Plus come on man tieflings and aasimirs inthe PHB. Cross my gygax and hope to die I hope I never live to see the day where tiefling is a standard party member and gnome is not.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I think this is a very interesting question as what WOTC sees as the target demographic will have a strong influence on what kind of game system 4E is. If they aim too low, I will not be very interested, and frankly, I do not think they can aim too high for me. Unless they require advanced math to run a combat, in which case I might not be able to keep up.

I see them aiming low, probably lower than I want them to. Probably going for the 14-22 market, with a nod for the older crowd of 22-40 or so. To me 3.5 was aimed pretty high and every next book that came out had the effect of pushing the target audience up a few months. So by now the audience of 3.5 is pretty high. It is a very complicated game. And very expensive if you want to get most or all of the books whether core, core plus completes or moving into a campaign setting that has book lines devoted to you (not looking at you Greyhawk)

I'll be interested to see how this turn s out.

 

[F4NBOY]

I feel tha to be a grave mistake

Doesn't that happen when they bury you in the wrong hole?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm not saying that wizards doesn't get any money from people under 18, people over 49 or women. But comparitively, most of their income probably comes from that demographic.

Don't underestimate today's kids. They're a HUGE audience of consumers.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

it seem like the new game is geared more towards instant gratification and cry-babies, especially with remarks about wanting characters to be able to do something every round in combat and have more abilites so they dont run out as fast.

I prefer the old days, where you started as a level 1 commoner and you DIED as a level 1 commoner. With dysentery.

 

[Pale]

Video game developers.

4E changes were predicated on the assumption that the vast majority of profit in the RPG market of the future would be in CRPGs, and MMORPGs in particular. To reach that market, they had to come up with a system that wasn't so rigidly turn based and could transition easily and naturally to a real time system. Every aspect of the game will need to take into account the different assuptions of a cRPG. Hense, the game needs finer gradients for more frequent leveling (go from 20-25 levels), it needs resource management that fits the pacing of a video game, it needs simplified monsters with highly cinematic trigger/response abilities, and so forth.

I can't really blame them for that. They are probably right on all counts, but I don't expect to be playing thier game in either its paper or computer form.

That's a pretty valid point. I wonder just how easy 4E will be to convert into an MMO?

DISCLAIMER: This is pure speculation meant without malice. Certain people may lay down their flamethrowers now and back aways slowly.