The 3.5 renaissance!

[Mournblade94]

I doubt this. OD&D, BD&D, 1e and 2e all still have players, even through none we're open. The release of 5e will create a new generation of grognards who think that 4e was the last true edition of D&D.

It just won't matter by the time 5e comes out. 4e has deviated far enough. 5e will probably be a full blown board game... probably with cards instead of dice, like candyland.

 

[CleverNickName]

I agree with what others have said: it is a good time to be a gamer.

If you play 4E, the world is your oyster: the game has a large and healthy fan base, and plenty of new resources are being developed from Wizards of the Coast and several big-name third-party publishers. AND, through DDI, you have a nearly constant stream of new material coming right you your game table for a monthly fee.

If you play 3.x, the world is your oyster: the game has a large and healthy fan base, and plenty of new resources are being developed from Paizo and several other big-name third-party publishers. While not as convenient as DDI, you can easily find new material in online forums and fansites (like this one) all over the Web. AND, thanks to the new edition's release, you can typically find all of the core rulebooks for about half their cover price at used bookstores everywhere.

So no matter which edition you like, you totally win.

 

[DandD]

Threadcrapping is a great way to get suspended. ~ Piratecat

 

[Storminator]

I wonder why people are so fanatical about sticking to one edition. I'm talking about 90% of you here. I'll play basic, 1st AD&D, 2nd AD&D, 3.0, 3.5, 4e....I seriously don't give a damn. Why people are so attracted to mechanics and not the adventure and fun of sitting around the table....Bargle's my mind.

I used to play 1e (missed 2e...) a LOT. We loved it. But it's arbitrary and bizarre mechanics annoy me no end now. How I love the unified d20 era of 3.x! I can't ever see myself going back to 1e.

But 3.x, with it's unstable game balance and it's unnecessary complexity grew unacceptable as well. How I love this simplified, unified era of 4e! I can't ever see myself going back to 3e.

IMO, every version of D&D is clearly superior to the one before it. Why go back?

PS

 

[DaveMage]

So no matter which edition you like, you totally win.

Exactly!

 

[Kerrick]

For a while, it really seemed like 3.5 was in its death throes after the advent of 4E. We saw a lot of companies, large and small, that had put out great 3.5 material migrate away, instead dedicating themselves to 4E material, or to other systems that they'd grown more invested in. It really seemed like the 3.5 market was finished.

I wouldn't call it a "renaissance" so much as a "resurgence". True, the 3.5 market took a serious downturn, but I think now that it was due to several factors: People moving to 4E to check it out (for whatever reason); the end of the STL; and the end of support for 3.5 (which led many publishers to stop putting out material for 3.5 in anticipation of possibly moving to 4E). Now that the GSL has been more or less finalized and publishers have made up their minds about their positions regarding it one way or the other, we're seeing more material coming from those who have chosen to stay with the OGL.

And those are just some of the bigger names still putting out material for 3.5.

Don't forget about all the little guys who are doing free stuff, too. Several folks like Raven Crowking and myself are doing complete revisions that are available for free and are OGC.

That's just a sampling of some of the great stuff that's out now or is going to be released soon, and I think they're some of the most exciting products that 3.5 has seen in years. I'm really jazzed about the future of 3.5, and I can't wait to see what's next!

In a way, 4E is the best thing that's happened to 3.5. Now that WotC is no longer putting out new material that constantly invalidates what's already out there, 3PPs like Paizo can create their own systems and support them without worrying about some new WotC supplement overriding it or presenting some new broken thing that will never work with the altered system.

 

[cangrejoide]

Now that WotC is no longer putting out new material that constantly invalidates what's already out there, 3PPs like Paizo can create their own systems and support them without worrying about some new WotC supplement overriding it or presenting some new broken thing that will never work with the altered system.

Or you know they now have to worry about licensed 3pp ( or would that be 4pp?) or presenting some new broken thing that will never work with the altered system.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

When you have 22 full-time employees, it's all about the money.

I'm not saying it's not about the money.

I'm saying you're crazy if you think they wouldn't have made more money riding the coat-tails of an open 4e, altered to suit their (and their customers') style preferences.

 

[Jack99]

I'm not saying it's not about the money.

I'm saying you're crazy if you think they wouldn't have made more money riding the coat-tails of an open 4e, altered to suit their (and their customers') style preferences.

It's not about style or preferences. When WotC left 3.5 behind, there was a good deal of players who had no desire to switch. Some were buying Pathfinder AP's, but my guess is that most were not. Now, those left behind by WotC do not have much choice. If they want new (more) material of a certain quality, they more or less only have 1 place to go, and that is Paizo. I am not saying that other 3PP producers aren't good, because obviously, there are other good ones out there, but none of them put out material in a consistent way.

Anyway, to sum it up. My theory is that the very smart people over at Paizo figured that it is better to have a much smaller audience and instead get 100% (or at least much much closer to that number) of their gaming dollar, than having a huge audience but only get a very, very small amount of their gaming dollar, if any. Because let's face it, most gamers have a finite amount of money they can/want spend on books per month, and most of them will buy the original brand first. The OGL made possible that Paizo could become the "brand" that all those who play 3.5 will buy from now on. Even with a 4e OGL, it would still be more profitable to stay behind.

Or maybe you are right, I am crazy as hell. Anyway, who cares about the what if's and why's. We all have support for our preferred edition. What more can we ask for?

Cheers

 

[Aus_Snow]

Nick Logue's Sinister Adventures may be a bit behind schedule, but he's still got some great new adventures and sourcebooks in the works.

Sinister Adventures' stuff is definitely worth getting, IME. I'm (still) looking forward to their Dark Horizons line - in particular, Cold Black.

Another product of note that (AFAICS) hasn't already been mentioned in this thread - or much in general for a while - is Legends and Labyrinths. Justin Alexander is, from what I've noticed over the years, a mighty fine designer, so I'm quite optimistic regarding this system-to-be. I just hope he gets better soon, regardless of my wanting to check out the system in question.

It is most certainly a great time to be a DM or player of 3e, or for that matter d20/OGL games in general (like M&M, for example). New stuff coming out, things being reprinted or revised, ongoing support and plenty of interest. Needless to say, I suppose, Pathfinder is going to prove a major player in this section of the industry. With Necromancer Games' support, no less! Others' too, don't get me wrong, but even their name alone would lend a goodly amount of added weight, IMO.

A great year for gaming, however the global economic situation turns out, in my humble opinion.