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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 5432876" data-attributes="member: 7635">NOTICE: This is not a commentary on 4e or its rules, merely on how the rules were dolled out. When 4e came out, a new system of content distribution was discussed. Previously, D&D was released in three books (or five box sets,  but lets leave them out for a minute) and a metric ton of supplements. 4e promised a new system; core books every year, player supplements to grant new powers and such, DM books focused on a theme or monster, and a setting divided into DM and player's guides and a module. They had the first two years planned and it showed: PHB, DMG, and MM1 were followed by the Adventurer's Vault, Martial Power, and the Forgotten Realms Trilogy. A few DM guides focusing on undead and dragons rounded out the first releases. The second came and went on the same schedule: Another round of core books, more Power books for Divine, Arcane and Primals, another AV, Eberron Trilogy, DM guides to the Planes, and another Dragon Book.However, something went off the rails in year three. Sure, PHB3 came out, as did MM3, but DMG3 was nowhere to be seen. Psionic Power came, but soon the announcement that the further powersystems (ki, elemental, and shadow) were shelved for now. AV3 was renamed Mordenkainen's Magical Emporium with greater emphasis on story-elements to there magic items. Martial Power 2 came, which most thought would usher in a second round of the other Power books. Lastly, Dark Sun broke the Trilogy model by replacing the rather-crappy module with the much more useful Monster book. Then, it stopped...Essentials came out, hogging the last quarter of '10. It re-released the PHB (as two player books), the DMG (as a boxset) and the MM (ditto) along with a core rulebook. '11 has seen a further shift from the 08/09 model; there will be PHB/DMG/MM4, no AP/DP/PP/PsP 2s, no AV3 (as MME was canceled), the Shadow classes will appear in a supplement, not in a PHB with a Shadow Power augment book, no campaign setting (as Ravenloft appears geared toward the Gamma World model of self-contained game rather than D&D expansion.) DM supplements remain thin (the Shadowfell boxset is all that appears) and the next Monster book does not appear to be MM but another MV. After two years, the 4e model of content distribution went off the tracks. We can speculate why. Supplement treadmill? Lack of sales? Lack of ideas? We don't know. It doesn't even appear WotC knows: Threats of the Nentir Vale will be a Essential-like boxset, while the Shadow books has moves from softcover "essential" form to traditional hardcover. WotC probably saw diminishing returns on PHB3 and MP2 (among others) and opted for a new content method; problem is they don't know what that is yet...And that doesn't EVEN begin to address the content issues in DDi!I don't know if/when the next edition of D&D will come, but I am sure of one thing; it will NOT feature a book titled "Players Handbook 3" in it...</blockquote>

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