The Book of Experimental Might: Now in Print!

[Kae'Yoss]

Now, I love Monte (just bought MCWoD), but should he publish more RPG material, I'd much rather he wait for 4e and support that. E.g., I'd much rather see a 4e update of all the AE material than any more 3.x supplements.

That wouldn't be AE, then. AE was an alternative to D&D 3e's rules. So any AE updates should be an alternative to D&D 4e's rules.

And I guess he would not buy 4e wholesale, but rather take only the stuff he likes, and keep stuff from 3e he likes (and throw in his own ideas, of course). In other words: 3.75e!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

And then they could both go out of business.

They don't have to outsell 4e. They'd just have to reach all the people Wizards managed to piss off. I think it quite possible that they could pull it off.

 

[Klaus]

And then they could both go out of business.

We have to wait til 4e comes out to see what the market will look like. There might be some (small) future to catering to the 3.5 crowd.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And I guess he would not buy 4e wholesale, but rather take only the stuff he likes, and keep stuff from 3e he likes (and throw in his own ideas, of course). In other words: 3.75e!

Why would you guess that? Most game designers love checking out rulesets, and Monte's been a D&D fan forever. (And is probably on the comp list from WotC as well.)

 

[Tetsubo]

They don't have to outsell 4e. They'd just have to reach all the people Wizards managed to piss off. I think it quite possible that they could pull it off.

Bingo.

I think that Wizards has alienated quite a few of its core consumers... not a good business model...

 

[buzz]

That wouldn't be AE, then. AE was an alternative to D&D 3e's rules. So any AE updates should be an alternative to D&D 4e's rules.

And I guess he would not buy 4e wholesale, but rather take only the stuff he likes, and keep stuff from 3e he likes (and throw in his own ideas, of course). In other words: 3.75e!

Part of both AU/AE and IH's appeal, as far as I understand, is that they are largely plug-and-play with the main body of D&D product. I have to imagine that not keeping these games abreast of the current state of D&D will possibly hurt their sales.

 

[buzz]

I think that Wizards has alienated quite a few of its core consumers... not a good business model...

I think it's a vocal minority that isn't large enough to sustain yet another D&D-like FRPG. If a company wants to cater to them at all, they're better off supporting the existing 3.5 ruleset than creating something new that may also alienate these same people, fracturing their consumer base even more.

I don't think either option will prove anywhere near as profitable as targeting 4e. Choosing to not support 4e at all is, IMO, suicide.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The fanboy half of my head says, "Yes", because it would keep Monte in the industry.

The reasonable half of my head says, "Nah".

The fanboy 90% of my head says: "Yes, but on the other hand, if his books are as enjoyable as his games, I want him to finish his novels!". The reasonable 10 % of my head say "when would you be able to play all the games/read all the books anyway?"

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think it's a vocal minority that isn't large enough to sustain yet another D&D-like FRPG. If a company wants to cater to them at all, they're better off supporting the existing 3.5 ruleset than creating something new that may also alienate these same people, fracturing their consumer base even more.

I don't think either option will prove anywhere near as profitable as targeting 4e. Choosing to not support 4e at all is, IMO, suicide.

Well, maybe us 4e fanboys are wrong and it tanks, and staying with 3.5 will turn out as a wise move. I don't believe that too be likely, but I am only judging from what I heard and (personally) liked so far.

But I agree, if WotC can't pull off 4e, I think it's very doubtful that another company could pull off a 3.75 that will be more successful. At least not in the next two years. And few companies have the resources to create a new edition and pull out supplements that can finance the new edition at the same time.

 

[cougent]

Interesting.

In 4thed, we have been told:

charecter level=power level

And that this will apply to spells, so there will be spells up to level 30.

There has been at least one thread on the 4thed forum on how Monte had been thinking about/doing something similar.

NOW, he migth publish his own version of this, even with 4th ed coming out. And he is running a home campaing with a bunch of other mechanics which have a 4thish feel. And he could also do something based on those...

"Monte Cook Presents: 3.75"

?

Your not thinking like a marketing guy, you don't go behind the other guy, you go in front...

Arcana Evolved 4.1 or maybe Arcana Evolved 2008 or even Arcana Unearthed, Evolved, and Transformed