The Official D&D Experience Speculation Thread

[JVisgaitis]

Maybe one of these threads is floating around, but I haven't seen one. Since D&D Experience is the official convention for all things D&D and where all of the "big announcements" are made, what do you expect to be announced? Here's my thoughts:

• 4th Edition - I know, spoken of to death but I think this might be where we finally hear some dirt on 4th Edition. My guess? Released sometime in 2008. And please, let's not turn this into a what's in 4th Edition thread. There are eleventy-billion ones on that.
• The continuation of the OGL and d20 System with 4e, but with some sort of restrictions like a yearly licensing fee.
• Software Support for D&D - I posted on the survey WotC had about software and electronic support a few months ago. I expect this to come to fruition. Especially in light of WotC cancelling the Code Monkey Publishing contract for eTools because of "future product considerations." This will be a good move if done correctly. If they release "MySpace for D&D", the potential could be huge for the hobby and help draw in the MMO crowd.

Here are a couple hopes:

• Non-randomized miniatures for use with D&D that don't come with stat cards. It would be a good way to get miniatures into the hands of the roleplayers. This will never happen, but it would be cool.
• A Character Generator. I don't mean something that does numbers and stat tracking, I mean a piece of software that will allow you to realize the look of your character as a 3D model. They have tons of this in games like Fight Night, City of Heroes, and Oblivion. If they had something like this where players could design the look of their own characters complete with customized items, equipment, armor, etc. that would be totally sweet for not only Players, but DMs as well.
• Some type of D&D movie or TV series. I got the Animated D&D Boxed Set for Christmas and its awesome and makes me yearn for more. If they could either do another animated series or better yet, get Homeland made into a movie that would be cool. As long as the caliber of the show/movie is 100X previous efforts.

There are my ramblings. Anyone else?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

• 4th Edition - I know, spoken of to death but I think this might be where we finally hear some dirt on 4th Edition. My guess? Released sometime in 2008.

I don't think it's terribly unlikely, but I also wouldn't bet the farm on it. I'm firmly ambivalent!

And please, let's not turn this into a what's in 4th Edition thread. There are eleventy-billion ones on that.

When has this plea ever worked?

• Software Support for D&D - I posted on the survey WotC had about software and electronic support a few months ago. I expect this to come to fruition. Especially in light of WotC cancelling the Code Monkey Publishing contract for eTools because of "future product considerations."

Nah, that was all a lead-up to a subscription Web site service, not offline software support.

This will be a good move if done correctly. If they release "MySpace for D&D", the potential could be huge for the hobby and help draw in the MMO crowd.

It won't do diddly with the MMORPG crowd. The Magelos and CTProfiles and the like are a nice-to-have addendum to the play experience, not the actual reason to play the games.

• Non-randomized miniatures for use with D&D that don't come with stat cards. It would be a good way to get miniatures into the hands of the roleplayers. This will never happen, but it would be cool.

Never say never. The D&D basic set comes with a set list of miniatures, so they already are committed to the idea of certain key miniatures being available as a standard starting point. The starter sets for the new Star Wars starship combat game is likewise standardized.

• A Character Generator. I don't mean something that does numbers and stat tracking, I mean a piece of software that will allow you to realize the look of your character as a 3D model. They have tons of this in games like Fight Night, City of Heroes, and Oblivion. If they had something like this where players could design the look of their own characters complete with customized items, equipment, armor, etc. that would be totally sweet for not only Players, but DMs as well.

I can't imagine people paying enough for this to recoup the investment on it.

• Some type of D&D movie or TV series. I got the Animated D&D Boxed Set for Christmas and its awesome and makes me yearn for more. If they could either do another animated series or better yet, get Homeland made into a movie that would be cool.

It's the sort of thing the Sci-Fi Channel would do. Not impossible.

As long as the caliber of the show/movie is 100X previous efforts.

This is even more optimistic than the "please don't turn this into a 4e thread" plea.

Me, I think they're going to announce something totally out of left field that we'll all scratch our heads over for a long time.

 

[caudor]

I hope that some kind of character generator is announced or revealed. Perhaps that explains the silence regarding the issue up to now.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Soel]

• A Character Generator. I don't mean something that does numbers and stat tracking, I mean a piece of software that will allow you to realize the look of your character as a 3D model. They have tons of this in games like Fight Night, City of Heroes, and Oblivion. If they had something like this where players could design the look of their own characters complete with customized items, equipment, armor, etc. that would be totally sweet for not only Players, but DMs as well.
• Some type of D&D movie or TV series. I got the Animated D&D Boxed Set for Christmas and its awesome and makes me yearn for more. If they could either do another animated series or better yet, get Homeland made into a movie that would be cool. As long as the caliber of the show/movie is 100X previous efforts.

I second these hopes. A visual character designer would be super-cool!

 

[Shades of Green]

• The continuation of the OGL and d20 System with 4e, but with some sort of restrictions like a yearly licensing fee.

Won't that defeat the original purpose of the OGL system? This will make independent publication less likely, as the small publisher will have to worry about the added license expense, not to mention making house-rules and other fan publications far more difficult to post.

 

[Thurbane]

• Non-randomized miniatures for use with D&D that don't come with stat cards. It would be a good way to get miniatures into the hands of the roleplayers. This will never happen, but it would be cool.

3 cheers for that!

Oh, to be able to simply go out and buy a pack of official D&D flavour goblins, instead of buying a "booster pack" of 8 weird and wonderful miniatures that will probably never see the light of day at a gaming table...

I suppose you can always allow yourself to be gouged by online or hobby store resellers who break open the packs and sell the individual minis at a tidy profit.

Seriously, if Wizards don't want to upset their precious "collectables" crowd, why not just repackage some of the earlier "commons" by type, with no card, and a stamp different stamp on the base to show it sin't a collectable. Organise packs by theme - orcs, goblins, elves, wizards, rogues, mounted, undead etc etc.

Sadly, I too don't think this will ever happen.

 

[JVisgaitis]

Nah, that was all a lead-up to a subscription Web site service, not offline software support.

Its still software support whether its online or offline.

It won't do diddly with the MMORPG crowd. The Magelos and CTProfiles and the like are a nice-to-have addendum to the play experience, not the actual reason to play the games.

If they release a really cool VOIP virtual tabletop with sponsored tournaments and such, it can definitely bring some people in. I know a lot of people that made the switch on their own. Having an open ended game where you don't have to worry about potato headed people your playing with is definitely a plus.

I can't imagine people paying enough for this to recoup the investment on it.

Who said they have to build it from the ground up? A lot of this exists in current games and they do have a contract with Atari. It wouldn't be hard for them to license that from someone else.

Won't that defeat the original purpose of the OGL system?

It will, but I expect changes to d20 to make it more profitable for WotC.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If they release a really cool VOIP virtual tabletop with sponsored tournaments and such, it can definitely bring some people in. I know a lot of people that made the switch on their own. Having an open ended game where you don't have to worry about potato headed people your playing with is definitely a plus.

I do, too, but WotC putting software out there isn't going to do it. Most folks who play MMORPGs in any sort of serious fashion know all about Teamspeak and Ventrillo. WotC trotting out VOIP would be reinventing the wheel with fewer resources and a waste of effort.

Over at an MMORPG board I frequent, people are already talking about running Ptolus via VOIP. The MMORPG players likely to play traditional RPGs will do it just fine on their own.

 

[Lalato]

I suppose you can always allow yourself to be gouged by online or hobby store resellers who break open the packs and sell the individual minis at a tidy profit.

Seriously, if Wizards don't want to upset their precious "collectables" crowd, why not just repackage some of the earlier "commons" by type, with no card, and a stamp different stamp on the base to show it sin't a collectable. Organise packs by theme - orcs, goblins, elves, wizards, rogues, mounted, undead etc etc.

Sadly, I too don't think this will ever happen.

So, let's say I need a bunch of Troglodytes, or whatever for an adventure... you're saying that I can't find them on eBay for a reasonable price? I think you're mistaken. You may want to check eBay again before making comments like this. It's not that hard to find a bunch of minis at a decent price.

--sam

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

• 4th Edition - I know, spoken of to death but I think this might be where we finally hear some dirt on 4th Edition. My guess? Released sometime in 2008.

Yep, that's what I'm waiting for. I'll be very surprised if they don't announce it, actually (happy, but surprised).

• The continuation of the OGL and d20 System with 4e, but with some sort of restrictions like a yearly licensing fee.

Well, they can't touch the OGL; even if they made a change to it, we could just keep using the current version of the OGL and SRD and be perfectly happy. Moving the d20 System License to a paid model, yeah, I could see that, especially after Green Ronin did it with True20 and seems to be getting results.

Beyond this, perhaps they will announce a complete line of D&D male grooming products, including shaving cream/lotion, aftershave, deodorant, body spray, fragrance and hair-care products. The development principle? "It's time cons smelled nice once and for all."