There's Powerful Deviltry at Work Here...

[ruemere]

Does anyone else feel that 4e may be putting too much of an emphasis on evil, even diabolical character options in the initial PHB? Tieflings, infernal-pact warlocks, clerics and even paladins of Asmodeus...it seems perfectly feasible to have an entire party composed of people who sold their souls to the powers of Hell. Sure, D&D has had evil parties before, but generally even evil PC clerics were just worshipping fictional villains like Vecna, not demons who some people genuinely believe exist(ed) like Asmodeus. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmodai)[...]

First of all, you are assuming quite a lot of things. Tiefling's may be not necessarily the only new race with traces of extraplanar heritage. It may be also redefined for the purposes of 4E PHB to include traces of non-evil outsiders (horns? rather animistic character feature, aren't they?). Also, Tiefling characters do not need to be evil by default.

Secondly, it has been already mentioned that warlocks are not necessarily making packs with evil outsiders.

Thirdly, it was entirely possible to produce Evil parties in third edition, and, given current spoilers, 4E designer do not seem to be leaning toward any changes - even less, since default assumption of "points of light" practically sets characters as defenders of such "points" - it's not hard to blew a candle out, after all.

Sir, my opinion is that you are prejudiced. You seem to see black colour where others may note all colors of a rainbow in addition to shades of grey and two basic defaults.
I also think that your issue here has to do more with rather more mature approach taken by designers. 4E seems to offer more options, more coflicted settings and less clearcut division between good and evil (witness the mention of less restrictive alignment system).

(obligatory cynic note) Cheer up. This is still a Hasbro product. It has to be usable by kids.

(obligatory anticorrectness note) Let's sacrifice the notion of politially correct PHB at nearest pagan holiday to the great and unknown powers guiding the process of production of 4E.

(obligatory note to obligatory note) This is just a game, it is what you make of it.

regards,
Ruemere

 

[Fifth Element]

Its really simple. The next D&D Edition will feature those things which the target audience like most. And this time those things include dark, brooding characters

How is this different from what the target audience was interested in when the previous editions were released? At least for 2E and 3E, dark, brooding characters were already cool. Think Batman and all the vampire Goth-y stuff.

 

[Derren]

How is this different from what the target audience was interested in when the previous editions were released? At least for 2E and 3E, dark, brooding characters were already cool. Think Batman and all the vampire Goth-y stuff.

Apparently such dark/evil characters weren't not "cool" enough in the past, at least not for the target audience (whatever that was).

The goal for 4E, for WotC, is to sell as often as possible. To achieve that they will implement things which they, or rather their market department, thinks the target audience wants. And apparently that includes devil/demon influenced characters for this edition.

 

[Baby Samurai]

How is this different from what the target audience was interested in when the previous editions were released? At least for 2E and 3E, dark, brooding characters were already cool. Think Batman and all the vampire Goth-y stuff.

Yeah, and how many Elric clones did we see in the 70's and 80's…

And Drizzt cloning has been going on since the late 80's.

As far back as I can remember playing this game there are always going to be people who want to play Wolverine in D&D or Akira or some such.

 

[Baby Samurai]

The goal for 4E, for WotC, is to sell as often as possible. To achieve that they will implement things which they, or rather their market department, thinks the target audience wants. And apparently that includes devil/demon influenced characters for this edition.

Where do you get your, uh, "information"?

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Evil is "cool", thats why its so prominent in 4E.

Its really simple. The next D&D Edition will feature those things which the target audience like most. And this time those things include dark, brooding characters and wuxia fighting styles. And currently everyone loves "the underdog". Thats why good is "loosing".
That alignment looses its importance does also support evil PCs (although the old alignment rules were a problem anyway but imo that was more of a player problem than a rules problem).

I think that this is actually pretty close to the mark. Though I suspect that many of the character options associated with actually being evil will be in the PHB for DM use. (I certainly hope so.)

There is a pervasive theme in the USA that their homes are under siege. Whether it's true or not, this theme is what the designers are picking up on.

 

[Derren]

Where do you get your, uh, "information"?

Basic business.
WotC wants to make money (its a business after all) and to do this many people have to buy their new books. For that WotC has to write things into the book many people like or make many people like what they write in the book through marketing.

As there isn't really a lot of marketing going on for 4E (yet) so I speculate that WotC think that Tieflings and Dark Pact-powered warlocks is what the target audience wants.

 

[Baby Samurai]

Basic business.
WotC wants to make money (its a business after all) and to do this many people have to buy their new books.

And how is this different from any other company/edition/product etc?

 

[Henry]

And how is this different from any other company/edition/product etc?

I don't think he's saying it is. I'm one of those nuts myself who think there is a corellation between D&D's height of popularity in the early 1980's, and the height of the "D&D is evil" scare right at the same time. If it's seen as a little edgier than, say, the next version of Halo, it may not be a bad thing.

 

[The Merciful]

First of all, you are assuming quite a lot of things. Tiefling's may be not necessarily the only new race with traces of extraplanar heritage. It may be also redefined for the purposes of 4E PHB to include traces of non-evil outsiders (horns? rather animistic character feature, aren't they?). Also, Tiefling characters do not need to be evil by default.

Speaking of animalistic, why not rename tiefling to changeling, and leave their heritage more vague. Maybe they have fiend blood, or/and fey blood, or/and even celestial blood. I think same mechanics would serve for all heritages. Would be make good paraller to warlock class too.

Too late I suppose, but worth mentioning I think.