D&D 4E Things That Tiped Off 4e...

[Scribble]

Just start I'd throw together a little thread that perhaps, years from now, we can use to verify if something might be indicating a new edition is on it's way...Or at least use to recognize the indicators...


A big one for me, which thinking back on it makes me say "well duh..." Was the large amount of "new ideas" coming out...

Like the revamp of the various monsters that promoted "unfunness..."

Like the New books like Incarnum and Tome of Magic and Bo9S

Like the new monster ideas like in MM5...

So what do you think? Anything you can think of now that should have tipped us off?

 

[Aus_Snow]

Primarily fluff books, and not even many of them, for the foreseeable future?
Sudden [re-]appearance of WotC staff at EN World, only just prior to the announcement?

 

[Gundark]

In hindsight.

-WotC recalling properties that they had leased out. (dungeon and dragon magazines, etools, classic settings, etc)
-WotC releasing adventures rather than sourcebooks
-increase in people "calling wolf". I don't know if these people actually had any insider knowledge...but there were definetly more and more of them as the day drew nearer.
-11th hour things like Morris getting called away to a "special pre- gen con press conference"

 

[JoeGKushner]

Biggest thing was the 1st quarter of 08's catalog. Pure wrap up style books, especially when followed by those that are coming out at the end of this year which include several more 'fluff' pieces with no game mechanics in them.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

-11th hour things like Morris getting called away to a "special pre- gen con press conference"

How about Scott Rouse derailing the thread on that towards cannibalism when the number 4 showed its head?

 

[Xyxox]

Spell Compendium

That was the dead on designator that a reboot was coming. Biggest indication that 3.5 had run its course and they had to milk some money.

 

[mhensley]

Several other companies (Necromancer, Kenzer, etc.) had predicted that 4e was coming soon and were putting their money where their mouth was by changing their product schedules.

A catalog full of fluff.

The flurry of license shuffling.

The release of SW Saga with a lot of new concepts.

The Mearls articles on revamping monsters.

All of the "Return to x" nostalgia rehashed modules.

 

[stonegod]

WotC recalling properties that they had leased out. (dungeon and dragon magazines, etools, classic settings, etc)

The #1 for me. You generally do such things if you 1) Are selling off the goods as one chunk (i.e., if Hasbro wanted to sell WoTC) or 2) everything is being redone soon and you want control of it. That at least made me think it was "soon" (w/in a year).

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Spell Compendium

That was the dead on designator that a reboot was coming. Biggest indication that 3.5 had run its course and they had to milk some money.

Are you kidding?

Spell Compendium is, like, my favorite non-Eberron sourcebook. It's a fantastic book, not a crass moneygrab.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

Are you kidding?

Spell Compendium is, like, my favorite non-Eberron sourcebook. It's a fantastic book, not a crass moneygrab.

2E was basically done after the last of the spell and magic item compendiums were published, so yeah, I can see that one - easy.

Mearls joining WotC was probably my FIRST tickle of 4e suspicion