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

[Redclaw]

Are you kidding?

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

How long will you be using it?
And how could they have a complete collection of spells (or magic items) if they were going to continue adding new splatbooks?
Face it. These two books were summary-books that let you get the benefit of sourcebooks you didn't buy, simply becuase WOTC knew that you would have no reason to buy those other sourcebooks after this announcement.
But hey, they threw in a few new ones just to make it worthwhile.

 

[Vigilance]

Not going back far enough.

First sign of 4e: the hiring of Mike Mearls in 2005.

 

[Thaumaturge]

My collection of 3e/3.5 books now about equals my collection of 2ed books. I guess my purchasing is fairly consistant over editions.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Destil]

Are you kidding?

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

But, the point kinda is, that once you put out a book like SC or MIC you don't want to release just a few more spells or items. You either churn on and put out enough stuff to do a second volume of each, or drop the line.

And these are good things. SC has pretty much every Wizards spell in it, if there had been 2 more years of books then 4E we wouldn't have such a complete guide.

Everyone wins. We got a good book, WotC got the price of admission.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

But, the point kinda is, that once you put out a book like SC or MIC you don't want to release just a few more spells or items. You either churn on and put out enough stuff to do a second volume of each, or drop the line.

Right - and I'm in the camp that, had 3.X continued, would immediately snap up a Spell Compendium II.

I'm just really responding to the implication that SC was just a way to "milk some money."

 

[jeffh]

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

Mine too.

 

[TerraDave]

First, a new edition will always be on its way. I call 5th ed right now.

If the question is when, then near time signs:

Release Schedule: This is the big one. WotC had a schedule lacking the sort of stuff they had really been pushing the previous 7 years. And this will be the best indicator for the future.

Quality Rumors: when it goes from "a friend of a friend" to people at Green Ronin, Necromancer, etc posting it online, you know something is up.

Whats X doing: Sort of a mix of the first two. Has a designer suddenly gone quite, or is not doing much in terms of forthcoming books, but still works for the company...are there five or six that fall in that catagory...indicates something is up.

New Bussiness Plan: are they making a bunch of other changes that would fit with/support a new edition? Actually, even for 3.5, there wasn't a change of bussiness plan per se, but first they fired a bunch of people, then there was a total revamp of what they where releasing, starting, first and foremost, with the minis.

Time: We won't see a new edition in the next five years. After that, start to get nervous. At about year 7 or 8, put it in your sig (wish I had).

 

[Nebulous]

I'm still a little shell-shocked, i didn't expect it so soon. Not so soon after 3.5 anyway, which still feels new to me.

 

[qstor]

In hindsight.

-WotC recalling properties that they had leased out. (dungeon and dragon magazines, etools, classic settings, etc)
-11th hour things like Morris getting called away to a "special pre- gen con press conference"

These..the new Star Wars rules. But the biggest for me was that Living Greyhawk Triads were only given a new three year story arc for their plots. For me that meant in 2008 something was up. I knew that Living Greyhawk would be killed off when 4e came out.

Mike

 

[Beckett]

Hotel keycards with a bunch of dice pictured, all showing "4", that made it pretty hard to stay in denial.