D&D 5E To all the Play-testers: Is it worth it?

[JeffB]

IMO, if you enjoy your existing DnD game, then no. The playtest is a chaotic hot mess. Some versions are pretty decent, some not so much. I do not really find playtesting rules to be all that much fun, especially when there are radical changes from packet to packet. Since my gaming time is quite limited, I have to sacrifice real game time for the playtest,which has not gone over very well.

Between the actual playtesting and the designer and art articles WOTC is posting I am starting to grow weary of and uninterested in NEXT.

 

[Kobold Stew]

To all you play-testers out there play testing D&D next........Is it worth it?

Absolutely: playtesting has led me to play with half a dozen people who've never played D&D before, and they all left pleased, and wanting more. That alone makes it worthwhile to me.

Further, I personally am seeing things I like, that are scratching an itch that have led me away from D&D/PF. So I am hopeful, and want to see more.

Does it make that significant of a change to every existing version of D&D to justify spending the money?

I don't accept the premise of this question, however: buying the books will be worth it because I will have a very clear idea of what the system is, and it will have already given me several fun games. Absolutely, that's worth my money.

I don't need significant changes to every previous version in order for that to be true. I want a system that consistently gives me the fantasy playstyle I want -- no currently-supported system does that (though a few indy games do). DDN has the potential to do that, and so I playtest in the hopes that the issues I see as meaningful might be addressed.

 

[Libramarian]

I don't think playtesting is worth the time/effort, but I think the final game will be worth 50 or 100 bucks or whatever.

 

[Light Knight]

Not to make people be repetitive, but how has combat sped up?

 

[Maul]

IMO, if you enjoy your existing DnD game, then no. The playtest is a chaotic hot mess. Some versions are pretty decent, some not so much. I do not really find playtesting rules to be all that much fun, especially when there are radical changes from packet to packet. Since my gaming time is quite limited, I have to sacrifice real game time for the playtest,which has not gone over very well.

Between the actual playtesting and the designer and art articles WOTC is posting I am starting to grow weary of and uninterested in NEXT.

I'd have to agree with Jeff.

I really don't want to waste my very limited gaming time on a wonky game system that isn't going to be released for possibly another year and a half. But then again, Playtesting is a wonky process altogether. From the info I'm getting, it seems like they are throwing info at the playtesters until they find something that works. And after this whole process they will all be nominated for sainthood. Hehehe.

Meanwhile, in that downtime, WOTC is losing alot of the game market while companies like Paizo are gaining.

Thanks for all the input guys. Very helpful.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[delericho]

It wasn't worth it for me - I downloaded and read the first packet, downloaded but didn't read the second, and haven't bothered since. When the final product comes out, I'll make a decision then... but my current assumption is that I won't bother.

WotC can still get my money, but they'll need to actively sell me on this edition (where I bought 2nd, 3e, 3.5e and 4e all sight-unseen).

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I like to tinker with rules, and had not in a awhile. So I've got no problem dealing with gaps in the play test, as such. Really, my main reservations at the moment are more from dealing with the inevitable consequences of read-only documents that are changing on a schedule not in sync with my group -- that is, the nature of an open play test itself. Our group plays erratically. So I've had to pick and choose what we test and what we skip, while I hope still providing some decent testing and feedback in the surveys.

Agree with Dragonblade that Next need not be the best D&D ever, merely one fun option worth using at times. If it's better than that, so much to the good.

I am somewhat disturbed that this last document was the first time I saw even a hint of going anywhere with improving the exploration pillar, and we've seen practically nothing of consequence in the interaction pillar. So introducing high-level combat play might be a mistake. Or maybe not. I don't know.

 

[Rhenny]

Absolutely: playtesting has led me to play with half a dozen people who've never played D&D before, and they all left pleased, and wanting more. That alone makes it worthwhile to me.

Further, I personally am seeing things I like, that are scratching an itch that have led me away from D&D/PF. So I am hopeful, and want to see more.

Yes to this. I agree 100% I've been a player and DM for over 30 years, but I've been playing with the same group of people on and off for all of that time. The playtest has encouraged me to branch out by playing and DMing for others because I genuinely like to see how the new mechanics/rules play. Also, the people I have been playing with are also equally intrigued so there is a different type of energy while playtesting.

One of the most interesting things I'm experiencing is how interesting it is to play in different groups with others who are interpreting and applying rules to their playstyles. It has really breathed life into my appreciation for a rules light, modular design.

 

[GX.Sigma]

To all you play-testers out there play testing D&D next........Is it worth it?

Yes.

Does it make that significant of a change to every existing version of D&D to justify spending the money?

Kind of the whole point of D&D Next is to not make a huge change.