Odhanan
Adventurer
What 5th edition needs to achieve IMO:
WotC's stated intent is to allow all gamers, regardless of their play styles or system preferences, to enjoy the new game and make it their own.
I have one recipe that might be a winner towards that goal.
I believe the OD&D (1974) format was a winning idea that came to be pretty much by accident at the time (lack of budget, different settings between Gygax and Arneson, etc): the game itself, simple, which sparked your imagination to play the game without much strings attached, and then the Supplements, which each had their own takes on the game, adding this or that element of play, that you could use separately, or in combination to each other, or just as inspiration to your own private 'supplement', so you could take the game in the directions you wanted.
What I think could work is first, a simple, loose core game that you can play like B/X D&D, create characters in 5-10 minutes tops, that includes the focus on exploration and adventure, advice on building the dungeon and the wilderness, how to come up with your own environments and so on, that you can expand on on your own and provides the tools to do so, that is NOT bound to tactical miniatures and grids or any particular play style.
Format would ideally be a box with three little booklets inside that you can easily handle at the game table, sheets of reference and dice. This would be a game first, not a series of huge, scary-looking tomes like has been the case since AD&D's days up to now.
THEN would come the supplements, adding selected elements to the basic frame of the game which you can use separately or in combination with each other to create your own game experience catering to your specific needs and play style. One supplement to add tactical mini combat to the game. One supplement adding layers of character descriptions and customization via rules like feats, expanded codified class abilities and the like. One supplement that focuses on building grand epics and changing the game into a storytelling exercise. One supplement about open universes and the sandbox playstyle. And so on, so forth. Maybe these could have different colors for their covers, or boxes, that people could associate with Mentzer D&D.
What we would be looking at would be a Swiss Army knife/D&D game, with the core being basically B/X or similar in spirit and execution, and the supplements adding a tool to the basic knife frame so YOU can make the game what you really want it to be for you and your friends at the game table. That could be a winning recipe with most fans of the game.
And one last thought: get off the supplement and editions treadmill, WotC. Create this simple core, and then you can reinvent the supplements ad nauseam to create an infinity of game play experiences. Stay on the treadmill, and see your fan base disintegrate ever further into oblivion.
Next move is yours.
WotC's stated intent is to allow all gamers, regardless of their play styles or system preferences, to enjoy the new game and make it their own.
I have one recipe that might be a winner towards that goal.
I believe the OD&D (1974) format was a winning idea that came to be pretty much by accident at the time (lack of budget, different settings between Gygax and Arneson, etc): the game itself, simple, which sparked your imagination to play the game without much strings attached, and then the Supplements, which each had their own takes on the game, adding this or that element of play, that you could use separately, or in combination to each other, or just as inspiration to your own private 'supplement', so you could take the game in the directions you wanted.
What I think could work is first, a simple, loose core game that you can play like B/X D&D, create characters in 5-10 minutes tops, that includes the focus on exploration and adventure, advice on building the dungeon and the wilderness, how to come up with your own environments and so on, that you can expand on on your own and provides the tools to do so, that is NOT bound to tactical miniatures and grids or any particular play style.
Format would ideally be a box with three little booklets inside that you can easily handle at the game table, sheets of reference and dice. This would be a game first, not a series of huge, scary-looking tomes like has been the case since AD&D's days up to now.
THEN would come the supplements, adding selected elements to the basic frame of the game which you can use separately or in combination with each other to create your own game experience catering to your specific needs and play style. One supplement to add tactical mini combat to the game. One supplement adding layers of character descriptions and customization via rules like feats, expanded codified class abilities and the like. One supplement that focuses on building grand epics and changing the game into a storytelling exercise. One supplement about open universes and the sandbox playstyle. And so on, so forth. Maybe these could have different colors for their covers, or boxes, that people could associate with Mentzer D&D.
What we would be looking at would be a Swiss Army knife/D&D game, with the core being basically B/X or similar in spirit and execution, and the supplements adding a tool to the basic knife frame so YOU can make the game what you really want it to be for you and your friends at the game table. That could be a winning recipe with most fans of the game.
And one last thought: get off the supplement and editions treadmill, WotC. Create this simple core, and then you can reinvent the supplements ad nauseam to create an infinity of game play experiences. Stay on the treadmill, and see your fan base disintegrate ever further into oblivion.
Next move is yours.
