D&D (2024) What would change for you if Wizards started calling it 6E?

[codo]

WotC doesn't need all our money, so they don't really care if some of us do not buy the new 2024E game. All they really are happy about (and it has been this way since 5E's release) is that we are playing some type of D&D. Because that is the best advertising for them. Happily playing any version of D&D (or indeed ANY RPG) is the best way to inspire other players to start playing as well. And no one who doesn't play the game knows what version any of us are playing, all they know is that we are playing 'D&D'... so what we ARE playing doesn't matter. And thus when those people make the choice to jump into the pool, they will pick up the current version of the books that WotC wants to be out there because it's the easiest and most talked about version available to them.

I know the developers have said many times that ultimately they don't care if everybody is playing using the latest version of the rules. As long as they are playing an older version or even a different RPG. As long as you are in the rpg environment, they will find a was to get money out of you. If they can't get you to buy a new PHB, they will get you with movie tickets and plush owlbears.

 

[Parmandur]

I'd get used to it. I'd bet you in 10-20 years time the game will play a bit differently but still just be called D&D. Folks will talk about things like the "lich king" update back in X year changing the game. You wont see any specific modifier like .5 or 6E again.

They were only ever used for marketing purposes to make money: as long as WotC is convinced that the Edition treadmill hurts their bottom line, they will avoid going back.

 

[Parmandur]

I know the developers have said many times that ultimately they don't care if everybody is playing using the latest version of the rules. As long as they are playing an older version or even a different RPG. As long as you are in the rpg environment, they will find a was to get money out of you. If they can't get you to buy a new PHB, they will get you with movie tickets and plush owlbears.

The big quantum leap of 5E was the realization the real money was in merchandising, with am active game being an engine of creating lifestyle brand fans.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

It's my understanding that going forward after the 2024 update, they want to make periodic updates fluidly without any "markers" or lines in the sand.

So, for example, it will be like a game developer releasing a minor version update or bug fix to their software.

That would remind me of 4e and I'd hate that. The 4e PHB book was not worth the paper it was written on after a few updates.
And on top of that it was released as today's software. In a beta state that was not thourougly proofread.

 

[DEFCON 1]

And you're right about another thing too: no one's opinions are more "right" than anyone else's. Including WotC's. They just have more power to enforce theirs.

Depending on how one looks at the question, you are absolutely correct. If the question comes down to "How many and what changes have to happen for a product to be given a different name or a different edition number or be considered merely an errata'd update etc. etc... there's no objective standard with which any of us can use. So anyone's feelings on it are merely choices and opinions, including WotC's. I don't disagree with this take.

But the other way one can look at it would be that because WotC owns the product they are changing and that they are the ones who get to make the choices to change it... then they are the ones for whom their answer is by definition correct. They are defining the question and defining the correct answer. We may argue about whether we agree, but their answer correctly satisfied their own question.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

The biggest difference for me would be the ability to discus a set of classes/feats with a single label (5e) and not have to explain WHAT 5e I am using

 

[Micah Sweet]

Depending on how one looks at the question, you are absolutely correct. If the question comes down to "How many and what changes have to happen for a product to be given a different name or a different edition number or be considered merely an errata'd update etc. etc... there's no objective standard with which any of us can use. So anyone's feelings on it are merely choices and opinions, including WotC's. I don't disagree with this take.

But the other way one can look at it would be that because WotC owns the product they are changing and that they are the ones who get to make the choices to change it... then they are the ones for whom their answer is by definition correct. They are defining the question and defining the correct answer. We may argue about whether we agree, but their answer correctly satisfied their own question.

If you define the question and the answer, then IMO both are meaningless outside your own head.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The biggest difference for me would be the ability to discus a set of classes/feats with a single label (5e) and not have to explain WHAT 5e I am using

That would be nice, yes. Another thing that I'm sure would be seen by WotC as, "not their problem" though.

 

[payn]

The biggest difference for me would be the ability to discus a set of classes/feats with a single label (5e) and not have to explain WHAT 5e I am using

I agree this is an issue. However, im curious how the DDB will differentiate? I would imagine folks will naturally be using that in the future.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

I agree this is an issue. However, im curious how the DDB will differentiate? I would imagine folks will naturally be using that in the future.

I imagine that less then half the people playing will be paying for a beyond account.