D&D 5E When do you think they will announce the next book?

[Kramodlog]

I suppose you are just trying to be funny, but suggesting that the plot in a video game is the same thing as the brand storylines might create confusion.

I'm not the one who said they plan to do two storylines a year.

Better to think of D&D storylines as periodic marketing campaigns that promote all the various D&D related product lines (RPG, minis, aides, Adventurer's League, Neverwinter MMO, and yes, maybe even an AP book) by using a strong story-based theme, like Dragons, or Elemental Evil.

I think so too, but the beauty of vague statements is that they can be interpreted in many ways. If the next storyline is just in a video game, Mearls won't have lied to us. That we just see a video game storyline is possible. Is it plausible? Less so.

 

[weldon]

I'm not the one who said they plan to do two storylines a year.

I can't tell if you are referring to Mearls or me as the unnamed person who did make this statement. For clarity, Mearls said that they are looking at two storylines per year. You misquoted him by saying that they would do two APs per year. I corrected you by pointing back to the original statement.

I think so too, but the beauty of vague statements is that they can be interpreted in many ways. If the next storyline is just in a video game, Mearls won't have lied to us. That we just see a video game storyline is possible. Is it plausible? Less so.

Reductio ab absurdum doesn't really help clear things up here. I think we have enough statements to say with some confidence that the D&D team uses "storyline" to refer to the coordinated launch of several products. For example…

Today, Wizards of the Coast announced the newest Dungeons & Dragons storyline and accompanying product offerings for both digital and tabletop RPG players.

I think some of your statements have created confusion suggesting that Mearls or anyone else on the D&D team has said that they will do two APs a year. As far as I can tell, no one has said this. It does seem clear that there will be TTRPG products released for each storyline, but I think there isn't enough evidence to be certain that there will always be an AP.

I think this (minor) point is (mildly) important because some (not you particularly) have expressed disappointment in the release schedule because they do not enjoy big adventure path books. They want other types of books to support the RPG. I think there is room for different products in the various statements that we have seen and this might give encouragement to some who are unhappy with the current releases.

 

[Kramodlog]

I can't tell if you are referring to Mearls or me as the unnamed person who did make this statement.

Mearls.

Reductio ab absurdum

Nope. Serious.

I think some of your statements have created confusion suggesting that Mearls or anyone else on the D&D team has said that they will do two APs a year.

Two storylines a year. That is what Mearls said. So the storyline in a video game could be one of those two storylines. No need for a AP to be made for Mearls' statement to be true. That is what I'm saying, to be clear.

I think this (minor) point is (mildly) important because some (not you particularly) have expressed disappointment in the release schedule because they do not enjoy big adventure path books. They want other types of books to support the RPG. I think there is room for different products in the various statements that we have seen and this might give encouragement to some who are unhappy with the current releases.

Room? Certainly. They could make a Sword Coast source book, since all their APs and the video game are featured there. Plausible? Not likely with what we know.

 

[weldon]

Two storylines a year. That is what Mearls said. So the storyline in a video game could be one of those two storylines. No need for a AP to be made for Mearls' statement to be true. That is what I'm saying, to be clear.

I appreciate that you were willing to correct yourself to use storyline instead of AP. That mistake was near the heart of our disagreement.

I believe the rest of your example doesn't hold water because the D&D team has been consistent in saying that a storyline is the underlying theme for a marketing campaign to support several products across lines from both WotC and their partners. Your example of a single (digital) product serving as one of the two annual storylines doesn't help much to explain what the D&D team has said about storylines and might create confusion.

 

[Kramodlog]

I appreciate that you were willing to correct yourself to use storyline instead of AP. That mistake was near the heart of our disagreement.

I believe the rest of your example doesn't hold water because the D&D team has been consistent in saying that a storyline is the underlying theme for a marketing campaign to support several products across lines from both WotC and their partners. Your example of a single (digital) product serving as one of the two annual storylines doesn't help much to explain what the D&D team has said about storylines and might create confusion.

Sigh.

The could make a video game, release other products, but no AP. That is what I'm saying. Releasing an AP is not necessary for the "two storyline" a year statement to be true.

I'm done whether this is clearer or not.

 

[Trickster Spirit]

Reductio ab absurdum doesn't really help clear things up here. I think we have enough statements to say with some confidence that the D&D team uses "storyline" to refer to the coordinated launch of several products. For example…



I think some of your statements have created confusion suggesting that Mearls or anyone else on the D&D team has said that they will do two APs a year. As far as I can tell, no one has said this. It does seem clear that there will be TTRPG products released for each storyline, but I think there isn't enough evidence to be certain that there will always be an AP.

I think this (minor) point is (mildly) important because some (not you particularly) have expressed disappointment in the release schedule because they do not enjoy big adventure path books. They want other types of books to support the RPG. I think there is room for different products in the various statements that we have seen and this might give encouragement to some who are unhappy with the current releases.

I'm actually with goldomark on this one. Saying "two storylines" a year does leave things open for non-RPG storylines. I don't think it's terribly likely, but until something is announced for the tabletop line, there's no guarantees it's going to happen. The next storyline could be an MMO expansion with FR novel tie-in(s) and a new board game - cross-platform just means cross-platform, not a guarantee that the tabletop game will see a release for every media push.

 

[weldon]

The could make a video game, release other products, but no AP. That is what I'm saying. Releasing an AP is not necessary for the "two storyline" a year statement to be true.

Sounds good. I was not picking that up from what you were saying earlier about the storyline being "just in a video game." I agree with what you've said in the above quote and appreciate the clarification.

I'm actually with goldomark on this one. Saying "two storylines" a year does leave things open for non-RPG storylines. I don't think it's terribly likely, but until something is announced for the tabletop line, there's no guarantees it's going to happen. The next storyline could be an MMO expansion with FR novel tie-in(s) and a new board game - cross-platform just means cross-platform, not a guarantee that the tabletop game will see a release for every media push.

Fair enough. I've been making the assumption that the TTRPG would always be part of the storyline in my posts and it's fine to call me out there. I feel that way because the D&D design team seems to be driving the storylines, but I accept that a storyline could be supported by a variety of products like MMO, video game, comics, board game, etc. and not have something for the RPG. I don't think it's likely, but I agree it's possible.

 

[bmfrosty]

I'm actually with goldomark on this one. Saying "two storylines" a year does leave things open for non-RPG storylines. I don't think it's terribly likely, but until something is announced for the tabletop line, there's no guarantees it's going to happen. The next storyline could be an MMO expansion with FR novel tie-in(s) and a new board game - cross-platform just means cross-platform, not a guarantee that the tabletop game will see a release for every media push.

It does leave things open, but I also think that until they put out one of their twice yearly storylines without an associated AP book(s), it's fair to expect two AP per year.

 

[machineelf]

Seriously, man. What did Wizards do to hurt you personally? Your animosity seems excessive.

I think you misunderstood him. If anything he was defending WOTC.

 

[bmfrosty]

I think you misunderstood him. If anything he was defending WOTC.

The Obsessive Fanboy class often has a love/hate relationship with the object of its obsession. Its a rather strange trait that's hard to roleplay. Goldomark does an impressive job of it.