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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shazbot79" data-source="post: 5133654" data-attributes="member: 89015">I think that, when designing a 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, it should be remembered that while the game CAN be used to craft a story and it CAN be used to simulate a fictional world, and indeed there should be some support for these things, D&D is first and foremost a game.This means that an emphasis should be put on fun table play, cohesive math that works across all levels, class balance (my definition for class balance is that any character can contribute meaningfully in all aspects of the game: combat, social roleplay, exploration, problem solving, etc. not that every character should be equally effective in all situations) and the possibility for character death/failure.Secondly, I think that one of the primary design goals of any edition of the game should be accessibility, since D&D acts as the gateway into the hobby for most gamers. Therefore, the system should be relatively simple at it's core and obtuse mechanics should be kept to a minimum.I think that 5th edition should have a few tropes assumed by the rules, like the idea of points of light in an ever encroaching sea of darkness...but should largely remain fluff neutral. This means that races and classes are stripped down to their most iconic identity and left at that.The DMG could could offer advice on running different types of games, different flavors of setting and offer literary references that DM's can mine for inspiration.The release schedule for Campaign Settings should be more rapid than one per year and would ideally focus on campaign settings that have their own unique flavor, so Greyhawk for pulp sword and sorcery fantasy, Forgotten Realms for epic high fantasy, along with more off the beaten path settings like Eberron, Dark Sun, Planescape, etc. Also, setting books should include optional rules to hue the game closer to the settings feel.One thing I don't get, and is a notion that I'm seeing a lot of, is an appeal for a return to earlier iterations of D&D. That is to say that I don't really see the value in A) keeping D&D locked in a time capsule so that it only changes incrementally with each new edition, or B) retreading ground that has already been covered by AD&D, BECMI and games like Swords & Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord. I suspect that this may have more to do with one's sense of personal validation rather than what is best for the game.</blockquote>

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