Where do you see the evolution of the D&D game heading?

[WayneLigon]

We'll get decent online D&D about the same time we get the 'paperless office'. I think any significant effort to take the game online in subsequent editions is doomed to failure for mainly two reasons:

(1) Gamers are cheap. I doubt seriously they'll pay for any sort of online play after buying rulebooks and the like.

(2) It would be the end of gaming for a significant section of the customer base. I think in the marketing survey it said that only about 50% of the D&D players had reliable online access. I'm GMing a group of six people right now where only myself and two other players even own computers, much less have broadband capabilities and access to that PC whenever they want it. One of the three has a 'family PC' where any particular night of the week it could be taken over by siblings to do homework, Mom to do bills, Dad to do his work, etc.

 

[Stalker0]

I do think there will be a further online push, but I hope will be an augment to the pen and paper, not a replacement.

What I would prefer to see if more online "pregame" tools, not "ingame" tools. For example, more in depth character creators, tools to create character portraits, name generators, map creators.

 

[Agamemnon]

D&D doesn't really evolve. That'd entail an actual direction, development of new features and atrophy of old ones. D&D endures, unchanging in many basic respects. I see 4e as just another minor revision, built from the same flawed premise as 3.5 was.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Why cant they just contract out to someone who can digitize the game. (it is not That hard)

Yes. As a matter of fact, it's quite hard. Damned hard, even.

Which is not to say that it is not doable; but to do it correctly at the level of stabaility, art quality and ease of use expected of a heavy hitter brand like D&D, it would be at a development cost that - to date - WotC has refused to consider paying.

I would not hold my breath for a Triple A PnP Online approach to D&D. If I could make it pay - I'd be off to do it tomorrow and so would another 30k geek designers in the industry.

Nobody has been able to figure out a financial model of how to make that work yet. Someday perhaps - but not now.

 

[MINI]

I run an online games server (www.openrpg.com Mayhem Gaming Server) as well as manage an online gaming site (link in signature). think online gaming is on fire and will grow as time goes on. It's simply too convenient. That said table top games will always have their place. People tend to learn the game from friends in a table top environment until schedules get in the way; the online gaming takes over.

I think a point buy character build with no character classes for DnD would be a mistake, taking away from the roots of the game. I don't think daily alotment of resources is a good answer but easing on the amount of rest you need or crating spells that simulate rest for an individual or the party are a good idea-- ways around having to rest in that dungeon. Possibly a cure spell could also be worth an amount of rest also....

 

[Jolly Giant]

How about you all? What do you think? What will the future of D&D look like?

It will have loads and loads of table-top Viking goodness!

 

[bolen]

Yes. As a matter of fact, it's quite hard. Damned hard, even.

Which is not to say that it is not doable; but to do it correctly at the level of stabaility, art quality and ease of use expected of a heavy hitter brand like D&D, it would be at a development cost that - to date - WotC has refused to consider paying.

What is the huge issue(is a good character generator really harder then creating a new game) Is the problem that the cost of such a product cost prohibative?

Here is my dream

- One buys a program for say $40 bucks which is kind of a super version of PC gen that can
Create PC's, NPC's and monsters (basically all the spreadsheet parts of D&D)

(ie it knows that you have a skill called listen but does not know what that skill does)

- If you buy another WotC book you get a key to buy those files for say 5 bucks.

- Even 3rd party products could sell content (and you can add them just like in PC gen)

Is the problem that one worries about piracy or just that there is no money in this. I know there are lots of free 3rd party products that do this but none are that great. I would think this would be a good market for the 4th edition to explore.

 

[I'm A Banana]

That'd entail an actual direction, development of new features and atrophy of old ones.

No, evolution doesn't have a direction!

But, new features are developed all the time at the atrophy of old ones...BAB vs. THAC0, 3 saves vs. 9, Ascending vs. Descending AC....evolution!

 

[thedungeondelver]

As the game becomes more miniatures based, I see the rulebooks actually getting smaller. Classes will disappear - at least down to the core three, spellcaster, fighter, rogue.

There will be less reliance on a rule system beyond miniatures combat and actual "play" will be less geared to roleplay and more to sacking dungeons.

For convenience's sake, the books (now not much more than 60-70pp each) will be "shrunk" to 4x6 and sold in a small box with a few reference pages for ease of use by the DM.

The miniatures rules will be sold in a similarly sized booklet, but separate.

 

[Thunderfoot]

As the game becomes more miniatures based, I see the rulebooks actually getting smaller. Classes will disappear - at least down to the core three, spellcaster, fighter, rogue.

There will be less reliance on a rule system beyond miniatures combat and actual "play" will be less geared to roleplay and more to sacking dungeons.

For convenience's sake, the books (now not much more than 60-70pp each) will be "shrunk" to 4x6 and sold in a small box with a few reference pages for ease of use by the DM.

The miniatures rules will be sold in a similarly sized booklet, but separate.

So bacically, coming full circle? Interesting theory, I can't say that I totally disagree, but I think the whole Pandora's Box aspect of 'once opened' cannot be ignored.
RPGs gained a lot of popularity in the 80s (especially as a counter culture revolution to the Bible Belt - it's the Devil's game - mentality) and then waned in the 90s as gamers got more 'mature' and the CCGs took off. Well, the kids of the 80s are the parents of today, and I'm noticing that a lot of the gamers/parents are teaching their kids in order to have 'quality time' with them, hence the bit of a boom we have experienced in the last few years (we are back near the bust BTW). So does this mean that CCGs are up for revival, maybe.

The point being, there are enough people that enjoy the hobby 'the way it is' that there will always be an element of the RPG aspect in there somehwere. But, you could be dead on in terms of NEW sales as kids are moving into the more 'video game' style of play, which was always based more on 'hack and slash' than 'role play'. Who knows, table top 'top scrolling, video game emulating, combat systems' (miniature battles) may be the old/new wave of the future.