Who would you pick to design Fourth Edition?

[jdrakeh]

While I see the need for even having 4E as grasping at thin air

People have said the same thing every time that a new edition of D&D/AD&D was announced in the past, but all of them came about due to market necessity, despite the fact that fans of the edition being replaced thought that there was nothing wrong with the game as it existed at the time said new editions were announced. I don't think that we're anywhere near ready for a 4th edition yet, but there will come a time when interest in the current edition begins to wane, and the easiest way to recapture that interest is to release a new edition of the game.

 

[Starman]

I don't know if I'm adding anyone new to the list, but I would have the following for my core team:

Monte Cook
Chris Pramas
Ari Marmell
Wil Upchurch
Mike Mearls
Jonathon Tweet
Steve Kenson
Robin Laws

My core artists would be:

Larry Elmore
Dan Parkinson
Marc Sasso
Wayne Reynolds
Todd Lockwood
Brom

 

[RangerWickett]

Okay . . . *clears throat* . . . a request for past and future posters on this thread. For the sake of an intellectual discussion, let us limit selections to people who have not yet been involved in a D&D core design team. I know we all love Monte's work, but it's not interesting to discuss people who have already done a good job. I want to hear who you think would do a good job in the future.

I mean, it's like if I asked, "Who should be in the new Star Wars TV show?" and people started by replying Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill.

So, for the sake of the discussion, let's say that Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Skip Williams, Johnathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and whoever designed 2nd edition aren't available. Who would you pick then?

Oh, and if folks could include at least one or two products these people worked on, it'd help.

 

[Odhanan]

Robin Laws
Monte Cook
Mike Mearls

Dynamite team.

 

[Henry]

I don't know if I'd pick Mike Mearls for Design lead, much as I love his work, his strengths seem to be in making rules stronger - working out the kinks and seeing when something's broken beyond all recognition but fine on the surface. He'd be lead developer.

Steve Kenson would be a lead designer. He seems able to come up with novel mechanics out of thin air (he'd probably say differently, but from the outside looking in, he's da man).

While I'd like to see Robin Laws in there, I'd prefer him to have a pass over on the DMG, and insert the kind of advice into the DMG that he inserted into the DMG 2, from the beginning. KNOW THY PLAYERS! Maybe a design credit.

Past that, I can't think of anyone better. John Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams did a BANG-UP job with the originals, and I can't think of anyone better.

 

[JimAde]

S. John Ross would be my first choice. I like everything I've ever seen from him for both flavor and elegant mechanics. It's all been GURPS, but talent is talent.

I've heard a lot about Steve Kenson's work, but haven't seen much of it yet (curse Amazon and their shipping delays!).

 

[diaglo]

E. Gary Gygax
Dave Arneson
Jeff Perren
Rob Kuntz
James Ward
with money from Don Kaye


i'd leave the Blumes out of the picture.

 

[DMH]

S. John Ross
David Pulver
Spencer Cooley
Mike Mearls
Tom Knauss
Peter Ball

There is another that I would love to add- Neil Spicer. He hasn't done much d20 work (LJP and Game Mechanics) yet, but has written a lot of professional grade material for an e-zine for Alternity as well as adventures and locations for Star*Drive.

 

[The_Gneech]

I haven't heard from Aaron Allston in way too long. Bring him on!

-The Gneech

 

[eris404]

Ari Marmell - I've become a fan girl.

Edit - and oh yeah, Mike Mearls and Monte Cook, too.