Why is it called "3.5e"?

[Mercule]

Because it's a half-assed change to 3E?

In truth, I think it's because there is a sort of trendiness to computer lingo. I don't really mind it being called 3.5 in casual chatter, but I'd really prefer the books said "3RE" or "Revised 3rd Edition" or some such.

 

[Quasqueton]

The "3.5" label annoyed/bothered me because nowhere in the "3.0" books did it say anything about "third edition". It was simply "Dungeons & Dragons". Now they add the "3.5" label on the cover and it looks silly. Why did they bother buying back and marketing the original name sans the "Advanced" prefix or the "* edition" suffix if they are going to put a number back on the name? A simple "revised" would have made more sense.

Anyway, it's just spilt milk now.

Quasqueton

 

[maddman75]

Perhaps because too many of us geeks still remember Windows 3.1?

Or Win 3.11 - Windows for Workgroups?

--The Sigil

LOL - from this day forth, I will refer to the revision as 3.11 - D&D for Workgroups.

 

[Dark Jezter]

The books were originally going to be called the Revised Core Rulebooks. But the fans just referred to them as 3.5e for short, and eventually the developers adopted that term as well.

 

[Davelozzi]

the fans just referred to them as 3.5e for short, and eventually the developers adopted that term as well.

Are you sure? It seemed to me like the 3.5 designation came from the pages of Dragon and from Wizard's website shortly after the revision was released. I don't think it was a case of WotC following the fans.

 

[Crothian]

Are you sure? It seemed to me like the 3.5 designation came from the pages of Dragon and from Wizard's website shortly after the revision was released. I don't think it was a case of WotC following the fans.

And by going by Wizards releases, it seems to me they don't follow their fans.

 

[johnsemlak]

As I recall, WotC coined the term themselves. I believe there was an interview with Ed Stark early on that stated that. As said above, Wizards wanted to assure fans there wouldn't be multiple revisions of 3rd edition, and that the revision would carry D&D to the next, 4th edition. 3.5 sounded right, they said.

 

[Altalazar]

I think it is fittingly descriptive. It is an updated version of third edition (3.0) but it is likely the ONLY updated version, thus the half-way mark to 4.0.

In this day, while such designations STARTED with computers, it has since entered the popular lexicon and so it is no longer necessarily about software - and it is readily understandable by all.

So a simple, straightforward designation, 3.5, communicates rather a lot of information in a small space. Sounds nice and efficient to me.

 

[diaglo]

LOL - from this day forth, I will refer to the revision as 3.11 - D&D for Workgroups.

i knew you'd see the light.

 

[Tom Cashel]

"XX Revised" is a convention used by White Wolf. Along with "See page XX" sprinkled throughout the text.

As for D&D...it's more than 3rd edition but not quite 4th, of course! Between a rock and a hard place, meng.