D&D 4E Will 4E be announced at D&D Experience?

[Monte At Home]

The volume of leaks to "Eric Noah's 3rd Edition News" may have been disconcerting to the powers that be at Wizards (and perhaps are moreso to Hasbro), but they did a really good job of getting me for one really hyped about the new edition.

Well, Hasbro wasn't quite in the picture yet. And I don't think too many of those "powers" were all that disconcerted. In fact, I'm pretty sure some of them might have been the very sources of at least some of those leaks. In any event, from the get-go, everyone at Wizards (other than the folks on the WotC web team, perhaps understandably) pretty much loved Eric's site, and checked it every day.

 

[MerricB]

I insist.

I insist otherwise.

Cheers!

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

Well, I have no idea about actual sales numbers and all, but I would guess that phrases like "Hey, that's the rpg of Drizz (sp?) and Storm Brightblade" have attracted more people to D&D than "hey they use a cute rank-based skill system and that idea with the prestige classes really ROCKS".

From my limited point of view, I perceive that most people don't necessarily learn many complicated rulesets, but learn one or two to the core. To switch to another ruleset - combined with a stressy process of unpleasant learning - seems unlikely and unnecessary, if there is no attraction apart from the maths.

 

[MerricB]

From my limited point of view, I perceive that most people don't necessarily learn many complicated rulesets, but learn one or two to the core. To switch to another ruleset - combined with a stressy process of unpleasant learning - seems unlikely and unnecessary, if there is no attraction apart from the maths.

It's not the maths that attracts people, it's the game. The game of playing a hero in a (D&D/generic) fantasy setting, killing orcs, and getting treasure. D&D's popularity is based on what the game does, not on the actual setting... well, past the "mediaeval world with monsters and treasure" that most D&D games use.

Cheers!

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

Yes, that may be true, but yet, I personally, the big D&D fan that I am, don't see the reason why someone should choose D&D, especially a new edition, over other material - or, respectively, the material that is already on the market. My question is: What would a 4e offer that d20 in its present form doesn't already have? - Apart from better and more dense compilations of the material and some rule corrections? - I am not asking rethorically here, I just cannot see, like many other users, the actual reason or the possible inducement of a fourth installment of the game.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I really hope you are. The extensive playtest of 3e was one of the things I found most reassuring about the impending release of that system back in '98-'99. The volume of leaks to "Eric Noah's 3rd Edition News" may have been disconcerting to the powers that be at Wizards (and perhaps are moreso to Hasbro), but they did a really good job of getting me for one really hyped about the new edition.

I think any comparison between a 3e launch and a 4e launch will be quite a stretch at best. 2nd Edition was basically dead during the 3e development, whereas 4e has to contend with a popular and successful edition of the rules.

Me personally, I think Monte Cook's words were wisest right above. I think D&D currently has some very good designers, and a 4th edition would be in more than capable hands, so I'm not worried.

Aside from that, I think we'll do another incremental change (like 3.5) rather than a new edition right now.

 

[TerraDave]

I am not asking rethorically here, I just cannot see, like many other users, the actual reason or the possible inducement of a fourth installment of the game.

The hardcore players will buy it, because thats what they do (unless it is really bad).

The casual players will gradually buy it, because the hardcore players drive what rules they use (usually by G/DMing)

The new players will buy it, because it is the only thing to buy

What 4 ed offers to you and if you should buy it, I cannot even guess. If it is really devoid of any new goodness, then all the above catagories will be smaller, if that is any conselation.

 

[Maggan]

Well, I have no idea about actual sales numbers and all, but I would guess that phrases like "Hey, that's the rpg of Drizz (sp?) and Storm Brightblade" have attracted more people to D&D than "hey they use a cute rank-based skill system and that idea with the prestige classes really ROCKS".

I think that is correct. But I wouldn't call Drizzt or Sturm Brightblade settings per se, but rather symbols. They are illustrations of what you can be when playing D&D, the heroes you aspire to become, and so forth.

So to me, what sells D&D first are symbols, then rules, then setting.

/M

 

[teitan]

IMO, the problem of a supposed 4e would be that it has to deal with an already highly developed an essentially open source system - d20. 4e would have to add something fundamentally new to the market to keep people interested. I personally, since I already perceived 3e overcomplicated (no offense, Mr Cook), cannot see what a 4e should offer that 3e hasn't. ...And: As I said earlier, D&D's real strengths have always been the settings, not necessarily the rules. With the old settings being widely left unsupported, I wonder what new franchising line WotC could be planning...

I don't agree. Most people do not buy third party products for D&D or D20 Modern, especially now, unless you are talking adventures or add ons like counters, tiles, Paizo's Deck of Many Things (can't keep it in stock). Sourcebooks have almost washed up as far as third party is concerned (Malhavoc is an exception to this actually) and the old stuff has long been forgotten (how I miss Dragonstar). Hardcore audience, like those of us on ENworld know about the really cool stuff but most gamers simply don't care and want official material only. Any innovations made by third parties are just not known and WOTC would have NO PROBLEM if they didn't take those into account. I personally think they will go a long ways towards simplifying it if Star Wars Saga is any indication.

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

The new players will buy it, because it is the only thing to buy.

That's exactly the point - D&D-interested people would buy it. But why others? There are plenty of very good other rpg product lines out there, the more popular being the Warhammer books, the Conan or other series-based franchises. - I mean, of course I cannot really judge, but a solely Eberron-focused D&D 4e (wildly speculating here) would not really meet my appeal any more. D&D is and remains high fantasy for me, even *generic fantasy*, but not steampunk. - In any case, I don't know, but as far as I see it right now, a supposed 4e would most likely give up the paths of *default fantasy*. And that's exactly the field were D&D has its strengths.

I personally think they will go a long ways towards simplifying it if Star Wars Saga is any indication.

I agree here. Simplification would be a good thing. A 4e being a bit more like C&C would meet my personal full support.