Will Constant Errata Kill the Essential Line?

[Azgulor]

Updated, corrected edition inclusive of errata was the sales pitch for 3.5. I'm only a casual observer since I don't play 4e but the level of errata seems to be greater than what was used to justify 3.5. (It may not be, it may be it's just better communicated...)

Numerous Internet prophets have declared there will be no 4.5 edition and, if memory serves, a WotC employee or two may have said the same. So with a large(-er?) amount of errata, greater visibility via the DDI, and a promise of no 4.5e -- yeah, I think it could hurt the line. Depending upon the severity of the impact, I could see where it could eventually impact the life/longevity of the edition as well.

 

[bagger245]

Well, Andy says that they will keep producing errata before September. When the Essentials hit, it is assumed that all clarifications are done and the Rules Compendium will be a flawless book.

 

[Rechan]

Besides, the Essentials line is just Basic D&D for 4e. It's the same rules, organized in a different way.

How would errata invalidate it, considering it's levels 1-3 to begin with? It's D&D step 1.

Besides, I don't think that kids buying their gateway to D&D would check online for errata to begin with.

 

[DragoonLance]

You are also assuming that the target audience of the essentials books actually bothers to go online and look for errata.

 

[malraux]

I suspect the other thing that makes 4e rules updates look so huge compared to 3e is that everything is getting erratad. Dragon magazine material, supplemental books, those power card sets, etc all get errata issued. In 3e, at best, the core rules only would ever get an errata but almost never any of the supplemental books. Clearly it isn't because the 3e supplemental books were better balanced and copy edited than the 4e ones. WotC, to their credit, has implemented a pretty decent rules support backend.

 

[MerricB]

Besides, the Essentials line is just Basic D&D for 4e. It's the same rules, organized in a different way.

How would errata invalidate it, considering it's levels 1-3 to begin with? It's D&D step 1.

Err...

No, the D&D Essentials line goes beyond that.

The D&D Basic Set is levels 1-3. That's the first product in the Essentials line.

Everything else is levels 1-30.

Basically, you can get into D&D 4e by either buying the Player's Handbook, DMG and Monster Manual... or you could go the Essentials route with the Basic Set, Rules Compendium, Monster Vault and Heroes of the Fallen Lands.

Cheers!

 

[Rechan]

Basically, you can get into D&D 4e by either buying the Player's Handbook, DMG and Monster Manual... or you could go the Essentials route with the Basic Set, Rules Compendium, Monster Vault and Heroes of the Fallen Lands.

Why would they do that?

 

[Sigurd]

I think in the bigger picture WOTC simply has to work with its fans to have a good game and a popular product. They deserve kudos for their errata and I think it can only help their whole line.

Products not directly addressed in a set of errata will be retrofitted by players that care. Players that don't care won't need the errata to have a good game.

I don't see a problem. These are the rules to a game not real physics. You don't loose much for not knowing about a change so long as it doesn't cause conflicts or break the game. For WOTC there's no downside to helping your players have fun. Products touched but not targeted by this errata will be updated by gamers or addressed in other errata.

Sigurd

 

[MerricB]

Why would they do that?

I'd guess because the current way of DMG, MM and PH is too intimidating for a lot of potential players.

It's a fascinating strategy. I'll be interested to see if it works.

Cheers!

 

[doctorhook]

I want my fluff. As for crunch... well, it's getting harder and harder to justify buying physical books, pretty on my shelf though they may be. D&DI *is* the Fountain of Crunch, and with more utility for a fraction of the price of paper.

Some people I know locally who are still playing 4E, have already been doing this for quite awhile.

You say that like 4E is passé...