Will you buy the preview books?

[ThirdWizard]

I crave mechanics too. But I also crave the design philosophy for those mechanics so I can have more context. I don't like to just see what a designer has done, but also the how and the why.

I think at this point I have a pretty clear understanding of their game design philosophy, though. Bo9S and its design commentaries, SWSE and its design commentaries, etc. have offered me enough, personally. Those are the directions of 4e and I understand them well enough, I think. If it happens that there is something unexpected in there, then I will pick up the book, though.

 

[GeorgeFields]

Sheesh. When they laid off a lot of people, they must have laid off some of their better marketing agents.

and writers. I'm convinced the only reason 4e is coming out so soon is the current writers want their names on the game. Hell, from what I've heard, one of WotC's main writers (not going to mention who) was a Jr editor before the layoffs and wasn't "allowed" to write. That was a good choice as most of that author's books aren't worth buying IMO.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

I'm really looking forward to these. I really dig what they are doing and I want to hear the behind-the-curtain ideas.

 

[The Little Raven]

Part of deception is not getting caught

I tend not to go through life assuming everyone is lying to me. Tin-foil hats have never been my style.

 

[Ranger REG]

and writers. I'm convinced the only reason 4e is coming out so soon is the current writers want their names on the game.

Jonathan Tweet (3e designer) wants his name on 4e???

 

[Accursed]

I voted "No," because there wasn't a "Hell, no" option.

Ditto.

 

[GeorgeFields]

Jonathan Tweet (3e designer) wants his name on 4e???

As the saying goes, "There's an exception to every rule."

That was all speculation anyway.

 

[Eidalac]

Meh.

I'm pretty disinterested in 4e in general, but I just could never see myself paying that kind of cash for a design guide. I'm sure it's good and interesting stuff, to a degree, but with only that type of content, it's not worth that price.

Flavor and crunch are two things that work best as a team - I'm not terribly interested in one without the other.

 

[Atlatl Jones]

I wish the poll had a "maybe" option. I'm going to flip through it in the store before I make my decision. I didn't buy the rules compendium because I don't want 3.5 rules, but I read some of the commentaries in Borders and liked what I saw. If the book has detailed commentaries about the design process, rather than the sort of vague assertions we've seen in the web content, then I may buy it.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

No way in Hell. I'm not even sure I'll buy 4e. But I am sure that I won't pay for their marketing campaigns - not like that. I only pay for marketing campaigns when I buy the product in question. I don't pay them to sell me on something I'll have to pay for again.

I'll only buy 4e (and only the stuff that will be in the SRD and thus can be used by 3rd party publishers) if Paizo is going to support it. I guess a lot of people will do the same.

So I guess Wizards should do their best to support companies like Paizo or Necromancer, and they should pay them, because they're making their marketing for them (of course, this applies only if Wizards will give the proper support and those companies do pick up 4e).