WotC and D&D

[Mark]

...and based around more dubious design decisions.

Can you elaborate, please?

 

[reiella]

Other then the fact that in order to stay current, you had to shell out average $29.99 US to get the new books, only 3 years after the last ruleset. Before it was about 10 years between edtions. If I hear that 4.0 is coming out in 2006, I'm sticking with GURPS or Hackmaster.

Quick thing I'd like to point out here.

2e... The 'revised and updated' Player's Handbook for AD&D 2e came out in 1993, about 4 years after the initial 2nd edition PHB. Then a mere 2 years later, the Player's Options, which were a far greater change in rules than the transition from 3.0 to 3.5 (in my opinion).

I personally like the direction of WotC. Fewer Books, but higher quality books. That's a basic design option I agree with. I don't really see any further 'miniaturization' of the game in 3.5 than in 3.0, except that instead of seeing pogs on the examples, you see miniatures. Except of course, for the Miniatures Handbook, which did not seem that much more of a 'miniaturization' than the BATTLESYSTEM ruleset.

Now, I am unhappy with some of their policy decisions (not exactly business decisions) and that will most likly keep me from buying future wotc books for some time (yes, I broke and bought Book of Exalted Deeds and was greatly disappointed, which is sad because I did enjoy BoVD).

Also for Harlock's comment, that is actually a true event. It pissed folks off yes, but they still got more clients and customers.

With the Luclin expansion, about 30% of EverQuest players were unable to play the game, even WITHOUT that expansion purchased, due to the engine changes (needed in the 'base' client) and forced folks to upgrade their computers and operating systems.

There just comes a time when you have to either push ahead or spend more time and money reinventing the wheel for software.

With books at least, you have the nice option of waiting it out. And I'm not suggesting that it was 'too soon' or 'too little/too much'. But also consider the wording in the initial 3.0 PHB about rule source heirarchy, which is really only important for tournament play, but still somewhat important to consider.

 

[Treebore]

Quick thing I'd like to point out here.

2e... The 'revised and updated' Player's Handbook for AD&D 2e came out in 1993, about 4 years after the initial 2nd edition PHB. Then a mere 2 years later, the Player's Options, which were a far greater change in rules than the transition from 3.0 to 3.5 (in my opinion).

I personally like the direction of WotC. Fewer Books, but higher quality books. That's a basic design option I agree with. I don't really see any further 'miniaturization' of the game in 3.5 than in 3.0, except that instead of seeing pogs on the examples, you see miniatures. Except of course, for the Miniatures Handbook, which did not seem that much more of a 'miniaturization' than the BATTLESYSTEM ruleset.

Now, I am unhappy with some of their policy decisions (not exactly business decisions) and that will most likly keep me from buying future wotc books for some time (yes, I broke and bought Book of Exalted Deeds and was greatly disappointed, which is sad because I did enjoy BoVD).

Also for Harlock's comment, that is actually a true event. It pissed folks off yes, but they still got more clients and customers.

With the Luclin expansion, about 30% of EverQuest players were unable to play the game, even WITHOUT that expansion purchased, due to the engine changes (needed in the 'base' client) and forced folks to upgrade their computers and operating systems.

There just comes a time when you have to either push ahead or spend more time and money reinventing the wheel for software.

With books at least, you have the nice option of waiting it out. And I'm not suggesting that it was 'too soon' or 'too little/too much'. But also consider the wording in the initial 3.0 PHB about rule source heirarchy, which is really only important for tournament play, but still somewhat important to consider.

The options books were not rule changes, they were rules options. The only official rule changes that appeared in these books were the difference in saves for mortals, demigods, and deities. I also used the rule for Haste. But the saves rule is the only thing in the Options books i remember as being labeled official new dogma. There may have been others, but it was only a handful at most.

The 2e players HB was actually just an update/revision. I don't remember any spell names being changed, class progression being altered, a batch of new rules being thrown in, etc... It is the revision of this book (2e PHB) that makes me define 3.5 as a new edition, not a revision.

 

[Wormwood]

I was happy with 3.0

Less happy once all the splatbooks were out. The stuff that wasn't boring was broken. Things were not looking good.

Upgraded to really happy with 3.5

If the 3.5 spatbooks follow the Complete Warrior route, then I plan to be upgraded to ecstatic, and it may require surgery to remove the idiotic grin from my face.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

But the saves rule is the only thing in the Options books i remember as being labeled official new dogma. There may have been others, but it was only a handful at most.

The only rules I noticed to hit full implementation was the Psionics revamp in S&P.

...it may require surgery to remove the idiotic grin from my face.

Nope, can't afford that, y'know... Need your cash for when 4.0 comes out in 3 years (assuming that they don't go with the 3.9 release with 4.0 coming out the following year).

In the meantime, however, we've got this nifty hacksaw that should do the trick.

 

[Wormwood]

Nope, can't afford that, y'know... Need your cash for when 4.0 comes out in 3 years

Let's see...

I play 6+ hours a week (roughly 300 hours per year)

So, about 900 play hours over 3 years...for an initial outlay of $90?

That comes out to about a buck every ten hours of D&D.

(I'm not even counting hundreds of hours I will spend planning and writing D&D--an enjoyable hobby in itself).

By my calculations, it's not WotC but my cable company that is really fleecing me.

/hoping my math is correct

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Hmmm...

Checks Time/Warner bill...

Y'might have a point there...

 

[Nightfall]

Not suprised. Everything BUT WotC is fleecing us out of our cash. I should know. I wanted a new HD this year. I ended up paying for my student loans. So PHHHHTT!! on them.

 

[Nightfall]

That being the case, I really have to fall on the "I'm not too happy" side of the fence.

I'd fall there too...if I didn't think there weren't enough people already complaining about it.

 

[Apocalyptic Kitty]

Then according to Acts 19:19 you should gather up all your occult paraphernalia like your rock music, occult books, charms, Dungeons and Dragons material. Don't throw them away. Burn them!

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp

Yeah, there's a big surprise. Has anyone seen this guy's tracts? They read like someone just took away his prozac. That's OK though, just one more agent of entropy loose in cyberspace.