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Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tigris" data-source="post: 9813639" data-attributes="member: 7043270">If that would have been the case they would NOT have deleted the forums for older D&D edition the last 2 times new D&D versions came out, because that made it A LOT harder for new people to play these older games. For 4E almost all guides about the game and classes were on WotC forums. People needed to do things like this thread: <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/4e-character-optimization-wotc-rescue-handbook-guide.472893/" target="_blank">D&D 4E - 4E Character Optimization WOTC rescue Handbook Guide</a> and still even with this the community lost its biggest community place and only a fraction of 4E community content was rescued from there.They dont want that the older products take away players from the new one. Its good to get some additional income, but you dont want to lose future income because you are not making any new books for old editions. So the best case, what you really want, is that people play 5E and do take some inspiration from older editions and buy books for that. This also allows better to capture on nostalgia when releasing a throwback product.We did see this also during 4th edition, when the organized play of 3.5 was immediately discontinued and all the messaging was about playing the new game and all marketing was about that and it was communicated like playing 3.5 is worth nothing anymore. Not even that you should change the 3.5 campaign into 4E, you should just start a new one. (And this WotC anti 3.5 threw many fans of and helped Paizo with PF1 in the end). Or when they deleted access to 3E SRD: <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/wotc-quietly-deleting-access-to-the-3e-srd.694230/" target="_blank">WotC quietly deleting access to the 3e SRD</a> as well as their general archives: [MEDIA=reddit]DnD/comments/s7b634[/MEDIA]If WotC would be happy with people playing older versions, they would not have 2015 announced that you cant any longer get subscriptions to D&D Insider for 4E. (Even though technically it was still possible for some time just not over the official way. So it was a decision from them that no they do not want people to play 4E and give them money)If they would want players to play their older versions, then they would allow for 4E player centric material to have print on demand on drivethru RPG, because it has enough sales to qualify for. But only GM centric stuff (which can be used as inspiration for 4E games does). This one here is a mithril seller and has no: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/de/product/161671/player-s-handbook-4e?src=also_purchased" target="_blank">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/de/product/161671/player-s-handbook-4e?src=also_purchased</a> and several comments ask for Print on DemandIt even goes so far that for 4E WotC has the NON updated version of many 4E products on drivethru RPG, meaning the older not as good versions with not all errata. This is especially bad for the Quickstarter set: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/de/product/110213/d-d-rpg-starter-set-quickstart-4e" target="_blank">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/de/product/110213/d-d-rpg-starter-set-quickstart-4e</a>This is the old version of Keep on Shadowfell. You know the one which was really not liked when it released, the one where people critizized that combats draged too much, which was after less than 1 year removed from being sold and which was replaced with an updated way better FREE PDF version which could be downloaded from the WotC homepage.So they went out of their way in 2013 to remove the free improved updated version of 4E keep on the shadowfell from their own website, and instead uploaded the old bad version which gave many people a bad first impression of 4E up to drivethru RPG as the "free 4E starter set".And you know what also would make it a lot easier to play older versions? Something which was even said they would do in several interviews? To put them under less restrictive licenses! This was promised during the OGL debacle, but again, this was just to make people stop being angry, and they achieved that, so there is no need to release a better licence, because that would cause the risk of more people playing older editions and WotC for sure does not want that since they dont make new content. <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/187981-so-what-happen-to-3e-3-5e-and-4e-being-put-under" target="_blank">So what happen to 3E, 3.5E and 4E being put under Creative Commons? - General Discussion - D&D Beyond General - D&D Beyond Forums - D&D Beyond</a></blockquote>

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