OK, 4/e was inevitable -- I can live with that.
But these other decisions -- why?!?
- Living Greyhawk is the most successful Living Campaign ever, and shows no sign of slowing down -- so they pull the plug... why?
- Dungeon and Dragon magazines have entered a new golden age (not just my opinion) under Paizo, so they pull the license... why?
- etools and PCGen are (finally) relatively successful software packages for D&D, and don't cost WotC a thing -- so they bring it to a screeching halt... why?
- When 4/e does raise it's inevitable head (or it's five dragon heads, if you ask me -- think about it), major parts of the common fabric of the D&D universe are being rewritten... why?
Need I go on? I just want to know, and I'd like the answer to be free of feel-good sense-free marketing garbage from WotC executives.
WHY?!?
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I'm guessing it has something to do with money. Now for people to keep playing the way they want to and get support for it, they will have to shell out more money to WotC.
We have to buy rules for a new system (unless you settle for the SRD), subscribe to get Dungeon and Dragon, and won't there a new Living RPGA setting starting up?
However, you don't need to accept all the rewriting of existing settings. Even RPGA groups could go with their own sanctioned setting if they like (I assume).
I'm guessing it has something to do with money...
On the one hand -- yes, of course.
On the other hand -- eliminating successful elements of a product isn't typically the way to make it better.
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On the other hand -- eliminating successful elements of a product isn't typically the way to make it better.
I guess it depends on who actually considers it successful. If re-inventing it as something new attracts new people and causes a surge of sales because it can't be found anywhere else, then it results in more money, even if it isn't better.
Hmm, I wonder if WotC is planning on introducing these new elements into backgrounds of other games of theirs to make people turn their heads toward DnD ("Hey, that's like this game, maybe I'll try that too").
I think the better question is, knowing what you know now about Wotc's business and customer service practices, will you still support them financially?!
-W. E. Ray
No. Or perhaps the better answer is "Not Much at all."
I think the better question is, knowing what you know now about Wotc's business and customer service practices, will you still support them financially?!
No. Or perhaps the better answer is "Not Much at all."
That's where I am. I'm sticking with 3.5 until we run out of good mods (with at least 1.5 APs left to play).
If 3 core books aren't enough to play (specifically, if the first Monster Manual isn't enough to support long-term play), I'll stop buying altogether.
I don't mind being exploited a little. I will not be exploited a lot.
In order for people to feel inspired to buy the new game system, those people need to feel uninspired to continue with the old one. The simplest method to do that is to stop supporting the old one. They may lose a certain percentage of their players as a result to GURPS or Rifts or World of Insufficient Light, but a couple years after 4.0 is out, there will be a whole new generation of gamers graduating from the 7th grade who have no idea what they're getting into, and they'll step up to the bar and start buying whatever books are in the gaming stores, and they'll all have "4.0" on their covers. Or 4.5, maybe.
In an attempt to lose fewer players to other games, they are specifically fixing a bunch of stuff that (they're telling us) doesn't work too well in 3.5. We're just supposed to ignore the fact that they could fix all this stuff without making everybody spend $100 on books.
I think the better question is, knowing what you know now about Wotc's business and customer service practices, will you still support them financially?!
-W. E. Ray
I don't believe I have ever "supported them [WOTC] financially". I have spent money to entertain myself and my friends with one of my favourite pastimes, D'n'D. I've played other roll playing games (Rifts, Champions, specifically) but I've always come back to D'n'D. There was a time when that meant spending money on products made by TSR, now it means spending money on products made by WotC, Paizo and to some extent Necromancer and Malhavoc. If I and my friends are still enjoying ourselves, then I will continue to spend money on a product that will make that time more enjoyable. I frankly don't care who makes the material, as long as it's good, and it increases my enjoyment of the game.
But then, I've not felt offended, insulted, or taken advantage of in the last several months. I know that there are many people out there who have felt these feelings, and all the more power to them. This is not meant to deride them. I just don't care all that much. I'll keep playing as long as I can. There will come a day when I'll stop playing but it won't be because of anything WoTC does. It will be because I'll decide it's time.
YMMV, of course.
Greg
They're re-writting the laws of the D'n'D world to allow their changes.
Basiclly, they're going for crunch = fluff
As far as they're concearned, if it doesn't help with their new game mechanics, they'll get rid of it, no matter how good this is.
This includes the gods. Most of the Forgotten Realms God's will change, not because the change is nessicerily better or for an interesting story, just because their mechanics make no sense otherwise.
Personally, I -never- agree with this kind of attitude, as far as I'm concearned, mechanics should always be based on the story or setting, not the other way around. How are folk who have played Edition 3.5 going to convert their characters to 4th Edition? Well, for one thing, some 3.5 classes won't exsist then, so right away, some of them are impossible.
They're re-writting the laws of the D'n'D world to allow their changes.
Basiclly, they're going for crunch = fluff
As far as they're concearned, if it doesn't help with their new game mechanics, they'll get rid of it, no matter how good this is.
This includes the gods. Most of the Forgotten Realms God's will change, not because the change is nessicerily better or for an interesting story, just because their mechanics make no sense otherwise.
Personally, I -never- agree with this kind of attitude, as far as I'm concearned, mechanics should always be based on the story or setting, not the other way around. How are folk who have played Edition 3.5 going to convert their characters to 4th Edition? Well, for one thing, some 3.5 classes won't exsist then, so right away, some of them are impossible.
Exactly- they are looking for the MMORPG buck and are retooling the system to accomadate this market, the majority of which falls into the golden 17-25 year old demographic. The majority of older gamers slip out of this group, so to Marketing, we're unpeople.
This retooling is important, since it means that every setting they have will get "reimagined" to accomadate the new classes, races, etc. It was okay with Sorcerers in 3rd Ed., which was more of a tweak, but the level of change is so major with 4th Edition, it'll be impossible to do without gutting the integrity of every setting they bring out. It'll make them uniform, and that's the problem.
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You know, I've got about $400 invested in 3.5. If you wanna add in 3.0, make that $650.
I DON'T WANNA SPEND THAT MONEY ALL OVER AGAIN!
Listen, I understand that a new version was "due", and that growth is good for a the hobby as a whole. But I'm tired of spending that kind of money everytime an addition comes out. My cousin added up all his 2nd Edition books and the retail was about $475. Now he's an economics geek so he gets psycho about this stuff, but he said "inflation" adjusted dollars would make that worth over $1000 in today's dollars.
I'm with an earlier poster, if I can't get along this time with just the core books, then screw 'em. :p
I peronsally won't even bother with core. Why spend money on more books when it makes the £200 worth of books I already own practilly useless? And by the sounds of it, some of the changes aren't even that good.
Making Psionics Core and fitting most classes with Tomb of Battle Style Abilities? What if I don't want psychic powers to be a common thing in my -fantasy- setting? What if I want my Fighters to be a mundane, non-magical class? Things are alot harder to work without when they're integrated into the main rules.
At the end of the day, I can still enjoy a good game with the rules I currently have, and they're written in a way that certain rules (such as the examples above) I can do without. I ain't blowing another £200 just because another edition is "due"
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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I dunno, I heard a lot of the "world is ending" type of talk when 3rd edition was coming out and I like it better than 2nd edition. I'm not happy about Dragon and Dungeon going to subscription-only web-only, but I don't mind a 4th edition coming out. If it's really good I'll get the books eventually. If not, I'll keep playing 3rd edition or houserule a 3/4 game. There's no reason you can't just convert your 3rd edition stuff to work with 4th edition if you like the new ruleset. I'm just in a wait and see mode now. Next year will determine if I buy the newer books.