D&D 4E When do you think 4E will be released?

[MerricB]

Skills and powers just sucked was did anyone actually use them?

Yes. Quite a few people, actually. The thing with the Player's Option series was that it didn't totally suck - there were both good and bad things in it. (Much like the rest of 2E, really, and every other edition of D&D... any RPG... ever made)

Probably the most memorable campaign I ever ran was using the Player's Option rules. The expanded range of character types was extremely useful for that game - and all my later 3E and 3.5E campaigns have been built on the base of what was accomplished in that game.

Cheers!

 

[3catcircus]

I really don't care *when* they release 4e, so longer as it isn't a mess like 3.x is.

I don't want 4e to be another bean-counting exercise where I spend more time tracking errors, reading errata, and determining the "correct" version of a feat, spell, or prestige class than I do designing and running the game.

Currently, w/ 3.x, I have to use the D&D Rule Tracker spreadsheet to determine just what the lastest errata is. Why should I have to look at a sheet of paper and say, for example, "Ok, the Nybor's Gentle Reminder spell is in 3 different books, and the correct version is in PGtF."

This is all I ask for - for 4e to be self-contained and not have a zillion new feats and prestige classes introduced in every official and non-official publication that need to be maintained using configuration management techniques. I want a *single* book that details all of the core rules. Prestige classes? A *single* book that deals with nothing but prestige classes. A *single* book that deals with nothing but feats. Separate the crunch from the fluff.

If this is done properly, I could see them releasing 4e in 2008 or 2009. Unfortunately, I think they'll release it in 2006 in a way similar to the way they released 3e - thrown-together and half-a**ed.

 

[Alaric_Prympax]

I voted 2010+, seems about every 10 years or so. Depending on my personal situation and looking at the allllll the 3e and 3.5e stuff I've got... well, let's just say I have enough gaming material to last for quite a few years. Also I never fully embraced 2e, when I played I used my 1e books though I only bought the 2e PH and MM I ended up with 2 DMG's (still trying to figure that one out ). Unless no one will play with me I doubt I'll switch. Hasbro will just have to do without any money from me for 4e. And for any 3e/3.5e books I may need after 4e comes out there's always eBay.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

I agree.

When I said "3e Renaissance", I really meant the 3.5e Renaissance. The business plan outlined by Wizards at GAMA earlier this year is far more extensive than I've seen before, and certainly more extensive than what was apparent for the first 3 years of 3E.

Future of D&D

Cheers!

The business plan is interesting, but (like all business plans) it's also partly wishful thinking.

It seems to be predicated on that assumption that they can convince most players to buy the minis. I don't think that will happen across the board. They have sold a lot of minis (but is it 7,000,000 minis or 700,000 boxes (10 to a box = 7,000,000 minis ), but I also know lots of players who have no interest in the minis at all. Relying on the minis to retain current players seems like a weak strategy to me. I don't see new people playing D&D *because of the minis*. Or current players not dropping out *because of the minis*. What I see, is some current players enjoying the minis. Which is great! But I don't see it as a great retention tool for players.

Retain players by using the RPGA? Don't think that'll happen. I see more people dropping out of RPGA than starting to play RPGA in these parts (Wisconsin).

The Map Folios? I love maps, and will buy them all (because I love maps), but saying about Map Folio I: "beautiful maps allow DMs to quickly illustrate movement and clarify gameplay" just doesn't ring true *for that product* - the maps are nice, but they're not printed at a scale so you can use minis on them. That would have allowed Map Folio I "to quickly illustrate movement and clarify gameplay." But the standard one inch = 40 feet (or whatever) does not facilitate gameplay any more than a home-made map on standard graph paper does. Everyone still has to wait while the DM draws the big map (or, worse, describes the room and makes a player draw out the big map).

I'm not playing Chicken Little here. I think there are a lot of good ideas in the marketing plan (beginner box set, "D&D Day,", etc.), but some of them are just silly. Of course, if success of the minis can delay version 4, I'm all for minis!

 

[Wombat]

I'll place bets on last quarter 2006; barring that first quarter 2007.

Of course I shall not be buying it, but that is almost beside the point.

 

[shadow]

Given that 3.5e was released less than 3 years after 3e, I'd say that 4e will probably be released sometime in 2006. (The big anouncement will probably be at GenCon 2005). WotC's marketing paradigm seems to be a new edition every few years, so I won't be surprised if 4e is released sometime soon.

 

[Banshee16]

So . . . when do you predict 4E will come out?

I'd say . . . 2006, maybe?

Or, maybe 4E won't come out. Maybe d20 will become the core source and D&D will just be a supplement to a d20 core rulebook? So, in otherwords, you'd have "d20 Core 2nd Edition" featuring the "Dungeons & Dragons accessory" (I doubt that would ever happen; D&D is too strong and will always be the focal point).

I hope not for quite a while....1st and 2nd Ed. each lasted 10 years, I believe....hopefully 3E does as well.

I'm in absolutely no hurry blow money buying all the books I've purchased all over again in a new edition. 3E works fine..

Banshee

 

[Banshee16]

I really don't care *when* they release 4e, so longer as it isn't a mess like 3.x is.

I don't want 4e to be another bean-counting exercise where I spend more time tracking errors, reading errata, and determining the "correct" version of a feat, spell, or prestige class than I do designing and running the game.

Currently, w/ 3.x, I have to use the D&D Rule Tracker spreadsheet to determine just what the lastest errata is. Why should I have to look at a sheet of paper and say, for example, "Ok, the Nybor's Gentle Reminder spell is in 3 different books, and the correct version is in PGtF."

This is all I ask for - for 4e to be self-contained and not have a zillion new feats and prestige classes introduced in every official and non-official publication that need to be maintained using configuration management techniques. I want a *single* book that details all of the core rules. Prestige classes? A *single* book that deals with nothing but prestige classes. A *single* book that deals with nothing but feats. Separate the crunch from the fluff.

If this is done properly, I could see them releasing 4e in 2008 or 2009. Unfortunately, I think they'll release it in 2006 in a way similar to the way they released 3e - thrown-together and half-a**ed.

We'd be deluding ourselves to think this will *ever* happen. There will always be errata. 3E was supposed to be a blank slate.....but time passes, books get published, people find loopholes, and WotC tries to close them.

I know that the WotC troopers won't knock my door down if I play without the latest edition of errata.....I try to keep track of what I can, but I also don't sweat it.

I've noticed a lot of errata are there exactly to close rules holes/loopholes that just haven't been problems in my game....but then, my players are roleplayers...not rollplayers....they have concentrated on the story, instead of on min-maxing, and hence haven't really abused any of the loopholes I've read about.

If errata are that important, then prepare to be depressed when WotC releases 4E, and you have to start blowing your money all over again on new books.....and 4 weeks after they're released, the errata start rolling in.

Banshee

 

[LeifVignirsson]

I voted 2006, and here is why...

This is going to be an edition that WotC wants to get out of the nest ASAP mainly because (IMO) the other 3.x publishers are coming out with a higher quality product faster than they can. WotC spends all of their time focusing on specific areas but are beaten to the punch by, say, AEG or Fantasy Flight...

That and the mentality of a video game genius might have us see something that is "WotC" exclusive! Look, this is our "side game" that doesn't use ANY of the OGL and you can only get through us! That way, they still have the OGL to focus some of their production on, slowly move over to the exclusive stuff and then eventually, when 3.x dies on the vine, people will be wanting to lean more on the exclusive line.

Call me paranoid, but that seems a little more feasable to me than completely dropping 3.x... Most of the mad geniuses at Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft do it all the time. Support the older system and the newer system until the older one phases out...

All I know is when it does hit, I am not jumping on board. I will probably be retired from gaming for a while anyway, seeing that I spent a lot of time and money on 3.x

 

[RFisher]

If we're going to rehash this poll, somebody with search capabilities should bump my "When do you want 4e?" poll. (At least, I think I was the one that posted that one. )