D&D 4E Why 4E?

[applenerd]

If 3.5 had been identical except that it was called 3.1 instead, nobody would be worried and this thread wouldn't exist.

But seriously, if wotc came out with 4.0e tomorrow would it really make a huge difference to your game? Aren't there enough books out there to play an amazingly rich Dnd game for the rest of your life! I've been operating off of solely the core books and one or two other books here and there for years now and my games are imaginative and a blast to play!

Wizards is gonna look out for number one and right now that means supporting their existing (and quite large) 3.5 customer base.

So seriously I'm gonna stop posting (until it comes out I suppose) about 4.0e.... now.

 

[applenerd]

Right now.... I mean... now. Last one I promise. This was it. ;-)

 

[Staffan]

And how long was 3.5e in development prior to its July 2003 release? Immediately after the release of 3.0e?

Depends on your definition of "in development". I would be surprised if they didn't have a file of "things to fix" pretty darn soon, but they probably didn't work actively on it for all that long.

 

[Andre La Roche]

From what I remember, the official line is "we have no projects, and we certainly won't start thinking about it before 2010" - not that it will be published in 2010. Anyway, many of the 4E threads floating around are mostly jokes by people who aren't really worried about it.

I'm sure that this April Fool's page from a few years back didn't help things either. I remember a guy who refused to upgrade to 3e seeing this and thinking it was real. He kept crowing about how we were all chumps for letting WotC "take our money" and then plan a new edition from the get-go. Soon enough he was eating crow.

 

[Li Shenron]

Why does anyone think that 4E is going to happen?

IMHO some people have been "angry" that 3.5 didn't incorporate the house rules they were using in their game and therefore have been storming the forums with threads in hope that WotC notice how many people are eagerly waiting for another rule update.

 

[fanboy2000]

If 3.5 had been identical except that it was called 3.1 instead, nobody would be worried and this thread wouldn't exist.

I never liked the name 3.5.

1. I makes the game sound like software, and commercial software often updates faster than RPGs.

2. 3.5 sounds like it's halfway between 3e and 4e and, unless 4e is a much smaller step than people here seem to think, it's not halfway to a new edition.

Other games have revisions and people don't think a thing about it. But D&D has a history of sweeping revisions that annoy whole segments of players, so after 30 years people are paranoid.

 

[Ranger REG]

Depends on your definition of "in development". I would be surprised if they didn't have a file of "things to fix" pretty darn soon, but they probably didn't work actively on it for all that long.

So, you do agree with me that they already have fixes "in development" even before the printers laid ink on copies of 3.0e PHB.

I knew it! One of my conspiracy theories is true!

Shhh! The corporate suits might take me away for whistle-blowing.

 

[Crothian]

So, you do agree with me that they already have fixes "in development" even before the printers laid ink on copies of 3.0e PHB.

I knew it! One of my conspiracy theories is true!

The biggest problem is the non disclosure stuff, so even those of us who might know something wouldn't be able to say.

 

[Gentlegamer]

Am I the only one who never bought the marketing use of "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" for the d20 system? To me, "3e" was d20 Fantasy 1st editon . . . "3.5" is d20 Fantasy 2nd edition.

 

[Ranger REG]

I never liked the name 3.5.

1. I makes the game sound like software, and commercial software often updates faster than RPGs.

2. 3.5 sounds like it's halfway between 3e and 4e and, unless 4e is a much smaller step than people here seem to think, it's not halfway to a new edition.

Actually, they decided to go with "3.5e" instead of "3.3e" or else customer will be thinking there will be more revisions in a few short years interval (3.4, 3.5, 3.75, etc.) They promised this is going to be the one and only revision made for the Third Edition.

Other games have revisions and people don't think a thing about it. But D&D has a history of sweeping revisions that annoy whole segments of players, so after 30 years people are paranoid.

Other games are not likely to be "revision" in the truest sense of the word. If anything, it would be just re-organizing for better reading, like the Revised 2nd Edition AD&D. I see no major change in that revision vs. the original 2nd edition.