D&D 4E Will 4E be announced?

[Roman]

I am one of those people who would not mind at all seeing a 4th edition. What I would have a problem with, however, is making the game even more miniatures centric and very likely also with selling the game in smaller chunks. I do not buy or use miniatures, so increasing the focus on miniatures would increase my frustration with the game.

My attitude to these changes will, however, depend on their execution. 'Smaller chunks of information' is a bit vague - I would certainly NOT be willing to buy cards for each spell, feat, etc.. Smaller rulebooks also leave me cold, but they are not as bad as cards.

Although I would not be thrilled about it, I would even be willing to accept some increase in reliance on miniatures if I thought other changes to the game were positive, or perhaps even just to stay 'current' with the game - I have done so the former in the past with 3.0E and a mixture of the former and the latter with 3.5E.

If miniatures were made completely indispensible to the game or if they were sold along with the rules or if the game relied on cards for feats, spells, etc, though, that would result in my exit out of D&D. There are other ways, I can entertain myself, and other ways to spend my money (and the amount of money I have spent on D&D is not insignificant).

In any case, Mike Mearls is a great game designer, so let's hope he improves the game in the next edition and he does not 'devolve' it back to Chainmail (hint hint with miniatures and smaller chunks of material).

 

[Mouseferatu]

Absolutely.

Also, I have a feeling he's fairly well paid.

Again, as I have looked at recent WOTC releases, it's like watching a volcano. You know there has to be something big coming, you're not sure if the island is going to blow up or suddenly get bigger

Chuck

WotC didn't hire Mike as a writer, though. They hired him as part of the development team. While that doesn't mean you'll never see his name on the cover--I think most of the development team also does some writing--it does mean that he's worked on a plethora of books you might not have noticed.

Secondly, remember that Mike was only hired 15 months or so ago. Sounds like a long time, sure. But while there are exceptions, the process from conception to publication on any given book usually takes upwards of a year at WotC.

Now, it's certainly possible that Mike's working on something big; I wouldn't necessarily know about it if he was. But don't let the fact that you haven't seen his name on the covers fool you; it doesn't mean that he hasn't been involved in a lot of books over the past year.

 

[Nyaricus]

I would just love to see 4th Edition as a cleaned up, and possibly 'repackaged' 3.5 - with new covers, all of the eratta included, broken rules fixed, etc.

Why wasn't his done in the first place?

3.5 was supposed to fix 3.0, but a lot of errata was left out (I beleive the DMG especially, IIRC) and there are still some loopholes that need mending. We got new covers, sure, but this stuff should have been done awhile ago, with the release of 3.5e.

 

[Melkor]

Why wasn't his done in the first place?

3.5 was supposed to fix 3.0, but a lot of errata was left out (I beleive the DMG especially, IIRC) and there are still some loopholes that need mending. We got new covers, sure, but this stuff should have been done awhile ago, with the release of 3.5e.

True enough.

I guess the gyst of what I am saying is that if I had my way, 4th Edition would still be compatible with current material...just repackaged, clarified, expanded, and cleaned up.

Nothing says that a new edition HAS to drastically alter the system or rules to be considered more than a 'revised' edition.

 

[Vigilance]

WotC didn't hire Mike as a writer, though. They hired him as part of the development team. While that doesn't mean you'll never see his name on the cover--I think most of the development team also does some writing--it does mean that he's worked on a plethora of books you might not have noticed.

Secondly, remember that Mike was only hired 15 months or so ago. Sounds like a long time, sure. But while there are exceptions, the process from conception to publication on any given book usually takes upwards of a year at WotC.

Now, it's certainly possible that Mike's working on something big; I wouldn't necessarily know about it if he was. But don't let the fact that you haven't seen his name on the covers fool you; it doesn't mean that he hasn't been involved in a lot of books over the past year.

I do understand all this, and I did say Id seen his hame on some things (I dont think I mentioned as a developer but that is the only credit by his that I have seen).

Im also not downplaying how valuable someone like Mike would BE as a developer.

I just feel that if *I* were WOTC and hired him, Id want him to take d20 in some amazing direction it had never gone before.

And of course he WAS slated to write Spectaculars before it cancelled, so maybe that's the amazing book I am naively waiting for Mike to write

Chuck

 

[the black knight]

Which is to say, the large nachos... with extra cheese.

 

[Pramas]

I just feel that if *I* were WOTC and hired him, Id want him to take d20 in some amazing direction it had never gone before.

You have to remember that WotC is a big company and thus has a hierarchy. Usually the senior guys get the cherry projects. It's certainly possible to earn your way on to the big projects, but in my experience that's totally based on the work you do once you are at WotC. What you did previous to being hired doesn't count for much inside those walls.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I honestly don't see why each new printing of the book doesn't get the errata included, with a notation in the book so people can see which vintage it is. There will certainly be a fair number of people who will upgrade each year, and can help defray the costs of creating new plates.

 

[Vigilance]

You have to remember that WotC is a big company and thus has a hierarchy. Usually the senior guys get the cherry projects. It's certainly possible to earn your way on to the big projects, but in my experience that's totally based on the work you do once you are at WotC. What you did previous to being hired doesn't count for much inside those walls.

Sure, throw the cold water of fact and experience on my argument why don't you!

Chuck

 

[Nyaricus]

True enough.

I guess the gyst of what I am saying is that if I had my way, 4th Edition would still be compatible with current material...just repackaged, clarified, expanded, and cleaned up.

Nothing says that a new edition HAS to drastically alter the system or rules to be considered more than a 'revised' edition.

Well, I don't see why they don't release 3.5 revised edition, with Swift and Immediate actions, all errate, rule fix-ups, clarifications, a better glossary, a better index etc? Oh, right, they painted themselves into a corner with "the next edition we are going to release will be 4e" after the whole "well 3.5 was supposed to be 3.0 revised, but the fans termed it 3.5 so we went with it" bit.

Sometimes, I just don't get it...

Which is to say, the large nachos... with extra cheese.

You know what? I like you