D&D is too various to be associated with only a few colors, however the most impressive and essential for me is the GREEN palette (including blue and yellow shades) and the spectrum of GREY (including pitch black and pure white). I believe that a greater participation of natural, cooler and sober hues convey better (more authentic) atmosphere and immersion into the fantasy world, while too many bright and loud colors on a page, like in the 4E books, is rather tawdry and kitschy. ...
View full commentD&D is too various to be associated with only a few colors, however the most impressive and essential for me is the GREEN palette (including blue and yellow shades) and the spectrum of GREY (including pitch black and pure white).
I believe that a greater participation of natural, cooler and sober hues convey better (more authentic) atmosphere and immersion into the fantasy world, while too many bright and loud colors on a page, like in the 4E books, is rather tawdry and kitschy.
For me a key concepts of D&D are especially "adventure", "exploration" and "mysteries" - thereupon first of all I imagine: "caverns", "dungeons" and "wilderness"...
I must say you do have a difficult job in laying out the strategy as you release each new edition. From the standpoint of the three groups we've play tested 5e (Next) with we've come to the consensus that you must balance: 1. Maximization within the market segments that yield the highest profitability (I am guessing this gets younger as the years go on). 2. Various ages of D&D players who each have a special place in their heart for a specific edition. 3. Keeping the original...
View full commentI must say you do have a difficult job in laying out the strategy as you release each new edition. From the standpoint of the three groups we've play tested 5e (Next) with we've come to the consensus that you must balance:
1. Maximization within the market segments that yield the highest profitability (I am guessing this gets younger as the years go on).
2. Various ages of D&D players who each have a special place in their heart for a specific edition.
3. Keeping the original books in an edition release relevant as you release more books.
4. Upholding the basis of every facet of the RPG landscape, because let's be honest D&D dictates the game mechanics of every other table top and console game RPG that temporally follows.
You seem to be referring to point three though in terms of core books that we purchased vs. those of essentials. Of course I am guessing here, as I don't have the sales figures in front of me. One assumption, that which I think you are making, is ease of use for new players, which I would agree that essentials made it easier for new players to join. I myself found it easier to bring in about 30 new players, using the essentials over time, and then supplementing with PHB 2/3, and the other fantastic add-ons. The other way to possibly interpret it though is that PHB1 just became outdated in 4e with all the new DDI content that was published, especially in the areas of dailies, encounters, and utility powers.
Either way your new strategy sounds fundamentally sound. The key in expansion, in my opinion, though would be to continue to provide new content in the DDI compendium, and make it easy to access with a mobile app. In this manner you can reach more people if you put in place growth mechanisms to get a larger DDI subscriber base, and you also benefit from a beta-release approach being that you integrate it so well with the forum.
In summary I like the approach though, love the beta-test, and am excited for the 5e release.
I would never call the lack of fluff reason for mechanics a weak point for 4e, personally, I think one of 4e's strengths was it put the fluff back where it belonged, in the hands of DMs and Players...out of combat actions, story, roleplaying, all work better in an environment where the rules aren't focused on them, but rather on just resolution mechanics, which 4e was. The DM an the Players bring the story, the exploration, and the interaction, they bring the story alive, and the more staid and...
View full commentI would never call the lack of fluff reason for mechanics a weak point for 4e, personally, I think one of 4e's strengths was it put the fluff back where it belonged, in the hands of DMs and Players...out of combat actions, story, roleplaying, all work better in an environment where the rules aren't focused on them, but rather on just resolution mechanics, which 4e was. The DM an the Players bring the story, the exploration, and the interaction, they bring the story alive, and the more staid and mechanical and combat focused the rules are, the more it frees the game up for that.
Now, I understand how some had trouble doing 4e in TotM (I didn't, when needed, I've run it just fine that way, but have always preferred figures anyway) As for player and tactical decisions, leave those to the Players and DM explain, I don't want canned explanations, I want the PCs to have to come up with why they do what they do, and how.
Now, elements of 4e in 5e, let's see, the whole new HitDice healing mechanic is clearly a variation on Healing Surges. I see some other small influences of 4e, which are ever evolving as the playtest progresses, but that's the clearest example so far. At-Will spells, Backgrounds and Themes/Specialties all harken to 4e (and previous editions have had examples that were similar too, because that's where 4e got them)
Now, I know a ton of non-4e players who are diving in and participating in the playtesting right now, plus the new Season of Encounters is going to give the choice of 4e or 5e Playtest and most areas I've heard are opting for the 5e route. I'm looking forward to showing up for Encounters to play 5e myself. I'm both an Olde and New School gamer having played every edition, and yes, those who are active in the playtest and on the website will be the most vocally acknowledged, considering, but the more others encourage people to join the playtest, the more diverse the overall feedback can become
Usually, in low-magic, what magic there is, is difficult to use, but very powerful.
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