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WotC should publicly define the life span of the D&D Next platform right from the start.

You may ask what does that accomplish. You may consider other aspects of the game more important. Please allow me to think outside the box and humbly take you with me.

Even if D&D Next is everything you want it to be how soon after that will WotC announce they’re making D&D 6th edition? That answer affects gamers as well as those that make their living creating D&D related books, modules, movies, games, and mobile apps. 

WotC should have a design philosophy and make a press release stating something like, “D&D Next sets the standard of RPG for the next ten years.” When someone asks for clarification, its along the lines of, “Between 2000 and 2008 we released three versions of D&D, which were versions 3, 3.5, and 4. When D&D Next comes out, it’ll be at least ten years before the next version”.

By saying and backing up that design philosophy, WotC tells everyone they can dive in and enjoy what they’ve created. Gamers and DMs can invest time and money to collect and learn about all the D&D Next materials they want, writers and programmers and other third parties can negotiate licensing deals using the D&D Next property, and all of them know their efforts will be rewarded. D&D Next was built to last at least a decade.

I prefer to use the term D&D Next platform rather than just D&D Next because I’m hoping that’s what WotC actually develops: a platform. Apple iTunes and Facebook are two platforms. D&D Next should be another. WotC should create a solid foundation on which all players of D&D and third parties can build on, whether they’re online or off line. 

I’m hoping WotC realizes they can’t do that by themselves.

Perhaps recent events have proved to them one thing about D&D gamers they may have forgotten: once someone buys their books and materials they don’t need to buy anything more from them again - ever. That’s why many gamers are happy to keep playing whatever version of D&D they have. They’ve made it personal. They got the impression that WotC was laughing at them not moving forward to a new edition (2, 3, 3.5, 4) and thus left them behind. 

Who’s laughing now?

Those “left behind” gamers don’t need to buy any new editions. They already have everything they need to play. So just about the only way D&D Next will appeal to many of them is if it somehow allows them to continue what they’re already doing but allow them to do it better. That doesn’t necessarily mean faster or easier. Just better.

First, WotC has to win the hearts and minds of players and third parties. Profits come after that. I think past events shows they’ve tried it the other way round. That didn’t pan out too well.

How do you feel about WotC letting us know how long D&D Next will last? How do you feel about buying or learning a new edition every three, four, or five years? If they promised D&D Next would last at least ten years, is it likely over that time you just might stop playing your favorite edition long enough just to try it out?

Feb 26, 2012 -- 10:58PM, Kalnaur wrote:

Honestly, I don't trust them to keep to any preset time schedule they might set.

I hear you loud and clear, Kalnaur. The most important thing WotC has to do is regain your trust, along with those of long term gamers and third parties. 

It’s likely that many third parties (such as writers and programmers) don’t trust WotC keeping to any time schedule for D&D editions either. Why spend time and money investing in publishing game updates or developing video games related to D&D if WotC will sweep the rug from under them just as their project was nearing completion? 

That’s part of the reason why said writers and programmers got feed up with WotC and made their own versions. Thus was born Paizo’s Pathfinder and BioWare’s DragonAge. Both are successful in their own right. Both have gained the loyalty and trust of their players. Both used to work with WotC.

Kalnaur, what would WotC have to do to regain your trust? You’ve implied words won’t be enough. You’ve got my attention. I’m listening.

I agree with Nikari, WOTC needs to be able to stick with this new edition for a good 8-10 years minimum. Maybe, since it is based on the concept of moduals this is possible. If you like just the basic stuff that comes out early, you can stick with it, and still be playing DnD even if you ignore the later "moduals" that are released over the next ten years. Likely, every one will find some stuff from the other moduals that they will add into their game. But the point is, I guess, if a "6th edition" is simply an expanded rules modual then its a benifit of people getting new material and rules, without having to junk the core system that their 5 year campaign has been runing on. If this ends up being their buisness model it could work well, assuming that the foundational mechanics are solid.

The reason WOTC needs to not dump this next system in a mere 5 years is because alot of people already have had their pockets burned from the drastrac transformations from old school, to 3.x, to 4th. After 4th, I almost made up my mind not to invest in any DnD products untill another company can make them. However, DnD next has my interest, so I will give it another try, but I, and I think others, are losing patience with the whole spend 500-1000 bucks game materials only to have it turn obsolete before even using half of the material. With regards to my decision to invest heavily in DnD next vs some other system, it would go along way if WOTC could tell me that the new system is going to be around for a while (and on a side note, that is why playtesting is so important, so there aren't any suprises and large segments of the community jumping ship because what is produced is so far from what they expected).