But first .... I must ... resist ... commenting ...on ... a possible fifth edition of D&D ...
... dammit ... blah ... I could barely get past the first paragraph without drawing all my own conclusions.
Our mission is to ensure that D&D enters its next 40 years as a vibrant, growing, and exciting game. By listening to the needs of the D&D community, we can meet this goal. ... We’ve listened to both praise and criticism from all D&D fans, regardless of their edition of choice*, and we’ll continue to do so.*Do they mean players of 3e, 3.5e, 4e and the new edition, or is this an acknowledgement of a broader fan base - the players of the vintage flavours of D&D?
Mike Mearls, Charting the Course for D&D
Maybe D&D4 will become the Vista of the D&D operating systems, because this seems way too early to be bringing out a whole new edition (corporate cynicism aside). Like with software, as customers, we need to know that that a line will be supported.
I came to the D&D Minis booster packs pretty late in the day, only to have my collecting ambitions killed dead within months of starting because the line was redesigned and my local shop stopped importing them. Oh well, so much for my end-of-week mystery treats.
For the record, I seriously doubt that Wizards are interested in a return to a less figure-orientated, pen, paper and erasers or a less combat focussed game. With players bringing tablets to the table, Wizards must be feeling pretty confident in backing an online horse.* The dice and the figures have to stay real - it's a game with playing pieces - otherwise why bother using such abstract dice based rules (as opposed to a LAN MMORP game with 3rd person animated graphics). I could very be wrong about this, since D&D seems more and more defined by online group play using chat rooms, Google+ or custom software. So maybe D&D is defined by "conversational play", or simple positional tactics - like an MSN Chess game with extra stats.
... And we're back to blogging that essay: "The D&D experience vs World of Warcraft - Discuss"
*DnD Insider et al. I miss buying printed copies of Dragon and Dungeon magazine (which is why I enjoyed receiving a stack of Kobold magazines in the post a few months back)
I seem to be mainly a collector these days. I buy the different systems and mutter to myself about the mechanics and the alienation of loyal gaming cliques, but then I get excited about the art and packaging. However, I'm not playing enough to know what makes the modern "yoof"-gamer tick.
The thirty-to-forty-somethings hold the bigger wallets, but maybe we're more likely to spend on Ebay or buy the independent titles than to commit to Wizards, or we're happy with a couple of old systems - Tunnels & Trolls, anyone?
I shop online. I feel a little let down my local "bricks 'n' mortar" shops, that can't even stock the core rules of the D&D, never mind host actual games. I fear that in the UK, D&D is still fairly underground, or a niche within a niche, with Game Workshop's narrative-less Warhammer ruling the mainstream. On the flipside, it's really easy to buy paints and figures, if you like the GW style. Fortunately I own a copy of Warhammer Quest, so that I can hold my RPG-fanboy head up high if I ever need to buy extra orcs.
Interestingly, the WHQ experience is pretty close to how I imagine many D&D4 games are played (if the players were using a random dungeon generator -which makes WHQ perfect for solo or small group play), using figures, grids, special moves and not much dialogue, zero role-play. Naturally WHQ hasn't been supported by GW for donkeys years, as isn't Advanced HeroQuest - it's predecessor. After all, both games they didn't require collectable "armies". Both are commonly recognised as gateway games to the green felt and template markers of the Warhammer table.
I think I may have gone off the point somewhat. ... Something to do with the longevity of supported product lines ... oh well.
Now where was I? Ooh, yes, tasty deals ....
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"The thirty-to-forty-somethings hold the bigger wallets, but maybe we're more likely to spend on Ebay or buy the independent titles than to commit to Wizards, or we're happy with a couple of old systems - Tunnels & Trolls, anyone?"
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head, there.
Heh. :)
ReplyDeleteStill, I'm sure we still buy the odd new ruleset, if only out of curiosity (if my own shelves are anything to go by).