Quote from: Ladybird;727114I'm pretty sure my post said the same thing, in fact namedropping a lot of multi-character, turn-based strategy games... there's also been a bit of a rennaisance of party-based first-person dungeon crawlers going on, but they're mostly being done by small teams and publishers who wouldn't be able to afford the D&D license.

But yeah. Obsidian. They're the people that should really be offered the license.

I don't disagree at all.  Where are all the turn based RPGs?  The only one I have found was Wizardy for the PS3.  It seems like they are gone and no one makes them anymore

Quote from: Sacrosanct;727117I don't disagree at all.  Where are all the turn based RPGs?  The only one I have found was Wizardy for the PS3.  It seems like they are gone and no one makes them anymore

Etrian Oddyssey, for the (3)DS, is a reasonably popular current series; there was also The Dark Spire last gen, and apparantly one of the Shin Megami Whatever games is a dungeon crawler, although Europe isn't allowed to play that for some mad reason. I liked Orcs and Elves, but that's more turn-based Heretic than an RPG. Legend of Grimrock, Paper Sorcerer, Dark Delve, Malevolence, Demise, Frayed Knights: The Skull of S'makh-Daon...

I haven't played most of those (And some of them may be real-time movement), but that's a ten-minute google crawl, should keep you busy for a couple of weeks. I haven't even looked at mobile.

There's fuck all on home consoles, but that's because there's no money for smaller developers on home consoles these days.

I will be the first to say that Wizard's ads are not great. However I DMed Vault of the Dracolich for D&D Next. It lasted 3 four hour sessions. Well worth 4.99. Multiple entrances, various NPCs, it was great. Not a railroad and lots of fun to DM. PCs could rescue a treant and make an ally. My group made a deal with the trogs instead of fighting them. Lots of open ended options.

I am not a FR fan but that module was good. I think this Tiamat throw down will be good too.

Quote from: Benoist;726660Apparently this is the big "story line" WotC has in store for the 40th anniversary: http://www.wizards.com/Dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/dnd/tyrannyofdragons

Maybe that's what was originally meant in the Next press release with "the most fearsome monster of all time"?

If so... yeah. Treating D&D like a fantasy fiction property to launch across multiple gaming platforms. Sigh.

What is different between that and Temple of Elemental Evil's background waxing about the Battle of Emridy Meadows?

Quote from: Old One Eye;727260What is different between that and Temple of Elemental Evil's background waxing about the Battle of Emridy Meadows?

Well, its a big difference if its not the background for an adventure but a metaplot for the setting itself.

Possibly the game overall if FR is being used as the default setting.

Also...."dragon whisperers" (shudder)

In spirit of all those films named just alike the blockbusters but not quite so, someone should start writing Tyranny of Dagon.

Quote from: Rincewind1;727292In spirit of all those films named just alike the blockbusters but not quite so, someone should start writing Tyranny of Dagon.

The five lost socks must be found to raise Dagon from the deep!

Can the octopus whisperers save the realms?

Quote from: TristramEvans;727290Well, its a big difference if its not the background for an adventure but a metaplot for the setting itself.

Possibly the game overall if FR is being used as the default setting.

Also...."dragon whisperers" (shudder)

OK, I went back and reread it to see if I missed something.  FR has a shit ton of metaplots:  Zhentarim seeking to control trade routes, Tuigan horde invasion, etc.  Yeah, this looks like adding one more to the mix.

There will probably be a big ass campaign arc thingy.  Some video game, board game, and other tie ins.  

Not really seeing this being shoehorned into the rpg as a whole.  Just the initial theme of peripheral releases.  

They need some type of adventure ready at release.  They need some type of theme for video games, board games, and the like.  There be dragons seems innocent enough for a game called Dungeons & Dragons.

Are you concerned there will be something like a dragon whisperer class in the PHB?

Mostly my concern would actually be that the background/meraplot is introduced as the default setting in the core, and then over a course of years in splatbooks the "secrets" (locations of the masks, etc) will be revealed in a White Wolf-esque marketing strategy. Worste case scenario, the answers are dealt with over various connected media. In general, I dont tend to like "official answers". They tend to bring out the worste in those gamers obsessed with cannon.

As for Dragon Whisperers...the concept just makes me groan. Just personal taste. That and, well, dragons can talk, cant they? I dont think itll be a core class (everything Ive read up to now makes me think theyll be sticking with a classic line-up for the core rules), but will probably be a setting-specific prestige class.

I would assume there to be some tangental references in the PHB/DMG/MM.  As a pure guess, it will be more like the Greyhawk references in AD&D than the points of light references in 4e.

If you fiddle with the public play living campain whatever, yeah it will probably be a dominate theme.  If you are like me and just play home games with friends, I doubt it will be any more obnoxious than ignoring Greyhawk when playing AD&D.

Quote from: Old One Eye;727334I would assume there to be some tangental references in the PHB/DMG/MM.  As a pure guess, it will be more like the Greyhawk references in AD&D than the points of light references in 4e.

If you fiddle with the public play living campain whatever, yeah it will probably be a dominate theme.  If you are like me and just play home games with friends, I doubt it will be any more obnoxious than ignoring Greyhawk when playing AD&D.

I hope so. Ill admit Im prone to pessimism regarding WoTC D&D these days.

Well since they covered a carom billiards (with bomb hazards!) video game, that being D&D Arena of War, who knows what new video game they will do with their property? I mean with this metaplot we could see a Hungry Hungry Tiamat smart phone game if we're lucky!

Quote from: TristramEvans;727328In general, I dont tend to like "official answers". They tend to bring out the worst in those gamers obsessed with cannon.

This seems to be the case in other niches too, where there's tons of related written material, episodes, movies, etc ...

The absolute worst "canon lawyers" I've come across over the years in person offline, were the ones heavily into the Star Wars EU.  (I haven't come across as many hardcore Star Trek "canon lawyers").

Quote from: Opaopajr;727389I mean with this metaplot we could see a Hungry Hungry Tiamat smart phone game if we're lucky!

...honestly? I'd buy that for my iPad.

As carom billiards games go, Arena of War is a smooth production. If they took out the unnecessary card grinding & pay to play aspects it might actually even elevate to 'good'. It's just not what you think of when you think D&D. Neither is Hungry Hungry Hippos.