Quote from: Shazbot79;358125But...but...that would make me wrong...and I hate it when I'm wrong : (

When it happens to me I usually go for a speedy diversion.

Quote from: Shazbot79;358106Popular speculation is that the Rules Compendium, at a 350 page count, will be a genre neutral compilation of the core rules system, without races, classes or powers...possibly WOTC's stab at a 4E generic system.

While I enjoy the 4E core mechanics, and I think that the powers system works for D&D style saturday morning cartoon action games, I can't help but feel it would be detrimental to a generic system.

This 4E Rules Compendium book seems kind of odd to be released just TWO years after the 4E PHB1/DMG1/MM1 books were released.

Looking back at 3.5E D&D, the 3.5E Rules Compendium book was released in October 2007, just two months after 4E was announced at Gencon 2007.

http://www.amazon.com/Compendium-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/078694725X

October 2007 is about 4 years after 3.5E was released.

The part of "random card packs of mutations/tech to add to the game." may have unsold me, unfortunately.

By some coincidence, I just pulled my old copy of the 1st edition boxed set off the shelf two nights ago.  I'm planning on putting it to some impromptu use tomorrow (along with my super-nifty character classes for Pure-Strain Humans ).

!i!

Quote from: J Arcane;358092You know they'll fuck up the chargen, random chargen just isn't in the 4e vocabulary, and all the mutations are going to be attack powers that do "1[w]+x; shift R1" and stupid shit like that.

The good news: Random mutations, both good and bad, are definitely part of character creation.

The bad news: They come in the form of a deck of cards that can be expanded with randomized booster packs.

I guess power cards dont bother me much. But the randomized booster pack does. So if I really want to use power X in my campaign I have to keep buying these packs. Or pay some dude 3 times its value off Ebay? Color me turned off.

Quote from: Ronin;358185I guess power cards dont bother me much. But the randomized booster pack does. So if I really want to use power X in my campaign I have to keep buying these packs. Or pay some dude 3 times its value off Ebay? Color me turned off.

I don't think booster packs are a good idea. But I don't think they're a deal breaker either. Since I only get to pick a few cards pulled randomly out of a pack, having one particular card isn't as important. I might buy a few packs for fun if I've exhausted the possibilities offered by the cards that come with the game. What I'm wondering is how will the packs be offered for sale. No way is my FLGS ordering a 36 booster pack display if I'm the only one who wants a pack or two.

Quote from: Ronin;358185I guess power cards dont bother me much. But the randomized booster pack does. So if I really want to use power X in my campaign I have to keep buying these packs. Or pay some dude 3 times its value off Ebay? Color me turned off.

Yeah, I'm not very enthused by that, either. The power cards WotC offers for D&D come in complete sets, which make them palatable to me. If the GW cards are, essentially, collectible, that dims my view on the game. Not a lot, but some; I just don't have any interest in collecting cards. I went through my collector phase in the 80s and early 90s with comics; I'm way past done with that kind of stuff now.

Quote from: ggroy;358130This 4E Rules Compendium book seems kind of odd to be released just TWO years after the 4E PHB1/DMG1/MM1 books were released.

Looking back at 3.5E D&D, the 3.5E Rules Compendium book was released in October 2007, just two months after 4E was announced at Gencon 2007.

http://www.amazon.com/Compendium-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/078694725X

October 2007 is about 4 years after 3.5E was released.

Yep, that was my first thought too.  I would be more interested in these releases if I wasn't thinking that just as soon as I bought something that they would turn around and announce 5e.  My guess is that we'll see 5e released late in 2012.

For me, random boosters will kill Gamma World dead, unless an alternate randomizer is also offered, and the mutations are written up in the book.  If mutations will be left out of the rule book as a ploy to get me to gamble more money in hopes of getting some artificially scarce, foil covered Life Leech card, then I don't want it.

With D&D4e, those power cards are just a play aid, right?  I mean, buying a set of cards for a class will just save you the hassle of flipping pages in the book.  That's fine with me - it's a product I can ignore, even if I'm into the game.  Randomized RPG supplements, though?  Bah!!

How about this?  D&D PHB4 can be a 'wave' of 12 new classes, printed in separate signatures, randomly assorted, and bound up together in groups of five like those old EC comics annual issues.  The books will be sealed in foil packets but every class, even the rarest ones, will be present if you buy a case.

Randomly assorted dice supplements, maybe?  d6 will be a common, of course, but you might get lucky, and get one of those hologram d20s with two '20's on it.

always said 4th edition would be great for Gamma World or Supers, so ther ya go.

However, where is the information about booster power cards coming from?  All I see on the release schedule is Legion of Gold and Famine in Fargo.  Is this an assumption, or based on something official posted that I'm missing?

edit:  I suspect it's from the hand-wringing and mincing over the TBP. some dude just saw "power cards" and said "OMG BOOSTERS!"

Quote from: TAFMSV;358222For me, random boosters will kill Gamma World dead, unless an alternate randomizer is also offered, and the mutations are written up in the book.  If mutations will be left out of the rule book as a ploy to get me to gamble more money in hopes of getting some artificially scarce, foil covered Life Leech card, then I don't want it.

A cynic could argue that 4E Gamma World with random boosters is WotC's way of "testing" the market, to see how receptive it is to a product merger of "Magic: the Gathering" style marketing with D&D type rpgs.  If this turns out to be successful saleswise, then one shouldn't be too surprised if 5E D&D will also follow the random booster cards marketing model.

I suppose they didn't do this random booster cards thing with 4E D&D, for the reason that they were not sure how the market would respond at the time (in 2008).  If it turned out to produce a huge fallout, then it would forever tarnish D&D (more than it already has been).  Doing such a market test on a "secondary" rpg product line, would most likely have less of a fallout.  They could just quietly end the 4E Gamma World product line, if it turns out to be a failure.  The same can't be done as easily with 4E D&D.

Quote from: ggroy;358226A cynic could argue that 4E Gamma World with random boosters is WotC's way of "testing" the market, to see how receptive it is to a product merger of "Magic: the Gathering" style marketing with D&D type rpgs.

*cough-cough-Changeling-cantrip-cards-cough*

Of course, that was then, this is now.

!i!

Quote from: Ian Absentia;358228*cough-cough-Changeling-cantrip-cards-cough*

Of course, that was then, this is now.

!i!

Were they a success or failure in the end?

Quote from: ggroy;358229Were they a success or failure in the end?

This is one of those "If you have to ask..." situations.  The RPG.net review to which I linked got it right -- they really confounded (read: "gimped") the game, which, I think, is reflected in the responses you're seeing to the Gamma World mutation cards.

No, they were not a success, nor was either edition of the parent game, arguably because of the precedent and perception the cards set.

!i!