Insider Information on the new Edition of Dungeons & Dragons

Endless Flight · May 22, 2014, 04:23:08 PM

Looks like somebody needs a xanax.

Mistwell · May 22, 2014, 04:24:58 PM

Quote from: Dodger;751661Look, you're going to have to come up with something better than pointing at a pre-existing programme to back up your "They're leaving chargen out of the Starter Set to help retail stores" theory.

I understand it doesn't persuade you, but then this quote of yours doesn't answer my question nor addresses the issue we're talking about in any meaningful way.

You nitpicked 3 days, and you think that makes a good point? You think that leads one to conclude something about whether or not WOTC is trying to support retailers more? It does not.

Mistwell · May 22, 2014, 04:26:26 PM

Here is the information so far:

Quote from: Thaumaturge;6304305Some tidits from twitter (@boardgamegeek)

Attending a seminar w/ WotC showing off the new D&D volumes; new $20 starter set on July 19, 2014.
New emphasis on villainous organizations in the 2014 D&D Monster Manual to match the number of monsters in it.
Sidebars in the new DMG help DMs to customize the game to match past editions of D&D.
WotC rep: We're focused on D&D right now, but another expansion for Lords of Waterdeep will come at some point.
WotC rep: D&D staggered release dates for books is a result of editing; focus on one book at a time. (Says I, ?)
WotC rep on what it has that Paizo/Pathfinder doesn't: We can build on the D&D brand through multiple channels to get players to your store.
Then the WotC rep hinted at a D&D movie being in the works. Again?
(!!!)Approx 15% of the D&D Player's Handbook will be free on WotC site to cover the basics of building characters for those getting Starter Sets. [EDIT: [MENTION=662]thalmin[/MENTION] mentioned the rules will be for BASIC characters (emphasis from the WotC rep)]
@twick516 — he mentioned that you can make the game more tactical or sweeping as desired, so I'm guessing optional rules.
D&D Starter Set has 5 pregenerated characters & 64-page adventure that's "the best intro adventure ever". But of course he'd said that...
WotC rep: WizKids miniatures to accompany the D&D Starter Set will not be an Alliance exclusive.
The back of the PHB [ATTACH=CONFIG]61770[/ATTACH]
The back of the DMG [ATTACH=CONFIG]61771[/ATTACH]
The back of the MM [ATTACH=CONFIG]61772[/ATTACH]
Back of the Starter Set [ATTACH=CONFIG]61773[/ATTACH]
Ok, guys. 15% of the PHB free on the WotC site. That's pretty cool. Right?

Thaumaturge.

Images did not carry through but you can view them here.

Trying to post them here:

Warthur · May 22, 2014, 04:42:44 PM

It seems evident to me what happened here - Wizards had to stick to a strict budget on the manufacturing and shipping costs of those boxes, and taking out the character gen rules and providing them separately made it possible to do that without compromising on all the other stuff the boxed set needs to do.

If that free PDF is also going to be distributed at game stores (and toy stores) as a free booklet then all's dandy.

crkrueger · May 22, 2014, 04:53:33 PM

Quote from: trechriron;751679I find your username hilariously appropriate to the whining. You can add the god damn character generation rules to the fucking box set for fucking free. FREE. You can customize the pre-gens or make a whole slew of them yourself. The box set is now TWELVE. FUCKING. DOLLARS. ON Amazon!!!! That's less than I spent to see Godzilla in that fancy new fuck cares all RDX whatever format at Regal. I mean fuck a mega dungeon backwards riding a My Little Pony are you fucking kidding me? At this point, anyone bitching about "there's no character generation IN the boxed set is a deal breaker" is so THICK in the head it's pretty obvious you had no intention of liking the new game anyways.

I mean for fucks sake, I'm not a fan of WOTC, or D&D for that matter and everything I've seen so far gives me (a non fan, non D&D player) hope that they got it right. And yet, there's what 15 or 20 grog-tards here that are so fucking rage-blind that WOTC didn't stick their childhood fantasy of a game into a pretty box and play with thier pee-pees with it that they have to stop by and inform us WOTC lost them as a customer because "I didn't get what I wanted" BOO HOO. Holy Christ. This thread is how many pages now and still some ding dong has to roll in like a recently released patient from the prison halfway house and declare his/her inane complete misunderstanding.

Look. It's really fucking simple. The box set was not designed to be a "complete game" in and of itself. The whole LINE is supposed to be a complete game. They didn't cater to your cheap miserable ancient grogtardia nonsense because the $100 they COULD have made off the lot of you was hardly worth it. Nor will it every be. Instead, they are creating a game that will have a broader appeal and support a business model that actually works. Not some fucking stupid "oh god save our little hobby because my dick is wrinkled" non-profit geriatric AARP article on page 27 of the magazine. An actual fucking business plan. It doesn't include you. Or the other dozen pee-hole whining morons who are going to be playing some goddamn $5 OSR spin off anyways (probably pirated to boot).

TL: DR - You are a fucking idiot. Go back into your basement and play your stolen OSR games with your stuffed recently departed cat.

Tell us what you really think. Don't sugar coat it.

Apparition · May 22, 2014, 04:59:35 PM

I must admit that I find all this hub bub about the Dungeons & Dragons starter set amusing, considering that the Shadowrun Fifth Edition introductory box set was originally scheduled to ship in February, and has since been broken into two separate box sets for a total price of $80.00, neither of which has been released. CGL still hasn't given release dates for either of the Shadowrun Fifth Edition box sets either.

Haffrung · May 22, 2014, 05:10:27 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;751655Precisely. Ultimately, what you want is products aimed at DMs that will allow the game to maintain some sanity. When you orient your line toward players you get the "Book of Amazing +5 Swords" followed up by "The Book of More Amazing +10 Swords".

I know many people think an RPG with the market expectations of D&D can only be successful with reams and reams of player-targeted books. But with that model, the kind of game you have on your hands gets less and less accessible. So you're selling more books per customer, but the customer-base is shrinking. You have X customers buying 2.5 books per year each. It makes more sense to me for D&D to aim to be a game where you have 2X people playing the game and buying 1.5 books per year each (with the DM accounting for several a year, and most players not buying any). Fewer books bought per player, but many more players.

Haffrung · May 22, 2014, 05:13:32 PM

Quote from: Celestial;751698I must admit that I find all this hub bub about the Dungeons & Dragons starter set amusing, considering that the Shadowrun Fifth Edition introductory box set was originally scheduled to ship in February, and has since been broken into two separate box sets for a total price of $80.00, neither of which has been released. CGL still hasn't given release dates for either of the Shadowrun Fifth Edition box sets either.

Shadowrun's publishers doesn't have an online community of hundreds of dick-hurt geeks who despise their very existence and desperately want them to fail.

Warthur · May 22, 2014, 05:26:18 PM

Speaking of two separate boxed sets, I note that Pundit's posted to his blog suggesting people pay close attention to the tweet that said "@thalmin mentioned the rules will be for BASIC characters (emphasis from the WotC rep)".

So, calling it now: there's going to be a complete Basic D&D game, either something that's 100% free to download or its own boxed set/book, which expands on the Starter Set without getting as complex as the Big Three books (whilst maintaining compatibility with them).

Endless Flight · May 22, 2014, 05:45:00 PM

Quote from: Haffrung;751704Shadowrun's publishers doesn't have an online community of hundreds of dick-hurt geeks who despise their very existence and desperately want them to fail.

Yes, we all know that Wizards of the Coast has never alienated any of their customer base over the last 15 years.

Saplatt · May 22, 2014, 05:45:19 PM

Quote from: Haffrung;751702...It makes more sense to me for D&D to aim to be a game where you have 2X people playing the game and buying 1.5 books per year each (with the DM accounting for several a year, and most players not buying any). Fewer books bought per player, but many more players.

Not to mention the fact that the more players you have, the easier it is to find a game and the easier it is for a gaming group to grow.

Saplatt · May 22, 2014, 05:48:13 PM

Quote from: CRKrueger;751697Tell us what you really think. Don't sugar coat it.

Hey, I was completely on board with him until he got to the part about the stuffed cat.

I'm here to tell you that stuffed cats are a lot easier to manage than live ones.

GameDaddy · May 22, 2014, 05:48:39 PM

That will work.

It's not elegant, but having free Character Generation available from the PHB, in lieu of having chargen included in the starter set will work. Shouldn't be too much trouble to print the pages. ...Probably too late to add chargen to the starter set...

This just made it back into the buy list to try.

thedungeondelver · May 22, 2014, 05:49:49 PM

Quote from: Endless Flight;751683Looks like somebody needs a xanax.

"You didn't tell me he'd gone that crazy."

thedungeondelver · May 22, 2014, 05:51:35 PM

Quote from: Saplatt;751714Hey, I was completely on board with him until he got to the part about the stuffed cat.

I'm here to tell you that stuffed cats are a lot easier to manage than live ones.

The tell, as to where he's coming from in his frothing rage, is in the "stolen OSR games" comment.