Quote from: Armchair Gamer;1128256It's a not impossible (but not plausible--they are convinced they own the future and seem to have little or no concern about the past) Worst Case Scenario, but isn't that one of the cases where the retroclones and the studied 'speaking around' the trademarks approach used by the OSR would come into play?

Possibly, but I'm more concerned with the erasure of history.  It's already begun, really; when they were working on the OD&D set, Mearls stated flatly the cover of Eldritch Wizardry was "highly questionable" or "objectionable" or something and would be excised.  You don't change/remove art.  You don't.  I don't care how uncomfortable it makes you or anyone else.  And yes, RPG artwork is art.  

It'll be little things as time goes on.  The covers of the OD&D books.  Then art in the reprint/POD copies.  Then mentions of Gygax et al, and so on and etcetera, until someone (maybe even this guy) can perform the final purge and they can act like D&D history started with 3rd ed. or something and mumble about "previous editions not being up to modern standards".

Pat Pulling and her crowd couldn't have penned a better scenario.

We'll see, I guess.

I'll just point out that, traditionally, changes in D&Ds management seem to always result in a new editorial spinning up as the new guy seeks to put their brand on the property.

While I doubt the core mechanics would change much just due to the overall popularity of it, I wouldn't be surprised if a 6e that's basically what 2e was to 1e (right down with bowing to the PC of times... removing all the demons/devils/etc. then... rabid SJW propaganda now) comes out in time for the 50th Anniversary in a few years.

Quote from: Chris24601;1128261I'll just point out that, traditionally, changes in D&Ds management seem to always result in a new editorial spinning up as the new guy seeks to put their brand on the property.

While I doubt the core mechanics would change much just due to the overall popularity of it, I wouldn't be surprised if a 6e that's basically what 2e was to 1e (right down with bowing to the PC of times... removing all the demons/devils/etc. then... rabid SJW propaganda now) comes out in time for the 50th Anniversary in a few years.

I can agree with your point. I think his hiring is in preparation for work on 6e. And if they don't release a 6e for the 50th anniversary, then they missed an opportunity. It will also be the 10th anniversary of 5e, which isn't a bad run for an edition. But I cannot imagine what else they would change... mostly because I shudder at the thought.

The thing that smells fishy to me is that Mearls disappeared off the face of the product last year and was replaced with no fanfare about his departure. If he's in good standing at WotC and e.g. moving on to focus on Baldur's Gate 3, where's the normal corporate hoopla about new challenges and bringing his vast experience to a new space and here's our exciting new leader, blah blah etc.? I first started paying attention to D&D at WotC during 4th edition, which was a shitshow for other reasons, so I don't have a good baseline to judge against.

Is there any proof Mearls revealed the names of accusers to Zak S or any proof he did not do that?

Quote from: RPGPundit;1128251His twitter is strongly left-leaning and he has clear Trump Derangement Syndrome.

And more Players will get alienated or else drink the Kool-Aid in order to play.

Ray Winninger seems like a pretty random replacement.  He will probably do just as well as Mike but considering the speed that WotC publishes we will not know about it until next year.

I am not impressed by this decision.  It does not bode well for the future of the D&D game; unless you want radical changes to be made to the game.

It's 2021, and the Dream is Dead

(This was the slogan for Underground, his superhero game set in fascist America in the far future year of...

....uh-oh! )

Quote from: RPGPundit;1128251His twitter is strongly left-leaning and he has clear Trump Derangement Syndrome.

IMO, the answer to my question about where the wind blows with someone should be....no idea.  These people, I worry, if they feel a need to preach their beliefs on twitter are damn sure going to take it to work with them

Quote from: insubordinate polyhedral;1128267The thing that smells fishy to me is that Mearls disappeared off the face of the product last year and was replaced with no fanfare about his departure. If he's in good standing at WotC and e.g. moving on to focus on Baldur's Gate 3, where's the normal corporate hoopla about new challenges and bringing his vast experience to a new space and here's our exciting new leader, blah blah etc.? I first started paying attention to D&D at WotC during 4th edition, which was a shitshow for other reasons, so I don't have a good baseline to judge against.

Appearances are everything, though, and given the social media brouhaha it probably matters to someone that things are as quiet as possible.

Quote from: oggsmash;1128282IMO, the answer to my question about where the wind blows with someone should be....no idea.  These people, I worry, if they feel a need to preach their beliefs on twitter are damn sure going to take it to work with them

Mearls said gun-owners were the moral equivalent of ISIS terrorists, so nothing's really changing all that much.

"Twenty minutes of fun packed into four hours."

Good riddance.

"No one ever shouted a severed hand back on"

The reason I felt better about Mearls being in that position; is that he had recruited whatever help he needed to return D&D to a good, successful, popular game system.  His rebound from 4E to 5E just flat out worked.  

Perhaps the shifting sands of social change were bound to lead to his ouster from that position?   It would be cool if he left WOTC and entered the OSR waters.....

Ok, D&D 5E is entering its late fall / early winter stage now.