"Speech" from the Mearls on ENWorld:

Quote from: Mike MearlsIt's funny, because it almost feels like I've won some sort of election. I'm acutely aware of the pressure of the position, the expectations, and the current atmosphere among D&D fans. I think I had a few minutes of ecstasy. Since then, it's been a long week and a lot of thinking.

This is also a new position in the department. I'm taking on a lot of Bill Slavicsek's responsibilities. Bill's responsibilities have broadened to include more things like boardgames, novels, Heroscape, and so on. There's a lot more to D&D than just the RPG. The RPG is my corner to play in, while Bill looks over the entirety of D&D.

Believe me, I realize how difficult this job is. There are far more paths that lead to my screwing up than to my doing a good job. It's the geek equivalent of running a professional sports team. Do well, and everyone loves you. Screw up, and you'll never hear the end of it.

There's something pretty basic to the job, though. The gist of it, when you boil it all down, isn't rocket science.

Way back in the misty days of the 1980s, when I first discovered D&D, I thought Gary Gygax, Tom Moldvay, Doug Niles, Tracy Hickman, and the entire TSR crew were demigods. I loved poring over Dragon magazine, reading through adventures like Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun again and again, and studying the DMG. I devoured the Dragonlance novels. I fought battles across our basement floor with legions of BattleSystem counters. I filled the few, precious pieces of graph paper I had with dungeons. I designed classes and monsters. I loved D&D.

Then, something happened. TSR dropped Gary. Greyhawk was pushed aside. When 2e came out, I was torn. There were plenty of things to like about the game, but the attitude around it was off. It almost seemed like the people behind D&D didn't particularly care for the way I loved D&D. Maybe I was completely irrational, but the game felt changed in some insidious way.

As time went on, that feeling only increased. There were bright spots, most notably Dungeon magazine, but a lot of the stuff TSR put out didn't really speak to why I fell in love with D&D in the first place. I wanted to love D&D, but it wasn't really clear that the company behind D&D wanted to return that love.

I actually stopped playing D&D for a few years. I ran a grand total of one (terrible) campaign in college. I wasn't really sure that D&D was something I'd be involved with anymore. I bought a PS 1 and started playing lots of console games. I ended up sticking with RPGs, but I kept to games like Deadlands and Unknown Armies.

Then something pretty cool happened. In 1999, at my very first GenCon, I sat in the audience as Ryan Dancey announced 3rd edition. It was like a religious revival. One presentation and free t-shirt later, and I was a complete convert. My friend Nate called it a money grab, an appeal to munchkins. I think my exact response was, "**** you dude. This is the best thing that's ever happened to D&D."

For whatever reason, the entire presentation of 3e's announcement felt like it had been directed straight at me. I was a complete D&D goob again. Hallelujah, praise Gygax, my faith was restored.

A year later, my faith had been well-placed. 3e was awesome. D&D felt like the game I always had wanted it to be.

In looking back, I think that my job is fairly simple. I want people to love D&D. I want people to feel like the game is in good hands, that the hand at the tiller is confident, smart, and genuinely interested in the good of the game.

It's easy for me to look at this as the chance for me to make D&D into the game I always wanted it to be, but that would be disingenuous. It'd be the height of vanity, a monument to arrogance. D&D can't be a game that caters to a single person. It's bigger than that. It lives and dies by the collected spirit of every person that's ever picked up a d20, put pencil to graph paper, or leaned close to the table as the last character standing, clutching his last hit point, rolled his attack against the BBEG.

Of course, actually doing that isn't simple, but it helps to have a goal. I can't force anyone to love D&D. I can't legislate the game into popularity, or commission a survey that will tell me exactly what to do.

What I can do, though, is watch, listen, and learn. I can put everything I have into D&D and hope for the best. At the end of the day, you guys get to judge whether I'm doing a good or screwing up by buying or avoiding the products I help make. That gets back to the election thing. You guys didn't put me into office, but you sure as Hell get the chance to kick me out.

If you have any questions, the best way to get in touch is by dropping a line to my work email address (it's my first name dot last name at wizards dot com, or drop a line to dndinsider at wizards dot com). I can't answer everything, but I'll try. I'll also record answers to interesting questions on the podcast. I'm on vacation this week. I like reading web forums to see what's up, but they're not always the best place to answer questions.

Thanks!

Okay, that means 5th edition is being done with mearls at the helm and they start development NOW.

I can't help but hope the man's going to get an epiphany.
He's a good guy. When I read his post, I'm happy for him.
I just hope Mike knows the issues as acutely as he pretends he does in his speech.
He's been thinking hard. So there seems to be a possibility for a change in direction. We'll see.

Quote from: Settembrini;381097Okay, that means 5th edition is being done with mearls at the helm and they start development NOW.

Wonder how much "development" will be done, in the event that 5E is just a re-edited version of 4E + Essentials.

In the scenario that 5E is a radical departure from past editions, most likely it will take around three years from design stage to a printed 5E PHB.  (That is if history is any guide, with 4E design allegedly started sometime in 2005).

After the 4E Essentials product line is finished with its ten titles (allegedly), wonder how many "new" 4E splatbooks afterward in mid-late 2011 will just be "trial balloons" like the Book of 9 Swords.

Quote from: dungeondelverI think we can all agree in general terms about what D&D is and is not.

No. No we can't.

[quote="Benoist]I can't help but hope the man's going to get an epiphany.
He's a good guy. When I read his post, I'm happy for him. I just hope Mike knows the issues as accutely as he pretends to in his speech. He's been thinking hard. So there seems to be a possibility of a change in direction. We'll see.[/quote]

Mike Mearls is, to put it bluntly: a fraud.

He talks about big design issues, but he doesn't ever solve any of them. You remember how he made Iron Heroes, and his excuse for how the entire magic system didn't work at all was that it wasn't quite finished yet? Ever notice that it still isn't quite finished yet, because he never had any intention of making a functional magic system for that variant? He has been on point to make a new Skill Challenge system since June of 2008. His quest to figure out how to make Skill Challenges not suck is going to have its second birthday party in three weeks. Notice any progress on that front?

Every time he comes out with anything it's going to be a "culmination of years of thought" and every issue he can't be bothered to deal with is going to be an "issue for which there are no easy answers." Because that's the shit he always says. About everything. Because he is a fraud, and that is what fraudsters do.

The truth is that making a Skill Challenge system takes an afternoon and a solar powered calculator to get the numeric inputs right and possibly as much as two weeks of half-assed writing to get a publishable chapter showing it off. That's it. That Mike Mearls has produced at least half a dozen Skill Challenge test balloons without making anything that covers even half of its own design goals over a period of two fucking years tells us everything we need to know about him. The only talent Mike Mearls has is convincing the angry mob that next time it'll be different because this time he has learned from his mistakes.

-Frank

Quote from: FrankTrollman;381112Mike Mearls is, to put it bluntly: a fraud.

He talks about big design issues, but he doesn't ever solve any of them. You remember how he made Iron Heroes, and his excuse for how the entire magic system didn't work at all was that it wasn't quite finished yet? Ever notice that it still isn't quite finished yet, because he never had any intention of making a functional magic system for that variant? He has been on point to make a new Skill Challenge system since June of 2008. His quest to figure out how to make Skill Challenges not suck is going to have its second birthday party in three weeks. Notice any progress on that front?

Every time he comes out with anything it's going to be a "culmination of years of thought" and every issue he can't be bothered to deal with is going to be an "issue for which there are no easy answers." Because that's the shit he always says. About everything. Because he is a fraud, and that is what fraudsters do.

The truth is that making a Skill Challenge system takes an afternoon and a solar powered calculator to get the numeric inputs right and possibly as much as two weeks of half-assed writing to get a publishable chapter showing it off. That's it. That Mike Mearls has produced at least half a dozen Skill Challenge test balloons without making anything that covers even half of its own design goals over a period of two fucking years tells us everything we need to know about him. The only talent Mike Mearls has is convincing the angry mob that next time it'll be different because this time he has learned from his mistakes.

At this point Mearls probably doesn't give a shit anymore.  As long as there's enough "suckers" buying 4E books, he's secretly having the last laugh and a steady paycheck for several years.  Similar to how politicians and economists have very little to zero responsibility for all the flawed or wrongheaded stuff they said and did, especially once they are voted out or fired.

EDIT:  Mearls knows very well his number will be up in a few years, in the regular annual ritual of WotC layoffs.  He's riding out the gravy train, until he's pushed out.

Quote from: Benoist;381102He's been thinking hard. So there seems to be a possibility for a change in direction. We'll see.

He spoke about designing for the masses. What makes you believe the masses want the game taken in a new direction?

Seanchai

Quote from: Seanchai;381119He spoke about designing for the masses. What makes you believe the masses want the game taken in a new direction?

Seanchai

The fact he talked about being "acutely aware of (...) the current atmosphere among D&D fans" and related this story about his views on 2nd ed at the time, and how 3rd ed "answered his prayers" afterwards. Maybe he's foreshadowing some changes. Maybe not.

Quote from: FrankTrollman;381112Mike Mearls is, to put it bluntly: a fraud.

He talks about big design issues, but he doesn't ever solve any of them. (...)

I see where you're coming from on this. All I can say is ... I hope our doubts are proven wrong.

The Trollmann speaks my mind. Literally.

Quote from: Benoist;381123The fact he talked about being "acutely aware of (...) the current atmosphere among D&D fans"...

Right. Do you really suppose when he says "D&D fans" that he means the disenfranchised players of OD&D, BD&D, 1e, 2e, and 3e? Because I doubt he does. It seems to me that he is saying that he understand what 4e fans want out of 4e.

Moreover, supposing he is talking about folks playing older editions, too, do you really think WotC will spend the time, energy, and money to pursue them?

Seanchai

I've read Mr Mearls' various commentaries on the intrewebs, and I exchanged posts with him a few times on forums, and all I can say is that guy has said very little with which I agree over the years. He always seems to be solving the wrong problem, from my perspective.

Quote from: Seanchai;381144Right. Do you really suppose when he says "D&D fans" that he means the disenfranchised players of OD&D, BD&D, 1e, 2e, and 3e? Because I doubt he does. It seems to me that he is saying that he understand what 4e fans want out of 4e.

Moreover, supposing he is talking about folks playing older editions, too, do you really think WotC will spend the time, energy, and money to pursue them?

Seanchai

Dude, I'm getting that's not your reading of it. I'm not even sure that'd be mine. But you trying to again create some sort of pointless nitpicking bullshit flamewar out of thin air... you can go fuck yourself with a piece of broken glass. That'll save us some time.

Quote from: thedungeondelver;381084Wasn't that part and parcel of the aborted "Digital Initiative"?

Shocker - a 4E hater with his facts wrong.

The Digital Initiative was never aborted. It includes such things as the online editions of Dragon and Dungeon, and the 4E tools like the Character Builder, Adventure Tools and the compendium.

Certain parts of the Digital Initiative were aborted, such as Gleemax, and some planned parts are vaporware at this point. But claiming the whole thing was aborted is just plain wrong.

As I understand it the DI includes more than D&D as well. It's a Wizards thing, not a D&D thing, so Magic and whatever else is included as well, not that I have any idea about what they do for other games online.

Man, that digital virtual game table sure looks awesome!
In your mind, that is.