Bad news for all of us who've spent a chunk of change over the last few years....

[morganminstrel]

Guess what's finally coming?

Yup, D&D 4.0 will be coming next year (press release in link), starting with a Player's Handbook in May 2008. According to the news on this thread, it'll be more streamlined with "faster gameplay" and "less prep time." While this sounds like good news, folks are interpreting the information leaking out to indicate a "more hacking, less talking" version of D&D. (Note, this is just what people are saying; there's no direct indication of this.)

I'm amused by the online aspects they're trying to push; guess the "wouldn't you rather pretend you're an elf while you hang out with friends?" ad campaign didn't work so well...

But yeah. Even though I knew it was coming at some point, I'm still a bit miffed that I've sunk all that money into the game and now they expect me to do it all over again....still.....the player in me will feel the need to at least check it out when it's released....although I hope my games stick with 3.5.....still.... and that's how they get ya!

Comments

[lordavon.livejournal.com]

Bleh.

And my gm only just made the switch to 3.5....

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, 3.5 did come out four years ago or so now. Which was about four years or so after 3.0 came out, come to think of it.

Still, unless it's actually a better system, I'm not so sure how happy I'd be to port stuff over....

[ketina.livejournal.com]

If it isn't backward compatible with the source material I'm using, then we won't make the switch in my game.

I'll buy the first book because I'm a doofus and enjoy throwing away my money to Hasbro.

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll certainly be taking a look at the "preview" material and I might buy the Player's Handbook, but I'm not sure if I'll go all the way this time. (I own a lot of 3.5 books.) It's unclear how much of a fundamental change this is gonna be, so no idea about backwards compatibility.

See, I'm a doofus too. ;-)

[kroroboros.livejournal.com]

I'm happy with 3.5, so unless there new epic level concepts make thing easier I'll stick with 3.5.

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

According to the press release, there are new epic level concepts. No idea whether it'll make things easier, but.... ;-)

[kroroboros.livejournal.com]

I know, I read the press release, but I wish it gave more detail. But hopefully by the time the 4.0 books come, we're far enough along the the Gods campaign that it'll pointless to convert.

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping the "preview" stuff coming in a few months will have more info, like the Gazetteer did for 3.0....

[silentdibs.livejournal.com]

How could they possibly enforce "less talking"?

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

"No XP for you! Go stand in the corner!"

Yeah, after reading through the press release a couple of times (it sometimes takes that long for me to comprehend some market-speak), I'm having more and more doubts. And the "double-dipping" content charge kind of pisses me off. "Oh, sure, pay $30-40 for the PHB, but you will have to pay a small 'reasonable fee' if you want the info that we didn't put in it from the web...."

Sorry, venting. :-)

[ronelyn.livejournal.com]

And what about those of us who LIKE the talking?

Feck 'em.

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe they mean "less talking" as in "fewer two hour discussions as to whether we go through this door where there's breathing on the other side or that door where there's silence or just leave altogether"? ;-)

Seriously, I've seen a demonstration of a bit of the online "virtual table" tools, and I am not impressed. On the other hand, that has nothing to do with any real new mechanics, so I'm still trying to reserve judgement until I've seen something of the game itself. (In December, I guess, if one of us buys the previews.)