The Truth About 4th Edition: Part Two of Our Exclusive Interview with Wizards of the Coast

[Greg Tito]

The Truth About 4th Edition: Part Two of Our Exclusive Interview with Wizards of the Coast

The Escapist sat down with Andy Collins and Liz Schuh from Wizards of the Coast and found out what they think about Pathfinder and why the Open Gaming License was abandoned.

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[randommaster]

Cool article. It would have been nice to go further into a few things, but the Lead Designer can't be an expert on everything about this edition.

 

[Fappy]

Great coverage guys. I usually GM the campaigns I play, and even if I don't generally GM D&D, I would like to see what 4th Edition has to say about the role.

Also, it would be cool to see the world of tabletop gaming discussed more around here.

 

[kodra]

Interesting. There was alot of points that he wanted to make and quite clearly alot of things he didn't want to talk about.

Personally, I thought 4e was a step up from 3.5 which had a number of wierd issues I wasn't a fan of, and then Pathfinder was a step up from 4e, being a 3.5 with all the things I didn't like changed.

 

[Slycne]

Also, it would be cool to see the world of tabletop gaming discussed more around here.

Tabletop Gaming User Group [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Tabletop-Gaming] and Days of High Adventure [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/days-of-high-adventure] might interest you if you haven't found them already.

 

[Summerstorm]

Ah yes the dreaded 4th editions... Weird thing Shadowrun 4th edition, Black Eye 4th Edition... both are a step down from previous too. It is as if the publishers all had a big meeting in 2005 or so, where they decided to all release weird stuff the next time.

Ah well. It's not that you HAVE to change.

 

[Xanadu84]

Personally, I think it would be perfect if 3.5 and Pathfinder switched places. Pathfinder carry's the tradition of D+D, taking its old rules and refining them as much as they possibly can, while 4th is the extensive side project done by an outside source, maybe not quite as recognizable as the frontline D+D product, but an interesting, but smaller, view of the D+D universe. 4th would just fit better ad an indie project, while Pathfinder should be the big budget installation. Both are worth playing, and I play both, but I think that Pathfinder is superior.

 

[Fenixius]

Ooh, this part of the interview was much, much more interesting. A lot of the comments raised in the thread yesterday on the previous article were addressed. While some I noticed were spoken about happily, some of the major ones, like OGL and whether or not Paizo had WotC's "blessing", were totally tiptoed around. I certainly did appreciate hearing that they like their customers who go the extra mile to DM, though. But I still want more on those juicy, controversial areas! Archon, go for the thrrooooat!*

Ah well. It's not that you HAVE to change.

So many people seem to forget that ^^

Also, it would be cool to see the world of tabletop gaming discussed more around here.

I'd very much like some articles about GMing, sometime. There were a couple of articles a little while ago... I actually forget who by, but about DMing for kids, and they were a blast to read. More stuff like that would be awesome!

DMing is one of the purest gaming experiences - it's a cross between design, development, moderation, and gameplay all in one role, so I think it's worth discussing more.






* If you can without harming Escapist's relationship with Wizards of the Coast. I'd like more of these interviews and articles rather than fewer!

 

[Hiphophippo]

Ah yes the dreaded 4th editions... Weird thing Shadowrun 4th edition, Black Eye 4th Edition... both are a step down from previous too. It is as if the publishers all had a big meeting in 2005 or so, where they decided to all release weird stuff the next time.

Ah well. It's not that you HAVE to change.

Yea, but Shadowrun's 4th edition was in hardcover which factored into our decision to play it way more than it should. The amount of 2nd and 3rd edition Shadowrun books we went through because they were softcover over the years was insane. My 4th edition hardcover is still in tip top shape!

 

[Fappy]

Ooh, this part of the interview was much, much more interesting. A lot of the comments raised in the thread yesterday on the previous article were addressed. While some I noticed were spoken about happily, some of the major ones, like OGL and whether or not Paizo had WotC's "blessing", were totally tiptoed around. I certainly did appreciate hearing that they like their customers who go the extra mile to DM, though. But I still want more on those juicy, controversial areas! Archon, go for the thrrooooat!*

Ah well. It's not that you HAVE to change.

So many people seem to forget that ^^

Also, it would be cool to see the world of tabletop gaming discussed more around here.

I'd very much like some articles about GMing, sometime. There were a couple of articles a little while ago... I actually forget who by, but about DMing for kids, and they were a blast to read. More stuff like that would be awesome!

DMing is one of the purest gaming experiences - it's a cross between design, development, moderation, and gameplay all in one role, so I think it's worth discussing more.






* If you can without harming Escapist's relationship with Wizards of the Coast. I'd like more of these interviews and articles rather than fewer!

Yeah tabletop gaming may not be the site's focus, but it is definitely relevant to modern video games!

Also, it would be cool to see the world of tabletop gaming discussed more around here.

Tabletop Gaming User Group [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Tabletop-Gaming] and Days of High Adventure [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/days-of-high-adventure] might interest you if you haven't found them already.

Wow... I have been on this site since January and I never knew it supported groups! Thanks for the links. I will definitely check them out!

 

[JaredXE]

So, the new Red Box and the Essentials are basically going to be the Basic Box, with half-assed rules set and only enough info for a couple levels....for $20. But if you want to move beyond that, then spend more for the remaining levels and purchase the core books.

Hmmm.

Oh yeah, nice legal evasion with not fully answering about the OGL. Those two must have a couple levels in rogue.

*facepalm* And I am now more of a nerd than I was 10 minutes ago.

 

[samsonguy920]

I like that they are thinking of print-on-demand. Will give old schoolers a chance to get books they might have missed on an older edition, or replace one that has reached its containment threshold. I'm hoping they take it up.
And their thoughts on emphasis with more support for GM's are good ones. I can think of someone [http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/?zx=253b782e7ad8b3b4] who might appreciate the assistance.
I doubt I will ever get into v4, but this interview has removed a lot of concerns of mine. Plus I think it is awesome my favorite gaming mag website got to do this interview. Awesome job, Greg!

I am not surprised the cut out the OGL, i am sure some marketers at Hasbro are wishing it never existed so pathfinder wasnt stealing market share (hasbro ((i think its hasbro)) owns WOTC)

As long as Wizards keeps their wheels turning, Hasbro will keep Wizards going. Everything I have seen so far has led me to believe that Hasbro has kept their hands off of D&D, except to help facilitate a lot of new distribution and exposure.

 

[ace_of_something]

In part one of this article they explained the justification for splitting elves. I got to say my friends and I have been doing that since the middle of 2nd edition. They've always seemed like there was too much to them. (We used the same terms everyone else who did this did as 'Wood Elves' and 'High Elves')
I have been playing d&d since I was 10 years old in 1990.I've never really stopped playing other than a few months here and there. Not always with the same people. The fact that the DM is the lifeblood is so true. I go both ways probably DMing 50% of the time.
When I was in police academy I got all the ex-marine cops-in-training to play. They were aprehensive, some even calling it 'a fag game' then after one session or two I made players out of them all. All 5 of these guys (and 1 gal) bought their core set. Then when the state academy split up and we went to our individual acadmemies. I heard legend that there were 6 new DMs across the state.
It spreads like an STD... except in a good way.
that was a terrible analogy! What were you thinking!?
I wish I could DM for the RPGA but I haven't the time. I'd make it a point to use eberron, my current favorite. Though I am so pumped for the return of dark sun I can hardly contain myself.

 

[Alex_P]

Do you have any statistics on what percentage of players will dungeon master and what are only players? I've often thought that the choke point in the growth of tabletop gaming is an insufficient number of people motivated, or skilled, or trained to rabble-rouse a group of six friends, or four friends, and run a game.

Dungeon Masters are our lifeblood, no question about it. When you're talking about the tabletop game experience, we depend on them. As customers, they're our best evangelists. D&D has been, and I think always will be, a game driven primarily by player-to-player interactions. You learn D&D - for the most part - because somebody teaches you how to play. And that somebody is usually a Dungeon Master. So we're continuing to look for ways we can help them, and certainly 4th edition makes a big strike there. The DM Rewards program we rolled out last year, again, is an effort to identify and thank those people who are keeping our game vibrant.

Conventional RPGs totally shoot themselves in the foot by calling on one guy to handle the majority of leadership tasks in every facet of the game -- to be the game organizer, the rules expert, the chief storyteller, the teacher, and the social authority at the table.

Making the individual bits easier is certainly constructive, but I think a really big improvement in accessibility isn't going to come without carving up those roles a bit to make the game less dependent on the constant management, foresight, and authority of a single always-on, always-responsible participant.

-- Alex

 

[Fenixius]

Conventional RPGs totally shoot themselves in the foot by calling on one guy to handle the majority of leadership tasks in every facet of the game -- to be the game organizer, the rules expert, the chief storyteller, the teacher, and the social authority at the table.

Actually, I was really surprised when I read some sections in the 4E DMG #2. It had a whole bunch of little inserts about cooperative or essentially multiplayer storytelling. I don't know how well it'd work, but it's certainly an interesting idea I didn't really think too much about until I'd read it then.

I know when I play as a DM, I try to make sure I have at least one other person who knows very thoroughly the game. That way, they can help out with some of the rules and character creation stuff, and I can tell the story as we go.

I like that they are thinking of print-on-demand. Will give old schoolers a chance to get books they might have missed on an older edition, or replace one that has reached its containment threshold. I'm hoping they take it up

Not only that, but they should -really- have digital distribution up if they don't already. Let me spend $20USD to get any single book up until now in the form of a 50mb PDF with chapters and OCR. I'll do it. I do it anyway for books I already own, and to "test run" new books coming out. It's a lot of money to pay ~$50AUD (yeah, it sucks, I know :\) every time they release a new book, so I flick through it first to see if it's worth my money and time and effort. I'd be much more inclined to buy DnD books through Steam or something >_>

 

[Archon]

Archon, go for the thrrooooat!*

* If you can without harming Escapist's relationship with Wizards of the Coast. I'd like more of these interviews and articles rather than fewer!

I tried, but Wizards has a very high Dexterity, they dodged all my attacks.

 

[Slycne]

Ah yes the dreaded 4th editions... Weird thing Shadowrun 4th edition, Black Eye 4th Edition... both are a step down from previous too. It is as if the publishers all had a big meeting in 2005 or so, where they decided to all release weird stuff the next time.

Ah well. It's not that you HAVE to change.

Yea, but Shadowrun's 4th edition was in hardcover which factored into our decision to play it way more than it should. The amount of 2nd and 3rd edition Shadowrun books we went through because they were softcover over the years was insane. My 4th edition hardcover is still in tip top shape!

Yeah, I finally gave up trying to keep my 3rd edition Shadowrun book together, I hole punched the whole book and put it in a binder.