Well, with the advent of V4.0 D&D, I was curious to see what all of you thought it was going to be like.

For example:  Are we going to see page-long statblocks and lots of splatbooks in hardback, like v3.5        

OR

Are we going to see statblocks more like v2.0, fewer splatbooks, fewer hardback books, new world(s) or a return to old favorites, maybe a few more homegrown modules, etc.    

OR

Something else entirely (I've heard some of it is going to be online, for example);      

Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? Hopes? (even prayers??   )

It will be like this:

Shorter statblocks, new rulebooks (released on the web) every month (PoD available for those who want the stuff in hardcopy), with an overhaul of the "core" every year, like - Races of Aught Nein, just so they can sound cooler... and, nothing that doesn't have its own super-awesome special abilities like the nifty new fighter who can do damage even when he misses!

3.5 is so F**ked up right now anything would be better.

I'm hoping that there might be a couple of features that I could steal for my B/X and 1e games (like computer support, for instance).

But then I said that about 3.5e too, and that didn't happen.  

sleepyCO wrote:Well, with the advent of V4.0 D&D, I was curious to see what all of you thought it was going to be like.

They'll take 3.5, and prove me wrong.  (I don't think it can be made any worse than it is, but they'll find a way.)  It's bad enough an entire generation of gamers has been brought up thinking the game is about combat and l33t m4d sk1!!z.

Xaxaxe wrote:4.0 will suck harder than a black hole. It will be an event horizon from which fun cannot escape.

History will record 4.0 as the second-suckiest thing in the history of gaming.*

+++++

* The suckiest thing will be Gleemax.

I thought the "suckiest" thing was v3.5; and the second-suckiest was when WoTC/Hasbro bought out TSR!

Boring art, boring character classes/races, simplified stats, simplified everything, completely combat orientated and not a lot of rules for rping.
That's my fear.. that and that they'll make Tieflings some common occurance when DAMNIT on the prime material they aren't that common! Also, they should speak Abyssal, not Infernal.. the Batezu would only birth a half-fiend and thus a tiefling down the line if it was in their grand plan/scheme. The Tanaari however, will sleep with anything that moves, they're chaotic!

I also fear more simplification of the cosmology thus eliminating the joy that is planescape, making more munchkin characters easily creatable and of course, piles upon piles of "prestige classes" for more overpowered hack and slash.

I'll take a look when it comes out, but I don't hold much hope. It might have some ideas i'll steal, but I doubt any will be "revolutionary" or particularly unique.

I see 4.0 evolving into a bunch of online gadgets that will provide a monthly subscription model to Hasbro.

It will soon become a race to build in the highest graphical eye-candy gadgets to compete with WOW and other OMMPRPG's.

It will then rapidly devolve into a forum of Q&A about ping times, video card drivers, etc.

In short, it would be able to suck the life out of a roomful of players in 5 seconds flat and zap any chance of people using their own imagination.  

I don't know.  

For one thing, the D20 is at the core of the D&D system and always has been.

For another...has anyone really taken a look at the online dungeon for you and your distant friends to enjoy?  At this point, it is pathetic...way behind the electronic curve.