There are still good companies producing quality OGL material. And Wizards is still producing good D&D material. So there's little reason to think that much will change from right now, in the short term.

But what about the long term? At some point, Wizards will decide to do a 4th Edition, which is a good thing. What would be a bad thing is if it happened just because they needed to boost their bottom line when it came time to answer to Hasbro.

Let me preface this by saying that nothing I'll write here on the subject of 4th Edition is based on any kind of direct knowledge. No one's told me a thing. But I did work at Wizards for years, and I knew the original plans. Moreover, I know the kinds of products that you release before a new edition, and the kinds of things you post to the Internet and say at conventions when you're working on a new edition. And so based on all that, my wild guess is 2008, with an announcement in 2007. That said, I think it maybe could come as early as 2007, with an announcement this year. If that were to happen, however, and I was working on D&D at Wizards, I'd polish up my resume, because a release that soon would seem to indicate that Hasbro was forcing the issue; it would suggest the corporation wants squeeze the game for what it was worth and then dump it, because the timing would be wrong for optimal success. It would indicate that they (Hasbro) just didn't care. To be blunt, 2007 would be too early--sales would not be as good, and the finished game would likely have been rushed. It would be very bad news for the game, for people working on the game, and likely for the rpg hobby as a whole (remember, so goes Wizards...)

Of course, I could be completely wrong. Maybe it will be farther off. Like I said, I have no special knowledge.

Posted By Bert the Troll on 09/18/2006 3:57 PM
Unless I`m mistaken (I`m not very up with OGL) but even with a fourth edition, you can still use OGL to keep producing lots of D20 3.x edition products regardless of what Hasbro do. So lots of light at the tunnles end for current rule books to stay valid and what not.

Monte Cook seems to be saying that expects Hasbro to be dumping D&D. IE expecting a release that he says will hasvbro would know would be bad timing.

I was just getting interested enough to think about buying the 3.5 books too maybe I better do it sooner than later.

Posted By darkwaters on 09/25/2006 2:02 PM
There is a light rumor flouting around on the wizards boards that they may go for "the revolutionary d30 system." Don't know why they call it revolutionary when they dress up d20 in a new way so it can be patented as a new system.

Posted By Dordledum on 09/29/2006 7:34 AM


D30s? that would be some funny dice.

D.

Posted By nyjastul69 on 09/29/2006 9:26 AM
d30 = Least used die ever, at least for me.

Posted By PatEllis15 on 09/29/2006 8:36 AM

You don't have a D30?  I've been waiting 20 years for something useful that could utilize my never stopping D30.....


Pat E

99,9% sure that this d30 thing is just a joke.

Posted By PaSquall on 09/30/2006 12:44 PM
Ever tried a REAL d100 ?Â

D30 system could be better than d20 because there are often too many bonuses compared to the d20 random result (say roll d20 and add 15 bonus always looked odd to me, the random part should be higher. d30 would solve this)
It's just me however...

Posted By Host on 09/18/2006 12:06 PM

Monte Cook comments on the 4e rumors:

 

Posted By Kaya Kenobi on 08/17/2007 7:20 AM
Monte knew what he was talking about because he was rushed with bringing out 3rd edition and was opposed to 3.5.

Posted By tirwin on 08/19/2007 10:53 PM

From what I have read 3rd edition was rushed by Hasbro, so it didn't get the play testing it should have.  The company's answer to this was the revised 3.5 edition to fix some of the discovered problems of 3.0 supposedly.  But their was dissention in the ranks at Wizards as some employee's were opposed to a release of 3.5 and were let go from the company for their disagreeing with this strategy.  I am assuming the Monte Cook was one of these employee's who was against 3.5's release and so he started Swords and Sorcery or something like that.

 

I don't know if all this is true but something along these lines is what I have read in various places on the net over the years.  Of course this could be wrong as I am far from an expert when it comes to any of these legends.


Since you are an Official Delegate you would probably know more than me but this is what I have read. (Don't believe everything you read or hear right!?)  :-)