D&D 4th Ed and “Insider”

August 20th, 2007 18 Comments

There has been an age-old debate between table-top RPG purists (D&D players like me) vs. MMORPG players. The most common accusation is that online games and MMORPGs have killed the hobby which, ironically, started the RPG revolution into the online arena.

Now, being one of those veterans of the pen-and-paper hobby and now directly involved in the MMORPG industry, it’s hard for me to take a direct stand on the issue. When I encounter threads in the gaming groups I am involved with, I always say that MMORPGs complement the pen-and-paper industry. Online gaming just solved the problem on “preparation” and finding a schedule and a venue where a group of friends can gather every week “physically”

I used to run a lot of pen-and-paper campaigns during the 80’s and the 90’s. In fact, here’s an old site of my Forgotten Realms campaign, “Winter’s Twilight”. At any rate, Wizards of the Coast has announced the release of the new D&D 4th Edition rules scheduled for May 2008.

But that’s not all, WOTC is also releasing a new system called D&D Insider which melds pan-and-paper into a pseudo-online experience. Check out the video below

More about 4TH Ed and Insider after the jump…


According to a news announcement by theminiaturespage.com ( the 4th edition “rules emphasize faster game play, offer exciting new character options, and reduce the amount of “prep time” needed to run the game. D&D Insider includes a character creator that lets players design and equip their D&D characters, dungeon- and adventure-building tools for Dungeon Masters, online magazine content, and a digital game table that lets you play 24/7 on the internet — the perfect option for anyone who can’t find time to get together.”

D&D INSIDER

Also releasing next year will be new web-based tools and online community forums through the brand-new Dungeons & Dragons Insider (D&D Insider) digital offering. D&D Insider lowers the barriers of entry for new players while simultaneously offering the depth of play that appeals to veteran players.

“We’ve been gathering player feedback for eight years,” said Bill Slavicsek, R&D Director of Roleplaying and Miniatures Games at Wizards of the Coast. “Fourth Edition streamlines parts of the D&D game that are too complex, while enhancing the overall play experience. At its heart, it’s still a tabletop game experience. However, D&D Insider makes it easier for players to create characters, run their games, and interact with the rest of the D&D community.”

Check out the official page of D&D here and a look into Insider.

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  • valfogg

    id say,

    stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid

    its just a money making scheme by wizards. 3.5 aint broke so why fix it. in fact, 3.5 already fixed some of the stuff that was actually broken on 3rd ed.

  • http://gmtristan.com GM T

    Can’t say that I disagree. Hehe

  • http://philgamer.wordpress.com pointyman2000

    I love the idea.

    A new streamlined system that takes some of the pain and troubles of GM prep time? Cool.

    Moneymaking? Yep. These people have to earn money to keep making the games that we play.

    Stupid? Not entirely.

    3.5 Fixed things from 3.0 definitely, but it’s been about 5 years since 3.5 came out. Most RPGs tend to bring out new editions after five years or so. Whether it be revisions or entire overhauls.

    I’m excited to see what it’s like. Hopefully it lives up to the hype they’re cooking up. If it turns out terrible, then at least you guys who bought 3.5 still have your books to keep playing in and get to revel in schadenfreude… just like the 2nd Edition AD&D guys!

  • Blackwolf

    Nice to see Winter’s Twilight still standing. It was fun getting the gang together and play during weekends at Ramagi. Prixie and I still have Alianna and Malcolm’s sheets.

    Admittedly, MMORPGs still don’t possess the technology necessary to replicate the freedom of action, creativity and story-developing potential in a tabletop experience. On the other hand, tabletop is a logistical nightmare for people to regularly meet once a week to play. Wives, children, significant others and work take precedence so the convenience of the MMO play-anytime-drop-out-anytime situation is quite appealing. Not to mention access to an international community of thousands of other players.

    Sadly, convenience wins out over artistic freedom in our case, eh, old friend?

  • http://levin3d.blogspot.com levin3d

    hmmm… aside from the crappy visuals…

    i haven’t played enough D&D to know as much but i don’t see what’s the difference with MMORPGs. i mean you can play games like Neverwinter Nights2 which uses exactly the same mechanics. Or RPPvP wow servers if you want.
    or is it the rolling of the dice and the manual computation of the stats and combat number crunching that entices you? (forget high fantasy let’s play stockbrokers!)

    seriously, i don’t get it. why simulate a tabletop/pen&paper when you can simulate what the tabletop simulates?

  • Blackwolf

    Oh lord, I just saw the video of D&D insider. If WotC is going to release this, they will lose truckloads of money. If it takes that much work just to render the characters and the campaign environment, then why not just play an MMORPG?

    Most people play games to relax and have fun, not to lose their sanity trying to learn AUTOCAD, CGI and 3D modelling. If I needed stuff like that, I’d rather hire someone for it. That video looked suspiciously like work to me.

  • http://ceskypooh.wordpress.com Joel

    Personally, it doesn’t really matter if they put out a new edition since I’m still using second ed with a sprinkling (or mish-mash) of rules from the various Dungeons and Dragons magazines like piecemeal armor and threshold of pain. Yes, yes, I know … dinosaur, but these filled all those nights–and days–back in college with good clean fun, without the trashtalk common in MMORPGs.

  • http://gmtristan.com GM T

    Like what Blackwolf said, MMORPGs and pen-and-paper have vast differences. They share some similarity, but the freedom of imagination, creativity and storytelling shared with a passion among friends cannot equate to any computer-rendered elf or dragon. I think that both should complement each other. MMORPG players can try out traditional role-playing while RPG vets can, like what my friend Blackwolf said, play online games to escape the binding ropes of circumstance.

    peace!

    GM T

  • joel

    @GM Tristan
    doon po sa top commentators dumagdag ung comments ko dhil dun sa joel na nasa taas *omg* wa magkaiba kmi @_@

  • http://gmtristan.com GM T

    Magbago ka ng name. one of you. :)

  • http://gamemagazine.ph Joel S. Tan

    Off topic:

    @joel and GM T: I really don’t see what the problem is with that. What’s in a name? I’ll just use my full name. I don’t really care about being top commentator on this blog (not that I don’t like GM T Online, mind you) or any other blog.

  • joel

    @mr.tan yey thx.. i have my personal reasons why i care.. :P

  • http://lemnos.homeunix.net Azigen

    D&D insider looks to be a useful tool, or as they like to refer to it “DvD Extras”. I think the idea behind the map tool is that it will remind you of light sources, fog of war, and remove the cartography aspect of the game to a point.

    They have taken some of the better software ideas and added them to a D&D mechanic(Who here hasn’t seen or heard of Hero Machine, Open Rpg or Fantasy Grounds).

    For people who don’t have a group or for logistical reasons D&D insider will probably beat the pants off Play by Forum or Irc games.

    The character renderer looks ot be based off of the DDO one with a few modifications. Speaking from my personal experience its not that hard. Who doesnt spend a lot of time picking out the right avatar for themselves or a forum? I’m also sure that some basic ones will be included ( and perhaps modifiable so you can change orc weapons etc )

    But we wont know more about 4th edition until we see it.

    Just remember “I grapple the troll!”

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  • http://www.marketinggamechangers.com Susan G

    I have frequented your blog before. The more I take in, the more I keep coming back! ;-)

  • http://www.videoproductionnews.com Major Holladay

    Video production at its best! Do you have any tips for someone just out of college


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