Making changes based on survey results and social media has been a terrible idea since the beginning.
Having an initial survey would've been fine, simply to get some data. But they should have gone the route that MCDM is with their WIP TTRPG; focused groups of actual playtesters who WOTC KNOWSis actually playing using the proposed rules - plus ensuring people with proven game design experience are part of the revision process.
Why do you assume they haven't done that? The stuff they put out to public playtest was generally pretty cooked already. It definitely had the feel to me of "this is the stuff we developed internally, now let's see what the player base thinks of it".
Making changes based on survey results and social media has been a terrible idea since the beginning.
Having an initial survey would've been fine, simply to get some data. But they should have gone the route that MCDM is with their WIP TTRPG; focused groups of actual playtesters who WOTC KNOWSis actually playing using the proposed rules - plus ensuring people with proven game design experience are part of the revision process.
Why do you assume they haven't done that? The stuff they put out to public playtest was generally pretty cooked already. It definitely had the feel to me of "this is the stuff we developed internally, now let's see what the player base thinks of it".
i'd agree with you if it wasn't for warlocks
Just because most of it has seen some internal testing doesn't mean all of it has. And some playtesters have noted that the first playtest Warlock actually didn't lose out in the way of overall power - it's just that it locked the player in to one build option, which isn't something that is as likely to be noticed by someone likely to build that way to begin with as it would be by someone seeing the new version for the first time.
Making changes based on survey results and social media has been a terrible idea since the beginning.
Having an initial survey would've been fine, simply to get some data. But they should have gone the route that MCDM is with their WIP TTRPG; focused groups of actual playtesters who WOTC KNOWSis actually playing using the proposed rules - plus ensuring people with proven game design experience are part of the revision process.
Why do you assume they haven't done that? The stuff they put out to public playtest was generally pretty cooked already. It definitely had the feel to me of "this is the stuff we developed internally, now let's see what the player base thinks of it".
Because they specifically told us that's not how they're doing things. Over and over we get J-Craw interviews where he goes over survey numbers, then tells Todd Kenreck how those survey numbers are directly changing things Wizards is doing. Or rather, how survey numbers are getting Wizards to stop changing things, ever. Forever. Either we take J-Craw at his word that the public player surveys are the Final Word in development, or we assume he's lying for some reason. At which point we still have no reason to presume they're not just handing off design responsibility to The Mindless Mass because why do your job if you can outsource it to ******* Twitter instead and still get paid like a professional game designer?
Either we take J-Craw at his word that the public player surveys are the Final Word in development, or we assume he's lying for some reason.
I suspect he's cherry-picking examples of player feedback, and being vague about even the cherry-picked stuff, specifically to foster the feeling of survey-takers being involved. This isn't a real playtest; it's a marketing tactic.
Who knows, by the time true 6e rolls around the Ardling may have been released with enough fanfare / acclaim to warrant a spot in core.
I hope not
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
The half-caster + Mystic Arcana Warlock was fine. It wasn't as powerful as a full caster, but then, neither is the 2014 one.
Had they baked MA into the class' progression for free instead of making it burn Eldritch Invocations, I suspect it would have done well enough to be iterated on instead of getting immediately flushed.
Why do you assume they haven't done that? The stuff they put out to public playtest was generally pretty cooked already. It definitely had the feel to me of "this is the stuff we developed internally, now let's see what the player base thinks of it".
Because they specifically told us that's not how they're doing things. Over and over we get J-Craw interviews where he goes over survey numbers, then tells Tood Kenreck how those survey numbers are directly changing things Wizards is doing. Or rather, how survey numbers are getting Wizards to stop changing things, ever. Forever. Either we take J-Craw at his word that the public player surveys are the Final Word in development, or we assume he's lying for some reason. At which point we still have no reason to presume they're not just handing off design responsibility to The Mindless Mass because why do your job if you can outsource it to ******* Twitter instead and still get paid like a professional game designer?
They repeatedly said they're playtesting things internally even before we see them. When they debuted Weapon Mastery for example, they were gushing about how fun it was internally. And I'm not saying the internal process is perfect (they seemed pretty enamored with Flex, which went over with the playerbase like a lead balloon) but that's not the same as saying there isn't one.
Regarding Warlock, I think just tacking the proposed Mystic Arcanum progression onto half caster slots would still have fallen short because you'd still substantially just be a half caster without a solid second half- especially in the first two tiers; choosing a single 3rd level spell to cast once per day is not exactly my idea of the 5th level power bump, for one. It would definitely be a positive to add more spell slots, but they need at least a full caster's spell array baked in, otherwise the class is mostly just good as a dip for Sorcs or Bards who want to pick up some Invocations, assuming they don't just take Eldritch Adept.
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i'd agree with you if it wasn't for warlocks
Just because most of it has seen some internal testing doesn't mean all of it has. And some playtesters have noted that the first playtest Warlock actually didn't lose out in the way of overall power - it's just that it locked the player in to one build option, which isn't something that is as likely to be noticed by someone likely to build that way to begin with as it would be by someone seeing the new version for the first time.
Because they specifically told us that's not how they're doing things. Over and over we get J-Craw interviews where he goes over survey numbers, then tells Todd Kenreck how those survey numbers are directly changing things Wizards is doing. Or rather, how survey numbers are getting Wizards to stop changing things, ever. Forever. Either we take J-Craw at his word that the public player surveys are the Final Word in development, or we assume he's lying for some reason. At which point we still have no reason to presume they're not just handing off design responsibility to The Mindless Mass because why do your job if you can outsource it to ******* Twitter instead and still get paid like a professional game designer?
Why you shouldn't start ANOTHER thread about DDB not giving away free redeems on your hardcopy book purchases.
Thinking of starting ANOTHER thread asking why Epic Boons haven't been implemented? Read this first to learn why you shouldn't!
I suspect he's cherry-picking examples of player feedback, and being vague about even the cherry-picked stuff, specifically to foster the feeling of survey-takers being involved. This isn't a real playtest; it's a marketing tactic.
I hope not
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
The half-caster + Mystic Arcana Warlock was fine. It wasn't as powerful as a full caster, but then, neither is the 2014 one.
Had they baked MA into the class' progression for free instead of making it burn Eldritch Invocations, I suspect it would have done well enough to be iterated on instead of getting immediately flushed.
They repeatedly said they're playtesting things internally even before we see them. When they debuted Weapon Mastery for example, they were gushing about how fun it was internally. And I'm not saying the internal process is perfect (they seemed pretty enamored with Flex, which went over with the playerbase like a lead balloon) but that's not the same as saying there isn't one.
Regarding Warlock, I think just tacking the proposed Mystic Arcanum progression onto half caster slots would still have fallen short because you'd still substantially just be a half caster without a solid second half- especially in the first two tiers; choosing a single 3rd level spell to cast once per day is not exactly my idea of the 5th level power bump, for one. It would definitely be a positive to add more spell slots, but they need at least a full caster's spell array baked in, otherwise the class is mostly just good as a dip for Sorcs or Bards who want to pick up some Invocations, assuming they don't just take Eldritch Adept.