[ds3] r7

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

flip

Nov 14, 2006 9:21:06
hey folks.

So, yeah, I've been quiet lately. Keeping busy and all that.

Two major things on my plate at the moment -- I'm polishing off enough of a site rewrite that I can dump the old implementation. No more PHP will make me one happy little obsidian ball.

More relevantly, I'm going to be ramping up on the R7 work. It's been over a year since R6's release, and there's plenty of basic errata piled up. However, I'm also considering that a major review would be in order -- checking out class balances and such, perhaps running with some pretty serious adjustments.

There are some changes that made it in for r7 that are not errata -- a few new spells, powers and (I think) feats ...

So, I pose this question : Does anybody feel the need to have r7 come out soon? Or are we ready and able to commit to a major review, realizing that that will take quite a bit more time?
#2

Kamelion

Nov 14, 2006 9:27:52
My feeling is that you should make sure the errata is available for download as a separate document (works for WotC ;)) and then move on with a substantial revision, specifically with an eye to having a final, stable set of core rules in place. This allows you to move on with releases like the material on Kurn, Eldaarich and the Dead Lands (and any associated adventures) without worrying about having to go back and tweak things further down the line. Just judging by a recent thread on potential future releases, most folks seem interested in stuff that expands and develops the setting - such a thing is far easier to produce with a stable set of rules.
#3

flip

Nov 14, 2006 9:55:36
My feeling is that you should make sure the errata is available for download as a separate document (works for WotC ;)) and then move on with a substantial revision, specifically with an eye to having a final, stable set of core rules in place. This allows you to move on with releases like the material on Kurn, Eldaarich and the Dead Lands (and any associated adventures) without worrying about having to go back and tweak things further down the line. Just judging by a recent thread on potential future releases, most folks seem interested in stuff that expands and develops the setting - such a thing is far easier to produce with a stable set of rules.

Right. At least a good option for the poll, and I can't edit it. :/
(But, of course, I'm the only one here who can even make a poll, muhahahahaha)
#4

dirk00001

Nov 14, 2006 10:14:46
I agree with Kam on this one - release an r6e1 Errata dand Additions ocument separately, then leave the r7 revision until it's more like a "version 2" document than a revision. I don't care about pictures, as I take the book down to the copier shop and have it printed out (so pictures means more pages, which means more $$$), but I do think that time would be better spent going over the classes, balancing things, etc. and then releasing than to release early and have to follow up with an r8 soon afterwards.

As an aside, for my own version of the DS3 rules (I heavily modify the athas.org version for my own game) I created a "revision" document that lists any changes and additions I've made since originally printing the rulebook, and it works really well; by keeping errata and additions in a compact document I can always keep the "latest update" online and just have to send out an email to my players letting them know that I've made a new change.
I use the following format for it:

Section Heading (pages X-Z)
Summary of change made, such as 'the first paragraph has been revised to read as follows:

List change/changes here.

I found that doing it in this fashion makes it easy for my players (those that have a copy of my rules printed out, at least) to go through and either make changes with a pen or at least put down a little asterisk or something to remind themselves that the rules have changed, and it also gets rid of the "...but no one ever told me that!" excuse for not knowing something. ;)

Anyway...hope that helps.
#5

brun01

Nov 14, 2006 10:16:24
I'd like to see a release as complete and "fixed" as possible. I think it's worth the wait. A separate errata document is a good solution, like Kam pointed out.
#6

thebrax

Nov 15, 2006 14:18:00
I'd like to see the newer standards of completion, for example, at least a sample character in the new format with each character class, just as you see in the post DMG2 books such as Complete Mage.

But while while the eratta fixes and format update aren't urgent, I don't hink we should hold them hostage to ambiguous and undefined "serious adjustments" that aren't supported by serious testing or serious discussion.

Let's make the updates, and only those substantive changes to races and classes that we know need to be done. If we've got nifty ideas we want to try out when we get the time, or if a couple of folks have made complaints that we haven't verified, then those should push back to the next release.
#7

jon_oracle_of_athas

Nov 24, 2006 9:51:07
Substantial changes to classes also means having to update all NPCs in all our adventures and accessories - again. If there are volunteers, then that´s fine.

If we create an illustrated version, we will have to make dual updates if we keep the non-illustrated version in future revisions - unless we lock the rules set and simply produce errata files. One optional approach is to create an art appendix as a separate file. That might be more flexible, albeit you don´t get the pictures in the text.
#8

flindbar

Nov 24, 2006 10:33:25
Substantial changes to classes also means having to update all NPCs in all our adventures and accessories - again. If there are volunteers, then that´s fine.

..... speaking of volunteers and updates etc .....
I know I've been away for a while but, did anything ever happen to the Villages of the Wastes updates a bunch of us did a while ago
#9

Grummore

Nov 24, 2006 12:54:39
..... speaking of volunteers and updates etc .....
I know I've been away for a while but, did anything ever happen to the Villages of the Wastes updates a bunch of us did a while ago

Yes, the update have been done quite a while ago. It's on Athas.org.

No I am not dead
#10

flindbar

Nov 24, 2006 13:33:22
Yes, the update have been done quite a while ago. It's on Athas.org.

No I am not dead

Hi Gru.
Just had a quick look round athas.org but can see it anywhere.
I'm probably just being blind, I'm sure, but could you point me in the right direction.
PS - glad you're not dead ;)