Mirrorrorrim
Hero
I disagree. Wizards does not have a messaging problem. They are clear about their messaging. It's a Community Expectation and PR problem. The Community is fractured in differing what they want from D&D, and they are also suffering the blowbacks from their PR problems.Even in this thread, this close to launch, people are still arguing over whether this constitutes a new edition.
WotC's clearly has a messaging problem.
Most people in the world aren't tracking the playtest. They have too much more important stuff going on to read and watch what Wizards puts out. They get their news from hearsay and social media. And a lot of the vocal people, whether in-person, or on social media (of those who care strong enough to provide commentaty) are those who are angry.
Wizards has blundered enough to anger people, who now see Wizards as antagonists. These angry people are fighting any narrative that Wizards uses to try and create a positive groundswell. These people have become antagonists in their own right, even if they feel they are being legitimately reactive. Not everyone who disagrees with Wizards is this way, but just look at the social media comments. There is a lot of snide mockery exclaiming "6E!", "Pinkertons!", and "OGL!" and the like. Some call Wizards liars, purposefully spread their own narrative that does not match Wizards' narrative (calling it 6E or 5.5E, for instance) and otherwise actively try to harm Wizards efforts, sometimes to the point of spreading misinformation or spreading word that Wizards has explicit plans to harm the community in the future.
And it's not just those legitimately angry people. Some people have legit different definitions for themselves, and they vary to the extremes! Some say 5E doesn't need to be changed, and any changes are a cash grab. Some say 5E is boring, and they want something new, and rather than go somewhere else for what they want, they demand that Wizards makes D&D that way they envision. And each of those factions actively present their narrative as truth and One True Way.
When the 2024 books come out, we'll see what happens. If I don't like it, I'm going to bow out and stick to my own way of playing and not yuck everyone else's yum. I'm not going to troll and spread hate fertilizer in the D&D community because my desires were not catered to. Whatever game I play, I don't want to cause, or be subject to, rage-inducing trolling. I don't want ENWorld to turn into a cesspit. It's not fair to ENWorld, or the fans. We should find our own peace and joy and fun, even if it isn't technically core D&D anymore.
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