Their methodology of only moving forwards with 80% approval rating material that has good qualities commentary in the surveys means that any changes basically boil down to optional homebrew type content that most people prefer means that adaption isn't only simple, but people can do it piecemeal over time due to the modular nature of the rules.
Yes, while I think details have changed here and there, their plan since 2014 was always to make an edition that could be tweaked as tastes changed and problems arose, without having to overhaul the whole kaboodle. It's a good plan. Even if I'd like to see some bigger changes, it's a very playable game even with little foibles.
I’d venture so far as to suggest that they went more out there in the beginning to see if any really wild ideas stuck, knowing that they’d have to tack back toward compatibility eventually regardless. Like I think they always knew that things would get closer to 2014 as the playtest went on.
I think you're right. I really wish they'd do more of that, but I think after some of the... harsher blowback, they're more likely to be more conservative going forward.
Either way, though, I hope they give second chances to some stuff they’ve moved away from, like less extreme exhaustion, before the end.
Yes! I think this happened too much with D&DNext and I'm worried that it will happen here. Some ideas just need tweaking to make better, not dropping entirely. For example, I think that prebuilt statblocks for druid wildshapes is a great idea over search-the-monster-manual, BUT... they botched the whole thing. I really hope they try again with the statblocks built toward what the animal-form's main
role would be (Brute, Skirmisher, Scout, etc).
And I really hope that more than 20% of people dislike the current proposed TWF rules/options and half-caster warlocks as much as I do…
I think you're going to be fine there. I was okay with the Warlock on my first read-through, but after rebuilding a character using the rules and reading all the Warlock player's complaints, I'm onboard with low-balling it. Much like the Druid, I think
something ought to be done about the Warlock, but NOT THIS.
Actually, with both the Druid and the Warlock, I've seen suggestions made by people on this site that would be MUCH BETTER.