blacki said:

I've heard this exact same arguement time and time again with RPGers.  Most RPGs put out a new edition every ten years or so.  That is, in fact, the established lifespan of a product like this.

If any company (not just FFG) puts out a new product and you insist on waiting ten years before you buy it, you really shouldn't be surprised that a new edition is right around the corner.  Most normal people have had ten years to play and enjoy the older edition, after all, and they're ready for something new, while you're only now getting off your high horse, just in time to get pissed off about the new edition and wait another ten years.

Unless you enjoy watching from the sidelines and getting angry about the fact that companies want to revitalize their old products, I really don't understand the benefit of this kind of mentality.  If you had only gotten over your self-righteous indignation earlier, you could have joined us in enjoying the new edition and gotten a good ten years out of it yourself before the next edition comes along.

It's true there are some people who are only now getting into 1e and may be disappointed that the announcement of 2e came right on the heels of their purchase (Sorry, Blackzero.)  That's just bad timing; it sucks, but it happens.  For those people, they can rest assured that the conversion kit will let them get at least some use of out the old edition if they decide to upgrade to 2e in a year or so.  Or, as other posters have already said, they can just keep playing 1e if they like.  FFG isn't forcing you to buy the new edition.  You can keep playing 1e if you want to - there's plenty of material out there to keep you busy.

BlackZer0 said:

The reprints will certainly be 1e. They are reprints, not revised editions. To update them for the 2e would require a whole new run of playtesting, component design, etc, etc, whereas reprinting just means printing the same old thing again. Take a look at how FFG handled the revised edition of Curse of the Dark Pharaoh expansion for Arkham Horror. It was very clear from an early stage that they were changing the expansion and not just reprinting it.

These boxes are being reprinted. I don't think FFG has any intention of retreading old ground with 2e, aside from offering fans the conversion kit for those who really want to keep using their favourite heroes. (I'm not sure that the new stat cards for old monsters would see any use except by fan-made quests, unless there are also spawn cards that follow the 2e system.)

 I own everything with the Descent logo on it and we should be glad they are even giving any kind of support for the old stuff. I will continue to play with what I have and most likely pick up the v2 and the conversion kit. It will just be a different game that happens to make full use of all the figures I already own. You can't go wrong.

The original will only die if you stop playing it. There is so much content for that game that you would have to play constantly for so long to go through it all. I'm no where close.

What? Wait 10 years to play a game I could have on day 1, only to get butchered in a fiery wreck or pass on in some other obscure way before I get the chance to play? I think not. Waiting for the next edition just means you never get to play, and games are there to be played, enjoyed, and replaced when they are no longer playable. Why live if you don't live.

BlackZer0 said:

If they did a reprint I am sure it would be 1st Edition still.  I am positive 2nd Edition will have it's own expansions.

if you've been buying Descent all along, keeping up with every expansion...

congratulations!  You now have a "complete set!"  No more 1st edition expansions, ever!  You win!

Quizoid said:

I win?  Hooray!!!! 

Me too, hoorray! 

Anyhow, this argument can be applied to almost anything you can buy nowadays.  Cars, TV's, video game systems, even fashion.  Call it evolution, progress or just change in tastes.  Descent slowly slarted to become more sluggish with each expansion and additional rules.  Hopefully the revision will streamline things again and I'm really looking forward to playing a full game in a couple of hours.  But nothing is preventing you from not playing 1st edition Descent.  It's still a decent game and there's no need to switch if you're satisfied.  And if you want to stick with a game that will really remain consistently unchanged for a long period of time you can always stick with a casual game like chess.  Or Monopoly, although there ARE several revisions available for that game too. 

sputang said:

Yeah, I think I'll just never buy anything.  It's just going to have to be replaced later, right?

Having played games for over 50 years and own over 100 games myself I would like to offer a different solutition to time table for buying new games.  There is enough information on the net to see if it is the type of game you are interested in and worth buying. Most games have some issues because not every possible combination can be forseen. As you play any game if you find a problem you can contact the maker for a ruling or in some cases make a home rule. I have a file of quick starts for games and house rules to make them more enjoyable for all players. We also make adjustments for players that are not a skilled as others so we all can have fun and teach new players better gaming skills. You will miss out on a lot of great gamimg if you wait too long. Just so you know there are other great game making companies but you will be hard pressed to find a game of higher quaity and more attention to detail then FFG. FFG also offer more expansions to continue to give you more options for replay and ways to keep games changing.

 I heard the 3rd edition is in the works right now.  It's going to be released in 2033.  I'll leave all you suckers to play this obsolete 2nd edition.

...

Come on!  Descent got a ton of expansions and a whole lot of love over the years.  I only played the base game and there were a couple things I didn't like about it.  The Road to Legends expansion ALMOST got me back because of the awesome world campaign concept. Now, they're releasing a faster, streamlined version and it includes the campaign?  Count me in!  I'll definitely pick this up.