We don't know anything about what modules will be in the game. That said, if they don't, I can offer some ideas of how to cater to 4e fans, (being one myself.) First, you need meaningful resource management for everyone. Action points is a start, and giving martial classes expertise die-like stuff is also a good idea. In fact, you could even end up with two basic kinds of systems: Casting and Expertise. Expertise would be an encounter resource used to add effects and damage to your attacks, and casting would be a daily resource. You would basically end up with the following different class stuff: Features, (stuff unique to the class that are often preselected,) Spells, and Expertise. The classes would vary in features, spells, and expertise that they get, and also how much they get from each category. For instance:
Fighter: High Expertise, low Features.
Wizard/Sorcerer: High Spells, low Features.
Cleric/Druid: Medium Spells, medium Features.
Rogue: Medium Expertise, medium Features.
Warlock: Low Spells, high Features.
Barbarian: Low Expertise, high Features.
Gish 1: Medium Expertise, low Spells, low Features.
Gish 2: Low Expertise, medium Spells, low Features.
Gish 3/Bard: Low Expertise, low Spells, medium Features.
Alternate System Classes, (Possibly including Sorcerer, Warlock, and Bard,): Extremely high Features.
Then, if you wanted to make classes without any unique features, just utilizing the spell or expertise systems:
Gish 4: Medium Expertise, medium Spells.
Gishy Warrior: High Expertise, low Spells.
Gishy Mage: Low Expertise, high Spells.
Magus: Extremely high Spells.
Warblade: Extremely high Expertise.
Just a thought. And, of course, there would be classes with alternate systems that don't utilize Spells or Expertise. These are the alternate system classes, with their own sets of completely unique abilities. Or maybe it's just spells with an encounter or spell point system, or daily expertise. It would be a catch-all for other stuff.
Okay then. The other thing you'd need to do is have meaningful options during character creation, and as you level, plus plenty of customization. Feats at first and every other level is a start, and avoid flat bonus feats. The thing you'll want here is stuff like paragon paths, except a little more defining, and starting at level one. Give class-based and non-class-based options for this. It can also cover stuff like being a Troll or Vampire PC. With this, you shouldn't need subclasses to be as necessarily big, (though some classes, particularly the ones with med-high features on my model, would still have hefty subclasses.) In fact, some classes could end up having no subclasses. (The core4 should still have subclasses though; classes without subclasses would only be ones that have low or no features and have relatively narrow concepts.)
Well, that's it for my suggestions. I can't really help you very much, sorry, but I hope this helps at least a little.
13th Age has some 4e concepts built into it and it was released with it's own OGL and they are working on putting out an SRD for it.
So right there are two games that have to different degrees done something like what you are talking about.
I would love to help maybe playtest ideas or bounce things off of but I have a very short attention span so I would not want to sign up for the long haul and then let you down.
Also remember they can't copyright mechanics just "words" and "fluff" and most of those words are in the OGL for 3.5. So you can't have "Bloodied" condition but at half hit points you could be "Wounded" or something like that. On the monster side most everything is fair game because they were based on real world legends and stuff, only a few like "Beholder" will get you in trouble great place to check and see is if the monster is from 3.5 and in Pathfinder you could put it in your game.
My 2 cents start with something like essentials, make an essentials warlord and fix the +1 to hit at 5,15, and 25 math. That sounds like the start of a great game.
EDIT: Looks like you are not alone in your desire to do something like this a poster over at rpg.net has a like minded thread going and he has been working on his own version for a bit now he is calling it "Points of Light" which I think is a pretty cool name for it. Here is a link to his blog where he talks about it. complete4th.wordpress.com/
"What would it take to make it?"
Common sense, patience and an open mind.
Also a net to catch the opinions of 4vengers.
Don't make roles explicit. Customizable classes to help with character concept. No pigeon holing.
Publish a free pdf so we can take it for a test drive before buying.
Don't go crazy with the PHB1-Gazillion.
Make it modular so I can plug it into 5E Basic.
Personally, 5e may still meet most of my gaming needs.
5e may well have a 5e SRD, with which to create an Advanced 4e-style module.
Here is my feedback:
Don't make roles explicit. Customizable classes to help with character concept. No pigeon holing.
Publish a free pdf so we can take it for a test drive before buying.
Don't go crazy with the PHB1-Gazillion.
Make it modular so I can plug it into 5E Basic.
This. You'll probably want ~12 classes: You should have the 8 from the PHB, and having some others, (I suggest Sorcerers, Bards, Barbarians, and Druids,) would be nice.
Im leaning toward patience.
Personally, 5e may still meet most of my gaming needs.
5e may well have a 5e SRD, with which to create an Advanced 4e-style module.
I doubt they will put a SRD....after an incident with certain book under the OGL of 3rd edition
Anyway, that would be an offering on feedback ideas. Just one of many, no doubt, but something from me to get the ball rolling as I wake up.
Here is my feedback:
Don't make roles explicit. Customizable classes to help with character concept. No pigeon holing.
Publish a free pdf so we can take it for a test drive before buying.
Don't go crazy with the PHB1-Gazillion.
Make it modular so I can plug it into 5E Basic.
This. You'll probably want ~12 classes: You should have the 8 from the PHB, and having some others, (I suggest Sorcerers, Bards, Barbarians, and Druids,) would be nice.
Imo Sorcerer overlaps too much with Wizard and Warlock thematically. I'd definitely suggest Monk over Sorcerer.
As this thread is discussing a potential game that isn't D&D Next, I will be moving the thread to RPGs General Discussion.
Thanks.
Ummmm role explicitness is almost a requirement for a solid class based game. Otherwise you end up like 3e and 5e with classes that can do everything+, and classes that can kinda do one thng if you squint.
Even if you don't print it down in the class book(s), the designers need to have a baseline concept of what a class should be doing in order to make the class do that.
Customizable classes are nice, but they need a basic starting point.
That's why I liked 4e, every class up and said what it was supposed to do, and delivered on that promise, then via feat and power selection you could modify from there.
If you don't want class to provide role then it needs to come from somewhere else, and the classes have to be built to be role nuetral which measn you'd probably have to make each one insanely versatile or narrow their influence on the character.
For example you could have Role come from it's own pillar of character creation, and then class be a separate thing so you could play a defender knight, a striker knight, a controller knight, or a leader knight.
Alternatively you could give each class the option to pick a sub-class that defiens their role, so you be a Knight leader, a Knight controller, a Knight striker, or a Knight defender.
Role has been a part of the very concept of classes and DnD since the begining, 4e was just the first edition to handle it well.