As for 6e, WotC should kick that can down the road for a decade.

Considering the new audience from livestreams, I don't know if these new gamers are interested in edition changes. RPGers seem fine buying the same book over and over again, but I am not sure the new gamers are ready for that. I know that 40k's younger fans aren't enamored with talk of imminent edition changes.  

Probably much better to offer a 5e Optional Rules book. Let people radically optimize if they choose to, but not forced upon them via a new edition.

But you know that WotC is salivating over putting out a new edition for all the streaming inductees to buy.

I think the smart move would be a bit of clean up, more of a 5.5.  Fix the ranger and the warlock, maybe clean up a few things in combat.  Grappling comes to mind.  Maybe even try to keep the page numbers and artwork the same.  Of course you just risk making the ranger and warlock the new, overpowered, broken classes but it lets you sell something new to people without really pissing off all the people who just got into D&D and bought all their books.  You could also print the basic set that's currently on line and release it as a stand alone book with a small setting and adventure.  Get the point of entry product down to the cost of one book.  A big starter box with miniatures is also a fun option that lets you keep the current rules, draw in new players, and sell a box of toys to many of the people who got in with 5.0.

I think a new, fully compatible edition of the 5e PHB would be a good idea, it definitely has some flaws. New art to encourage re-purchase.

Quote from: TJS;1086207Monster Manual 3 and the Dark Sun Creature Catalogue were very very good.

Not only do I own both of those books; I own 2 copies of MM3.

If it were up to me, I'd do two things with the next edition:

1. Whatever you call it (5.5 has baggage after 3.5), I'd make it at least as compatible with 5E as 1E and 2E were.  Specifically, I'd only fix things that were obviously broken, and really call them out.  So yeah, new ranger class billed as you can swap this one for the old one--or keep using the old one in your campaign if you prefer.  But if there are minor tweaks with fighters possible, leave them unchanged instead.  

2. Take advantage of this compatibility to release in an orthogonal presentation.  Specifically, release two or three sandbox settings (and only three if some considerable overlap) aimed at low-magic, epic fantasy, and maybe something in between.  Release the books on a different plan than PHB, MM, and DMG--probably roughly by level tiers, similar to the old BECMI presentation, except in 3 or 4 books.  I think the actual level tiers make bad break points, but for example letting the first book roll up through about level 6 or 7 could work.  The middle books need a relatively short level range, because they would also include domain rules, naval rules, etc.  I'm least certain about the upper end, because I haven't played enough at the higher levels to have an informed opinion about it, though I suspect that someone could do a better job than we've had in a some time, if they set their mind to it.

Note that rigid adherence to that pattern would be a bad idea, but as a framework it could work fine.  For example, put the full 20 levels of the classes in the first book, but don't detail all the upper level options and spells until the later one.  Keep the monsters and magic and so forth to be the most common stuff.  Then do a setting book for each setting that has more monsters and magic geared to that setting.  Sure, it works out to be more books for the avid collectors (not a bad thing in the end), but for someone trying to get started, they can pick up 2 books (1st rules and 1 setting) and have almost everything they need, with an obvious upgrade path.  Then the very next book would be one on how to take all this material and make your own setting, guiding the novice GM through examples.  Come to think of it, that should be my third setting book.