Disturbing Trend

Quasqueton · Mar 4, 2007

Dragon magazine, June 1983 (#74) "Out on a Limb" letters section:

Dear Editor:

I would like to express my concern over what I see as a disturbing trend in the last several issues of DRAGON: a greatly increased emphasis on charts, tables, statistical comparisons and the like. Specifically, "Charting the classes" and "Weapon statistics" (#69), "The hull truth about speed" and "A second volley" (#70), and "Who gets the first swing?" (#71), to cite only a few of the many examples.

I've also noticed the introduction of a plethora of new character classes and the needless reworking of older ones, such as the recent articles on illusionists and druids, for example.

You tout your magazine as a role playing aid, and although the articles I mentioned above are all well written and well intentioned, they do not further the cause of role playing.

It is difficult enough for Gamemasters to wean players from their beloved handbooks and charts and [get them to] play their characters as individuals rather than puppets tethered to a leash of polyhedra dice. Is fantasy role playing really served by an article interpreting the classes on a strictly numerical basis?

Again, the articles were well done. I applaud the quantum jump in professionalism of recent articles over some published in years past by DRAGON. Yet, I see a letter like Time Henke's (in issue #64), asking that DRAGON do his creative thinking for him, and I can't help but wonder what attitudes newer readers are gleaning from your publication of number-oriented articles.

Mark Kreighbaum
Berkeley, Calif.

Quasqueton

Hussar · Mar 4, 2007

But... but... but...

smootrk · Mar 4, 2007

This individual is probably beside himself if he reads the magazine nowadays, or picks up the occasional supplement book.

Crothian · Mar 4, 2007

He probably moved on to a better game by now

Fifth Element · Mar 4, 2007

Freaky...to kill some time this morning, I picked out one of my old Dragons to read at random . It was this very issue, and that letter was the first thing I read. This was not 10 minutes ago.

My first thought was "some things never change", followed quickly by "I wish the term 'badwrongfun' existed back then..."

Quasqueton · Mar 4, 2007

Fifth Element said:
Freaky...to kill some time this morning, I picked out one of my old Dragons to read at random . It was this very issue, and that letter was the first thing I read. This was not 10 minutes ago.

Please lean a bit to your left. I can't see the bottom of page 45.

Quasqueton