Bruce Cordell leaves WotC

[delericho]

Doesn't this make two former WOTC employees that Monte has stol... I mean lur... I mean... uh... employed?

Yeah, but that's just payback from when WotC stol... lur... I mean... uh... employed one Mike Mearls, who was formerly at Malhavoc.

Perhaps Mr. Cordell has seen a writing on the wall? With WotC's history of firing experienced staff on a nearly regular basis and with 18 years of employment on your personnel records there are worse ideas than to look around for interesting job opportunities.

I might be mistaken, but I was under the impression that the WotC severance package was relatively good? In which case, it would seem wiser to hold on, collect the money, and then go work for your friend.

Honestly, I wouldn't read anything into this. People leave companies all the time, and for all sorts of reasons. Maybe Bruce just wanted a change of scenery. Maybe he felt "my work here is done". Maybe...

But WotC's loss is Numenara's gain, it seems. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with.

 

[vagabundo]

It's good to see churn in the RPG industry.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

I can imagine after 18 years, especially the last decade or so of looking over your shoulder twice a year, that there simply comes a point where you want to do some things that you can reasonably expect to be still doing when you're about to retire.

I wish him all the best and still look fondly at his late 2E work - Gates of Firestorm Peak and The Shattered Circle remain two of my favourite adventures of all time - and also the Expanded Psionics Handbook.

Good on him for making the move.

 

[Weather Report]

I hope he designed Psionics (fluff and all) before he left.

 

[Riley]

And, for those who were hoping to see him do adventures - whether or not he can do that will depend upon the licensing WotC uses. We'll have to see how that turns out.

My slight concern there is more for WOTC: they seem to have recognized that good adventures are im to

 

[Riley]

And, for those who were hoping to see him do adventures - whether or not he can do that will depend upon the licensing WotC uses. We'll have to see how that turns out.

My slight concern there is more for WOTC: from various comments by Mike and perhaps others, they seem to have recognized that good adventures are important to the success of Next. And after Bruce's exit, I am hard pressed to name a great adventure written by someone currently employed at Wizards.

But I wish Bruce the best, and I'm sure I'll be reading his work again in the not too distant future.

 

[delericho]

And after Bruce's exit, I am hard pressed to name a great adventure written by someone currently employed at Wizards.

I'm not sure it's necessarily that WotC actually employ adventure writers full-time. Most of their adventures have been written by outsiders under contract, either by commission (the published adventures) or via submissions (Dungeon).

Plus, sad to say, even BC's record hasn't exactly been stellar in recent years. Indeed, with the sole exception of "The Sinister Spire" (co-written with Ari Marmell), I'm hard pressed to think of a good adventure he's written since "The Sunless Citadel". Though I hope that's down to the environment at WotC, where such things as the Delve Format have proven less than ideal for the outcome of adventure-writing efforts.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

(snip) And after Bruce's exit, I am hard pressed to name a great adventure written by someone currently employed at Wizards. (snip)

Chris Perkins.

 

[Riley]

Chris Perkins.

Oh yes. Thanks.

 

[Riley]

I'm not sure it's necessarily that WotC actually employ adventure writers full-time. Most of their adventures have been written by outsiders under contract, either by commission (the published adventures) or via submissions (Dungeon).

Plus, sad to say, even BC's record hasn't exactly been stellar in recent years. Indeed, with the sole exception of "The Sinister Spire" (co-written with Ari Marmell), I'm hard pressed to think of a good adventure he's written since "The Sunless Citadel". Though I hope that's down to the environment at WotC, where such things as the Delve Format have proven less than ideal for the outcome of adventure-writing efforts.

I'd like to attribute Bruce's 4e adventures' qualities to the godawful constraints of the format.