Corpsetaker
First Post
When I say this I don’t mean the rules, because I didn’t really like them, but the overall approach to D&D, minus a few things here and there. While it took a while to get everything off the ground, I really miss the fact that we had a great online magazine, a character builder, an in house VTT that worked, and we were getting lots of content. Now I would like to break these things down into a few bullet points and discuss in more detail.
• Online magazine: Well during this time we had a subscription paid online Dragon magazine. I must say that I really miss this because it allowed me to get great articles that I could read anywhere I had internet access. I felt like I was getting what I paid for even though I didn’t use the game options because I didn’t really like the rules at the time. I could see how someone who did like 4th edition at the time would have been delighted at all the extra content they were getting. When I look at Dragon+ compared to then, all I see is a hollow shadow of its former self. It’s almost sad in a way because I see where Dragon was to what it is now and it really contradicts Wizard’s whole strategy behind multimedia content. I don’t think just throwing stuff up on Facebook and Twitter really qualifies as that, as well as a free app that talk less about the actual game and more about D&D outside the table top game. I don’t really care which celeb was seen wearing a D&D t-shirt.
• Character builder: Now from a business stand point I can see where this all went wrong but from a customer view it was brilliant. I don’t really care about Wizard’s profit margins so I’m looking at this from a customer benefit. It was best when it was offline but it had its upsides to when it went online only. Either way you had a really useful tool that allowed you to create characters and store them for future use. I fully understand how it made someone more inclined to not even bother buying the books but it was still a great thing.
• In house VTT: While this was by no means fancy, it was still very practical because of the price and the set up. What I liked was it enabled me to come home from work, come into the VTT and join a game that was either about to start or in the middle and looking for someone else to play. I didn’t have to go to a community and arrange a group and time to play. I could jump right in to a game when I wanted to. For me this VTT was very practical and not in the least expensive. The VTT’s now are too costly and doesn’t allow me to scroll games currently running. It did what I needed it to do and I sorely miss it.
• Content: I think if the content at the time would have been spread out and not thrown out all at once it would have been better accepted. Now I didn’t like the way the Realms was handled because I am a massive fan of the Realms, but that aside we did get loads of content. I will say that we got a bit too much player content and if Wizard’s hadn’t had the “everything is core” stance most DM’s would have just limited what they allowed in their games.
When I look back at all this I don’t see the 5th edition era of D&D as being any sort of “Golden Age”. The 5th edition rules of D&D are nice but I don’t have the feeling that I did with previous editions that the game is being supported in the way that it should. Again, I don’t care for profit margins so I don’t care from a business view. I am a customer so I am explaining how the era of the game felt whole to me, minus a few things here and there. If I could get the setting support of 2nd and 3rd edition with the overall structure of the 4th edition era with the rules of 5th edition then we would truly have a golden age of Dungeons and Dragons.
I’m not a fan of the whole Acquisitions Inc and other shows out there, nor am I a fan of the current adventures because I like to come up with my own stories and settings so the strategy of this edition just doesn’t suit me, not to mention the fact that the novel line could be ending doesn’t hit right with me. I don’t believe in the spin we are hearing because it’s disingenuous and doesn’t take all the facts into account. It’s just their way of trying to get us to accept that the way they want to run things is the best for D&D.
What exactly is best for D&D? Is it best for D&D to keep Wizard’s with in specific profit margins with a low overhead and very small release schedule in order to keep making money to keep it going in this direction or is it getting the customer what they want so they will lots of product that they can use from years to come. I liked the fact that I felt surrounded by novels, content, and online support. I don’t feel like that anymore. I feel like D&D is being treated like a commercial entity and that the suits are just trying to justify their business decision by telling us that our way is what’s best for D&D.
What’s best for D&D is what’s best for the consumer in my opinion.
• Online magazine: Well during this time we had a subscription paid online Dragon magazine. I must say that I really miss this because it allowed me to get great articles that I could read anywhere I had internet access. I felt like I was getting what I paid for even though I didn’t use the game options because I didn’t really like the rules at the time. I could see how someone who did like 4th edition at the time would have been delighted at all the extra content they were getting. When I look at Dragon+ compared to then, all I see is a hollow shadow of its former self. It’s almost sad in a way because I see where Dragon was to what it is now and it really contradicts Wizard’s whole strategy behind multimedia content. I don’t think just throwing stuff up on Facebook and Twitter really qualifies as that, as well as a free app that talk less about the actual game and more about D&D outside the table top game. I don’t really care which celeb was seen wearing a D&D t-shirt.
• Character builder: Now from a business stand point I can see where this all went wrong but from a customer view it was brilliant. I don’t really care about Wizard’s profit margins so I’m looking at this from a customer benefit. It was best when it was offline but it had its upsides to when it went online only. Either way you had a really useful tool that allowed you to create characters and store them for future use. I fully understand how it made someone more inclined to not even bother buying the books but it was still a great thing.
• In house VTT: While this was by no means fancy, it was still very practical because of the price and the set up. What I liked was it enabled me to come home from work, come into the VTT and join a game that was either about to start or in the middle and looking for someone else to play. I didn’t have to go to a community and arrange a group and time to play. I could jump right in to a game when I wanted to. For me this VTT was very practical and not in the least expensive. The VTT’s now are too costly and doesn’t allow me to scroll games currently running. It did what I needed it to do and I sorely miss it.
• Content: I think if the content at the time would have been spread out and not thrown out all at once it would have been better accepted. Now I didn’t like the way the Realms was handled because I am a massive fan of the Realms, but that aside we did get loads of content. I will say that we got a bit too much player content and if Wizard’s hadn’t had the “everything is core” stance most DM’s would have just limited what they allowed in their games.
When I look back at all this I don’t see the 5th edition era of D&D as being any sort of “Golden Age”. The 5th edition rules of D&D are nice but I don’t have the feeling that I did with previous editions that the game is being supported in the way that it should. Again, I don’t care for profit margins so I don’t care from a business view. I am a customer so I am explaining how the era of the game felt whole to me, minus a few things here and there. If I could get the setting support of 2nd and 3rd edition with the overall structure of the 4th edition era with the rules of 5th edition then we would truly have a golden age of Dungeons and Dragons.
I’m not a fan of the whole Acquisitions Inc and other shows out there, nor am I a fan of the current adventures because I like to come up with my own stories and settings so the strategy of this edition just doesn’t suit me, not to mention the fact that the novel line could be ending doesn’t hit right with me. I don’t believe in the spin we are hearing because it’s disingenuous and doesn’t take all the facts into account. It’s just their way of trying to get us to accept that the way they want to run things is the best for D&D.
What exactly is best for D&D? Is it best for D&D to keep Wizard’s with in specific profit margins with a low overhead and very small release schedule in order to keep making money to keep it going in this direction or is it getting the customer what they want so they will lots of product that they can use from years to come. I liked the fact that I felt surrounded by novels, content, and online support. I don’t feel like that anymore. I feel like D&D is being treated like a commercial entity and that the suits are just trying to justify their business decision by telling us that our way is what’s best for D&D.
What’s best for D&D is what’s best for the consumer in my opinion.
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