D&D 5E Are DMs getting lazy?

[nerfherder]

We seem to have stumbled across a solution - one of our offspring is running our 5e game...

 

[was]

...I think it's more that people see a steady release of adventures as a major sign of health and support for a new edition. IMO, the lack thereof has some people questioning how fully committed Hasbro is to supporting the game.

 

[Reynard]

In '79 I did a lot of wall staring. But seriously, when I look back at my teen years and even college days before I had a career, a wife and family, I marvel at the free time I had to play marathon sessions of D&D, and other things. I think the aging demographics for some of us is definitely a factor when it comes to DMs homebrewing and creating their own campaign worlds.

An interesting implication of this is that younger folk -- teens and 20s -- aren't playing D&D, or at least not complaining about the lack of content on EN World.

 

[Rhenny]

An interesting implication of this is that younger folk -- teens and 20s -- aren't playing D&D, or at least not complaining about the lack of content on EN World.

That makes sense. Heck when you're young, you have boatloads of free time, and you're creative, you don't need pre-written adventures. Also, you probably have less disposable income, so you're also more likely to DIY. (Cue Peter Gabriel song..."Do it yourself" - this dates me. Lol)

 

[machineelf]

My game hasn't stopped due to a light release. I have and will create my own campaigns and/or convert older ones. But still, I'd still like to see some new material coming out for 5th edition, or see them release official 5e conversions of classic campaigns.

It might be a mistake to think that complaints about the lack of release material means DMs making those complaints are lazy. Maybe those DMs are producing content for their games, but still would like to see some more material released.

However, I suppose your point stands for those who are saying they will run out of material.

 

[Henry]

An interesting implication of this is that younger folk -- teens and 20s -- aren't playing D&D, or at least not complaining about the lack of content on EN World.

That's a given, in my opinion. When I was in college, I would easily spend 5 to 6 hours PER DAY planning campaigns, writing about my homebrew worlds, reading Forgotten Realms material, and not being on message boards, because They didn't exist, and I wouldn't discover Usenet forums like rec.games.frp.dnd for at least five years into the future. My extracurricular activites WAS D&D.

Now, I have a wife, to whom I have commitments, I have 4 pets that I didn't have back then who require doctor visits, grooming, and other regular attention; I have obligations to family or a friend occasionally, I contribute to community computer clubs and events, I occasionally put in 9 to 11 hours at work if a project needs it; and then Isurf tech sites to stay current or put in an hour or 3 spinning up a new VM to get hands-on with new technology I'm interested in (lately it's been Katello, but it still doesn't feel ready for Prime Time, though it's pretty cool.) once a week for 4 hours straight, I am PLAYING an RPG, rather than planning one.

As a result, I maybe have 4 horus a week total that i could be plotting RPG stuff - a half hour here, an hour there, not at all regularly scheduled. The more resources I have at my disposal that I can Plagiarize and outright steal, the better. If I have to make it up whole cloth, with very few correctly done examples to inspire me, the harder it is to plan. Matter of fact, a lot of times instead of planning a D&D game or looking for a 5e group, I'm trolling here instead (or GITP, or WotC) looking for advice or inspiration (no pun intended) for 5e. Hopefully the Princes of the Apocalypse stuff will give me more than the Tiamat storyline did, or I can alter another company's product (such as Giantslayer or older TSR modules) to fit.

 

[Shiroiken]

I would not say lazy; I would say spoiled. They've been given a large amount of content in previous editions, allowing them to run the game with very little preparation. The new release schedule does not match their level of expectations, and are unhappy with it. Their options are:

1) Make new content themselves
2) Convert older content
3) Complain about it on the internet

Most choose numbers 1 & 2, but those who like number 3 are usually more vocal.

As a side note, those of you who want more content to "inspire" you will find lots of inspiration from some great older adventures at dndclassics.com =)

 

[Eric V]

In '79 I did a lot of wall staring. But seriously, when I look back at my teen years and even college days before I had a career, a wife and family, I marvel at the free time I had to play marathon sessions of D&D, and other things. I think the aging demographics for some of us is definitely a factor when it comes to DMs homebrewing and creating their own campaign worlds.

Definitely. I can't remember the last time I had a marathon session, but it was at least 15 years ago.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

This is something that Mike Mearls wrote about a while back. A big part of setting and campaign design happens during the breaks between activities, when you have a few minutes and your mind wanders to that thing you're working on.

These moments occur in the car, in the elevator, on the toilet, or even just taking a break at work. But now, with PCs and smartphones, those gaps are usually filled arguing on web forums, checking reddit, or one of a thousand other activities. There are very few moments where our minds aren't occupied.

I used to pace back and forth for hours daydreaming about some setting or adventure. Now I have to set aside time, away from my devices and family, to get that kind of creativity flowing.

 

[Zardnaar]

Not so much as to lazy but other things I would rather be doing with my time. Europa Unversalis IV, Crusader Kings II and an MMO I play can be very time suck. I have better things to do than spend all of Saturday afternoon designing stuff for D&D on Sunday.