Dragon 361 Editorial

[Reynard]

It's true that making great (free) material might be a good way to create a hype, but it also costs in creative resources.

This issue of resources keeps coming up and one wonders why it is an issue at all -- after all, if WotC was serious about bringing Dragon and Dunegon in-house, whether electronic or dead tree, why didn't they give it a full staff? Why is it reliant upon the 4E design team having time and energy to provide it with content?

I am sure that once 4E hits, a lot of resources will go back to Dungeon and Dragon. That's great and all, but it doesn't help build goodwill now to have the magazines late and lackluster during the transition period.

Also, the "3E is dead anyway" attitude of the editorial basically says, "We don't care" and if WotC doesn't care, why should I? Maybe I'll pick up one of the tons of games I have on my shelf, one that is supported, and play that, or re-up my GW or WoW account. After six months, i won't even remember the fun I used to have playing D&D and when WotC asks me for a big upfront cost and a monthly fee, I'll say, "If I'm going to spend that, I might as well sign up for [insert next big MMO here]." of course, that's a little hyperbole, but my point stands -- WotC must shepherd the fence sitters through this transition or they'll lose them.

 

[Reynard]

And people simply do want previews. See how well Races & Classes sells compared to Elder Evils.

Nope. See how World and Monsters sells compared to Races and Classes. That will tell us a whole lot more about how much people want previews and are willing to pay for them.

 

[Reynard]

Another idea for Dragon is to publish rules that allow you to sort-of 4e-ize your 3e game. Fighter maneuvers as feat chains, new spells, alternate class features, etc.

Or simply crunch supporting the 3.5 elements that served as the nascent 4E -- after all, we've had 2 years of releases preparing us, and obviously those things did well enough that WotC decided they were good enough to expand and make central to a new edition. Getting folks using those elements seems like a fine way to prep people for 4E while supporting 3E at the same time.

Then there's 3E stats for 4E monsters, either new or those monsters that have had major overhauls.

The point is, there are a million things Dragon could do besides fluffy, empty previews. The only reason that they don't that makes any sense is that they don't have the staff -- which is a huge failing on WotC's part. Take back the magazines and you really should staff the damn things.

 

[Obrysii]

One possible consequence is (however unlikely) that they'll take down the e-zines and then there simply won't be any Dragon or Dungeon, printed or otherwise.

Here's the rub: if their free content is supposed to provide us with an example of what is to be expected once it becomes a pay site .... and it is providing, at best, lackluster support ... the possible consequence that they will end the e-zine is a very real one.

If people aren't happy with the content of the free preview, what would be the catalyst for people to believe that the pay content will be any better?

 

[Imaro]

When I consider how often I have sen people which said "I won't buy any more 3.5 books because they are useless in 6 months) I can totally understand this move.

And people simply do want previews. See how well Races & Classes sells compared to Elder Evils.

Uhm...or it could be the fact that Elder Evils is specifically designed to be an endgame for your 3.5 campaign so you're ready for 4e. It, like the editorial, is based on the assumption that 3.5 has no real worth since 4e has been announced.

On another note...it's a niche product for DM's at high-level play...Unless I am sure about ending my game or have high level PC's...why would I need to buy this again?

 

[Spatula]

Or simply crunch supporting the 3.5 elements that served as the nascent 4E -- after all, we've had 2 years of releases preparing us, and obviously those things did well enough that WotC decided they were good enough to expand and make central to a new edition. Getting folks using those elements seems like a fine way to prep people for 4E while supporting 3E at the same time.

Yeah, I would agree with that. Keep people interested in playing, keep people coming to the website for new content, while trying to shift them towards the 4e "mindset."

 

[Treebore]

I don't buy their advertisement books, and I certainly won't accept their excuses for giving lousy content.

All they have done is assure me that my interest in 4E, their DI, their Dragon, their Dungeon, and in WOTC/Hasbro is all going to be barely above zero.

I certainly will not be supporting 4E and WOTC anywhere near the degree I used to support them via 3E.

Thats my opinion and decision for myself.

I think this thread, and threads like it on other boards, make it pretty clear a noticeable number of people are reacting in a similiar manner. I doubt it will be enough for WOTC to care, but I'm not making this decision for them. Neither is anyone else. We are making it for ourselves.

It just makes it easier for me because my non D&D gaming is thriving (3 to 4 games per week). For those of you forced to play 4E because its the only game in town, I totally understand.

I can even see why people are excited about 4E. Its just not my kind of excitement.

4E is not my kind of D&D.

WOTC is not my kind of company.

Its as simple as that, and we have just as much right to say so on these boards as those of you who love WOTC and 4E have the right to say you do.

We are gamers on this board. We are not 4E gamers, we are not 3E gamers, 2E gamers, etc... What we have in common is that we are "gamers".

Its time for more people on the various boards to take that simple fact to heart.

 

[balterkn]

I'm also in "the editorial left me cold" camp.

This boils down to a few items for me:
FACT: DDI (specifically e-Dragon and e-Dungeon) are explicitly in a promotional phase by their publisher (WOTC)
FACT: DnD 4E is upcoming in approximately 6 months
FACT: DnD 3.5E is the current version that I am allowed to play (not being a playtester)

ISSUE AT HAND: I will need to determine if $10/month for e-Dungeon and e-Dragon makes sense to support my 4E game

For me, my observation is that past behavior is generally a good indication of future behavior. Past behavior does not guarantee future behavior, just give information as to the most likely future behavior. My concerns are that the editors of this new DDI service haven't done a good job with their promotional materials to convince me that

I actually have found some crunch in the new e-Dragons, take issue 360 for example: the lower planar lords articles, the dragons of Eberron article, and more have some stats, encounter descriptions and the like. They have some crunch to them, but not as much as I am used to in 3.5E articles. My question, as a potential customer, "is this a preview of the types of crunch I will expect to see in future e-Dragons that I will be paying for?"

My point isn't that e-Dragon/e-Dungeon are good or bad. I've generally liked what I've seen, with some reservations.

My point is "how are you helping me to decide if I want to buy a subscription to the DDI?" The editorial didn't give me any sense that the editors understand the business proposition behind giving these issues of e-Dragon/e-Dungeon out for free. They aren't giving these out for free out of the goodness of their hearts. They are supposed to be winning our hearts (and thus our subscriptions) for the new product. The editorial left me feeling that they completely missed the point of this (hopefully constructive) criticism that is being leveled against them.

My plead to the editors is thus: "help me like the magazines for what they are right now; promises of the future don't tell me what you are, only what you aren't"

 

[catsclaw227]

Here's the way I see it.

The editorial was written to nip a problem in the bud. They don't have the manpower to dedicate a team to writing new crunch for an edition that they don't plan on supporting for the next six months. They have made the business decision to move their resources to making the next version of their product the best that they can in the hopes that it will be able to attract the most customers.

They have instead decided to utilize their DDI to:

• provide adventures, of which there have been three for Dungeon 152, and two for Dungeon 151 (though one of them is a 94 page triple sized adventure)
• provide peeks into their new edition
• added support articles for their recent 3.5 products (Elders and Exemplars)
• wrote content for two of their previous columns in Dragon (Demonomicon and Ecology)
• added a pair of good articles on Devil (Infernal Aristocracy)
• and finally looked at FR and Eberron

Some of these were provided for free in the past, via wizards.com, yet now all of it has been free. Unfortunately, it hasn't been posted at a pace that the customers have come to expect. Though it is questionable whether the expectations are a bit too high. Only the preview articles have some real revenue opportunities since it is obvious they won't be creating 3.5 content after the release of 4e.

I have heard the complaints that WOTC should be EXPECTED to provide adequate content to convince people that this digital magazine should be more than it is. I was part of the digital transition of 27 different publications in 2000 and 2001 that were trying to move their print medium online. We NEVER had responses from customers that were as harsh, unappreciating, cynical, and had such radical expectations as the way WOTC is treated on the boards here and elsewhere.

They need to make business decisions that are in the best long term interest of their company, but how do you do it when your customers will rake you over the coals for taking a break from supporting a lame-duck edition so you can make something they will really like?

I do not envy their position. Personally, I am appalled at the responses. Would you rather they give you some 3.5 crunch, spend resources on art, writing and editorial and then put out a sub-par edition in June? Only to have you complain in August how this or that is broken and why didn't they spend more time on it?

Or maybe they should simply charge now for online Dungeon and Dragon, keep the 4e previews for free online, but now you won't get your FR, Eberron, Ecology, Demonomicon, and e-Dungeon for free? Then they could maybe give you some more crunch that will be stale in a FEW months.

(BTW, when I tell a customer that a development project in alpha might be released in a few months, I am talking about 5-7 months.)

WOTC isn't going to support 3.5 after May 2007 when H1 comes out. If a customer want sto play 3.5 only, and have totally committed to NOT going to 4e, then they have decided that they aren't WOTC's customer anymore. They don't plan on supporting WOTC with their dollars, so why should they spend money to give you something now for free?

They are transitioning, and I understand their business decisions. I have had to make similar decisions in the past and as a result I have had two sucessful businesses. As much as our oversized expectations may revolt and rant and we stomp our feet and pout, it doesn't change the fact that they are right about what they are doing.

 

[Imaro]

I have heard the complaints that WOTC should be EXPECTED to provide adequate content to convince people that this digital magazine should be more than it is. I was part of the digital transition of 27 different publications in 2000 and 2001 that were trying to move their print medium online. We NEVER had responses from customers that were as harsh, unappreciating, cynical, and had such radical expectations as the way WOTC is treated on the boards here and elsewhere.

Hate to be like this, but when you snatch away something people have been happy with and make a big deal about how great your replacement will be...yeah you get judged in the same manner you decided to take the print magazines away, quickly and harshly.

They need to make business decisions that are in the best long term interest of their company, but how do you do it when your customers will rake you over the coals for taking a break from supporting a lame-duck edition so you can make something they will really like?

Well personally if you've already started off on a bad note with said customers...you do whatever it takes to bring them around to your product. If that means giving them 3e crunch or whatever until you can pull it together then you do it or you risk loosing your fanbase. No one said it would be easy but alot of the ill-will was built up by the way WotC chose to handle the magazine situations from the beginning.

I do not envy their position. Personally, I am appalled at the responses. Would you rather they give you some 3.5 crunch, spend resources on art, writing and editorial and then put out a sub-par edition in June? Only to have you complain in August how this or that is broken and why didn't they spend more time on it?

I'd rather they not have put themselves in a situation of trying to do too much at one time. Leave the magazines be, if you're not ready to put a proper investment in them. Honestly they would have got more positive reactions by letting Paizo run it through the time leading up to 4E and taking it over when they were ready. I'm sorry but I hear "WotC" is a business first and then when it's treated like a corporation by it's fanbase all of a sudden it's the victim. This is a choice WotC made, no one forced them to take Dragon over when they did or handle it how they have. If anyting I'm stumped that a corporation wouldn't realize a new edition would be a major investment in resources that would make it hard to do other things.

Or maybe they should simply charge now for online Dungeon and Dragon, keep the 4e previews for free online, but now you won't get your FR, Eberron, Ecology, Demonomicon, and e-Dungeon for free? Then they could maybe give you some more crunch that will be stale in a FEW months.

Or maybe I could just not subscribe. They're trying to sell the customer on something new and untested, after taking away something they enjoyed. So really it is on WotC to make anyone they want to subscribe believe this is as great as they swore it would be when they cancelled the print magazines.

(BTW, when I tell a customer that a development project in alpha might be released in a few months, I am talking about 5-7 months.)

WOTC isn't going to support 3.5 after May 2007 when H1 comes out. If a customer want sto play 3.5 only, and have totally committed to NOT going to 4e, then they have decided that they aren't WOTC's customer anymore. They don't plan on supporting WOTC with their dollars, so why should they spend money to give you something now for free?

They are transitioning, and I understand their business decisions. I have had to make similar decisions in the past and as a result I have had two sucessful businesses. As much as our oversized expectations may revolt and rant and we stomp our feet and pout, it doesn't change the fact that they are right about what they are doing.

Just because you're playing 3e now doesn't mean you won't switch over. There are 6 months left until the 4e corebooks are available, plenty of time to get some 3.5 gaming in before 4e hits.

As far as our "oversized expectations" WotC had a fair amount of influence in shaping those. The problem is they aren't ready to put up after all the hype and customers are rightly mad.