Gencon, WOTC, and D20 Modern

[kingpaul]

But, the lack of any other scheduled releases (and the cancellation of Spectaculars) is a little puzzling.

There was some thought earlier this year that Spectaculars may have been cancelled/postponed because Hasbro is picking up a Marvel license starting 2007 which includes role-playing games.

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

Consider me someone who disagrees with you.

The only modern books I'm missing by WotC are Critical Locations and Menace Manual...and its because I haven't gotten around to buying them yet.

Both those books are good.

But I will say you're mistaken on D20 Past. It was one of the most terrible books WOTC has published to date. Lack of any real substance and rushed, poor material.

RPGobjects puts out good work as well.
As does Vigilance B&V all the way.

Anyway, you can imagine my frustration when I wanted to talk to WOTC about D20 Modern and no one at the booth was even willing to discuss it.

 

[DonTadow]

d20 Dark*Matter IS going to be released soon. Like, September soon.

Yeah but its not ready for even minor distrubutation. With stuff like that you can't really circule a marketing campaign around it and thats basically what gencon is. Its the same thing with E3, consumers began to think it was about the ocmpanies serving the public, and its actually the revese. The companies are only there to market and make money, and rushing things to the market incomplete or diverting their current campaign is not econmically good for the company.

 

[NMC]

I think part of the problem with WotC supporting D20 Modern is that it's a rules system with so many possible lines of interest.

For example, my home D&D campaign takes place in Green Ronin's Freeport setting. Even though the vast majority of WotC's releases aren't specifically tailored to this type of setting, they still contain rules and other material that I could use.

On the other hand, my D20 Modern campaign is a modern-era, Indiana Jones-style game with very low magic. While books such as Critical Locations, the Menace Manual and the Weapons Locker have been of use to me, ones such as Future, Future Tech, Cyberscape, Apocalypse and (had it come to be) Spectaculars have not been of use.

This same difficulty applies to support for Modern in the form of adventures; many people have many different particular interests, making it difficult to support anything specific.

-Nate

 

[Klaus]

Anyone else notice the distinct lack of D20 Modern material at Gencon '06?
I know five people who went to the WOTC booth to buy a core book for D20 Modern and another few who went to talk about the product line. WOTC failed to bring any D20 Modern books with them to sell/promote and their agents there refused (refused!) to discuss anything about the product line but instead trying to steer people to crappy Dreamblade or to D&D products.

It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence toward the continuing product line if the manufacturer won't even talk about it at a trade show and refuses to sell any product related to it.

Well, your five people must've been out of luck. I bought d20 Future Tech from the WotC booth.

 

[Ranger REG]

I think part of the problem with WotC supporting D20 Modern is that it's a rules system with so many possible lines of interest.

Hah. It's not a problem for Steve Jackson Games and his GURPS, nor HERO Games and their HERO System.

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

I think part of the problem with WotC supporting D20 Modern is that it's a rules system with so many possible lines of interest.

For example, my home D&D campaign takes place in Green Ronin's Freeport setting. Even though the vast majority of WotC's releases aren't specifically tailored to this type of setting, they still contain rules and other material that I could use.

On the other hand, my D20 Modern campaign is a modern-era, Indiana Jones-style game with very low magic. While books such as Critical Locations, the Menace Manual and the Weapons Locker have been of use to me, ones such as Future, Future Tech, Cyberscape, Apocalypse and (had it come to be) Spectaculars have not been of use.

This same difficulty applies to support for Modern in the form of adventures; many people have many different particular interests, making it difficult to support anything specific.

-Nate

I would agree. It's an excellant point. Still, would have been nice to see WOTC supporting a core gaming product. But I do think that other RPG publishers are picking up the torch and running with it.

NMC...it's not WOTC....but there's a supplement/campaign options book I own that sounds right up your alley. "Treasure Hunter" by Emerald Press....it's made for modern day Indiana Jones/Sahara/globe hopping, relic locating action/adventure.
It's well written, there are modules for it in publication, and it's pretty darn cool.
I played it at Gencon and had a blast.

Get it here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=4270&

The author is the one who ran most of the modules at the Con and he's a nifty guy...good GM too.

Check it out.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

d20 Apocalypse? Mighty fine work.

d20 Future Tech? Very decent work.

In terms of "varying quality", the only real rotten egg in the basket seems to be d20 Past (and even some folks would disagree with that assessment). Considering "checking out" a supplement isn't a very significant investment of time (just a matter of browsing previews, reviews, and gathering word of mouth), I'd say you're missing out on a lot by automatically writing off WotC.

I would submit D20 Future definitely belongs in the "rotting eggs" category

 

[JPL]

Apparently after Dark*Matter, there are no d20 Modern products on the schedule for the rest of the year and at least through April 2007:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=169200&

Yeah, that has me a bit worried.

I wonder, though...might the time be right for WotC to think about a second edition? Not that I think anything needs fixin' all that much...

 

[Psion]

d20 Apocalypse? Mighty fine work.

d20 Future Tech? Very decent work.

In terms of "varying quality", the only real rotten egg in the basket seems to be d20 Past (and even some folks would disagree with that assessment).

I was ready to buy everything that came out for d20 modern by wotc after I bought Menace Manual.

My momentary lack of discernment was quickly punished by Weapons Locker.