D&D 5E I believe the D&D boardgames actually hinder the table top game.

[Sailor Moon]

We live in a world where time is precious. If you are a working adult or in university, you will find that time is something you just don't have a lot of.

Now because of this limit on time, we have to choose what we what to do with in the little bit that we have. Sometimes we are forced to choose between several things we like to do but don't have the time to do. Some people try to spread it out among weeks or even months but I tell you from personal experience that gaming once a month or even once every two months is not very fun because you actually forget a lot of what went on during the last game.

Well WoTc have decided to continue the tradition from a few short years ago and focus on D&D boardgames. I for one feel this actually creates competition with in your own line which in my opinion isn't a good thing. I see fantasy boardgames as one of the many things out there that is a bane on D&D. I'm not talking about "a" boardgame here or there. I'm talking about a series of boardgames like the ones that were put out not so long ago. They tend to give you a bit of that D&D feel without all the prep time.

I have a feeling they are going to go even further than they did before with the boardgames and I feel like it's really going to hurt 5th edition D&D, especially since they don't seem to be releasing much product for the table top game. The same can be said about the MMO as well and all the focus that's going into it.

You can call me pessimist, or a doomsayer or whatever. All I am is a gamer who can't believe that WoTc decides to cut back on an edition that is a top class system that has brought back many people who were discouraged by 4th edition. Now is not the time to pull back. Maybe if the system wasn't that great, but not when you have a system that could realistically keep the game going for many years and generate a healthy product base. That would be like taking out your best player for that game winning penalty kick and replacing him with the new guy because you want him to gain that experience. It's one of those: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" moments.

Hopefully at the end of the day I am wrong. Hopefully WoTc decides to focus a bit more on it's table top game and a little less on everything else, but at this point I'm not very hopeful.

Cheers.

 

[AJCarrington]

Can't say that I agree with your hypothesis. From my perspective, board games are complementary...different products for a different markets (though, no doubt, there are those that enjoy both). Are far as consuming design/development resources...that a different issue. If you have a fixed team developing all product (lines), then there is now doubt that focus will shift between products...definitely a case where focus has a huge impact. That being said, I have no idea as to the resources WotC has to invest in board games vs RPGs...

 

[IchneumonWasp]

I understand your fear, but I don't think it will hurt that much. If anything it will help the brand and might get more people into D&D.

People have limited time. That is true, as you say, but think of Game of Thrones. There is a television series, there are the books and there is even one video game I believe. Sure, there will always be people who won't read the books because they have limited time and prefer to only watch the television series, but I think that overall the television series has increased the number of people who sit down and start read the books.

 

[Nebulous]

I don't personally enjoy the miniatures board games very much, mostly because they're a shadow of the actual game that's already better. And I already have thousands of minis and maps, so whatever comes in the box doesn't enrich my collection (they're not even painted).

That said, I have no idea if this actually hurts WotC and 5th edition. I'd guess not really. Board games are immensely popular and by selling those, maybe they're hooking more players on the far more intricate core books? More expensive line of prepainted minis coming out too, far beyond the price of a single box game.

 

[Gecko85]

Somehow we manage a weekly D&D game, full time jobs, some of us have kids, and still manage time for an occasional board game night. The closet full of board games hasn't detracted from our RPG playing or enjoyment one bit.

 

[Eejit]

Is that belief based on anything concrete or just a gut feeling?

 

[ProphetSword]

In reality, everything is competition to everything else. If you'd rather watch TV than play a board game, the TV is the competition to the board game. If you'd rather spend time with family rather than play a video game, spending time with your family is competition to the video game. So, it doesn't matter. You will make time for things that you want to do and pass on those that you don't. If there's room in someone's life for playing regular D&D and playing the occasional D&D boardgame, they'll make time for it. My group does.

 

[Aribar]

Sailor Moon, could you explain your reasoning behind disliking boardgames being a "bane" for D&D? The only thing I could possibly think of is that it may take time away from the already small D&D team to work on boardgame stuff. All the different editions are already in competition with each other. For example, couple months ago I bought the new print of the 3.5 PHB since my old one was falling to pieces; that's money that could have went towards 5E materials.

 

[delericho]

Except... the board games (and indeed the video games) can provide a rough facsimile of the game allowing them to get something of the experience without having to learn huge numbers of rules, without having to grok role-playing (which, oddly, isn't always the easiest concept), and especially without having to commit to several several-hour sessions of campaign play.

In short they can (and in some cases have) serve as a trailer for the 'real' game.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Board games are a completely different animal. For those who have a strong desire to run or play in a role playing campaign, a board game just isn't going to scratch that itch. A similar doom for table top rpg play was pronounced when MMOs hit the market. Why would anyone ever want or need to play a tabletop rpg again when you play adventures together online?

The answer to all of these is simply that there isn't any substitute for real interaction with live people in a tabletop rpg. All the substitutes only get you so far. There is no substitute than can match the real thing. I enjoy a good board game but it doesn't satisfy my desire to play in an actual rpg.

The tabletop rpg experience may always be a small niche hobby but I see no replacement for it.