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<blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6227733" data-attributes="member: 27780"><p><strong><u>Dragon Issue 347: September 2006</u></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>part 2/6</p><p></p><p></p><p>First Watch: Dragon Magic. If you're looking at numbers sold and correlating it with words in the title, this seems like a perfect product to marketing androids. Still, it gives the warlock a rival in the going all day stakes, and a few new powers to virtually every power system they've added over the years, so it's not a bad book, just very inessential, and dependent on having lots of other supplements to understand everything. If anything says we're drawing to the close of an edition cycle, it's something like this. </p><p></p><p>Eberron gets Faiths of Eberron. Another setting specific application of general splatbook principles, with prestige classes, roleplaying advice, stuff on how they're integrated into the world, etc.</p><p></p><p>The Realms gets The Twilight Tomb. An adventure for 3rd level characters, this looks like the kind of thing that can be slapped down nearly anywhere and fill an evening or two. Does it have anything to make it stand out from the crowd? </p><p></p><p>And finally, they release a new D&D basic game. If you want to not even get to 3rd level, this is for you!! As with the last one of these, this holds no attraction for me. What is it that the early 80's versions had that these just can't replicate? I wish we could figure out.</p><p></p><p>On the D20 side, they try and resurrect one of their old products. Dark Matter first appeared under the Alternity system, shortly before it was cancelled. Will it do any better under D20 modern. The system's already survived longer and got rather more stuff, so it's not beyond the bounds of possibility. No? Oh well then. </p><p></p><p>Our minis products this month are mostly more environments for them. WotC release some more official dungeon tiles. Dwarven Forge stop delving and let us make some buildings to adventure in. And Magnificent Egos release an 24 inch dragon that will loom over WotC's official offering from last month. Raaaaar!!!! Now that's scary. </p><p></p><p>The video game they choose is Ninety-Nine Nights. Massive battles, epic plots, multiple playable characters, choice of if you want to fight for good or evil, sounds like it could be fun. Ready for the meatgrinder? </p><p></p><p>Another interesting choice here. A few months ago, they mentioned Labyrinth. Now it seems like it's getting a Manga sequel. Well, Jareth did inspire the hairstyles of many a bishi, so it's a good meeting of format and subject. Will Toby succumb to temptation where his sister resisted? </p><p></p><p>They also promote a new competition. They've noticed that ordinary people are making geeky movies, and decide to encourage the process with their own little festival. Mind you, the deadline's a bit tight. It'll be tricky getting up a decent cast and props and editing and special effects and everything in less than a month. </p><p></p><p>And finally, on a more sobering note, we have an obituary for Tim Hildebrandt. Another person who had a longtime association with gaming checks out for good. The adventure is drawing to a close, and we'd better hope that there are people ready to take up the mantle. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Chicken Carcass Colossal dragon is amazing. So much so that it convinces the scanner to leave the ad in. I'm highly amused by this.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Off to see the Wizards: At the end of 2004, we had a bunch of little snapshots into the WotC design process for their products. They've changed their article style quite a bit since then and decide to give us a more extended look with plenty of photos. However, going into more detail also makes it very clear that the process of book design at WotC is like sausage making, and you don't really want to know about all the arguments, compromises and changes they have to make, which may make the product more solidly built, but also include changes from marketing which are purely for commercial considerations, and tradeoffs needed to hit deadlines that can put people under incredible pressure. People burn out as often as they get fired, and your best protection is having multiple manuscripts on the go at all times so they can't simply drop you without losing a ton of time or leaving those books unfinished. Even with the positive spin they try to put on it, they can't hide that it's not the most pleasant of workplaces. Still, you get to control the future of D&D, and that's more than worth it. And as long as there are tons of people trying to break in, it's not as if they'll have trouble replacing people who flag. So you'd better keep up those 12 hour workdays. Life's a bitch. Gimme another pen. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Full frontal nerdity know the rules all too well. Doesn't stop them from trying to bend them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(un)reason, post: 6227733, member: 27780"] [B][U]Dragon Issue 347: September 2006[/U][/B] part 2/6 First Watch: Dragon Magic. If you're looking at numbers sold and correlating it with words in the title, this seems like a perfect product to marketing androids. Still, it gives the warlock a rival in the going all day stakes, and a few new powers to virtually every power system they've added over the years, so it's not a bad book, just very inessential, and dependent on having lots of other supplements to understand everything. If anything says we're drawing to the close of an edition cycle, it's something like this. Eberron gets Faiths of Eberron. Another setting specific application of general splatbook principles, with prestige classes, roleplaying advice, stuff on how they're integrated into the world, etc. The Realms gets The Twilight Tomb. An adventure for 3rd level characters, this looks like the kind of thing that can be slapped down nearly anywhere and fill an evening or two. Does it have anything to make it stand out from the crowd? And finally, they release a new D&D basic game. If you want to not even get to 3rd level, this is for you!! As with the last one of these, this holds no attraction for me. What is it that the early 80's versions had that these just can't replicate? I wish we could figure out. On the D20 side, they try and resurrect one of their old products. Dark Matter first appeared under the Alternity system, shortly before it was cancelled. Will it do any better under D20 modern. The system's already survived longer and got rather more stuff, so it's not beyond the bounds of possibility. No? Oh well then. Our minis products this month are mostly more environments for them. WotC release some more official dungeon tiles. Dwarven Forge stop delving and let us make some buildings to adventure in. And Magnificent Egos release an 24 inch dragon that will loom over WotC's official offering from last month. Raaaaar!!!! Now that's scary. The video game they choose is Ninety-Nine Nights. Massive battles, epic plots, multiple playable characters, choice of if you want to fight for good or evil, sounds like it could be fun. Ready for the meatgrinder? Another interesting choice here. A few months ago, they mentioned Labyrinth. Now it seems like it's getting a Manga sequel. Well, Jareth did inspire the hairstyles of many a bishi, so it's a good meeting of format and subject. Will Toby succumb to temptation where his sister resisted? They also promote a new competition. They've noticed that ordinary people are making geeky movies, and decide to encourage the process with their own little festival. Mind you, the deadline's a bit tight. It'll be tricky getting up a decent cast and props and editing and special effects and everything in less than a month. And finally, on a more sobering note, we have an obituary for Tim Hildebrandt. Another person who had a longtime association with gaming checks out for good. The adventure is drawing to a close, and we'd better hope that there are people ready to take up the mantle. Chicken Carcass Colossal dragon is amazing. So much so that it convinces the scanner to leave the ad in. I'm highly amused by this. Off to see the Wizards: At the end of 2004, we had a bunch of little snapshots into the WotC design process for their products. They've changed their article style quite a bit since then and decide to give us a more extended look with plenty of photos. However, going into more detail also makes it very clear that the process of book design at WotC is like sausage making, and you don't really want to know about all the arguments, compromises and changes they have to make, which may make the product more solidly built, but also include changes from marketing which are purely for commercial considerations, and tradeoffs needed to hit deadlines that can put people under incredible pressure. People burn out as often as they get fired, and your best protection is having multiple manuscripts on the go at all times so they can't simply drop you without losing a ton of time or leaving those books unfinished. Even with the positive spin they try to put on it, they can't hide that it's not the most pleasant of workplaces. Still, you get to control the future of D&D, and that's more than worth it. And as long as there are tons of people trying to break in, it's not as if they'll have trouble replacing people who flag. So you'd better keep up those 12 hour workdays. Life's a bitch. Gimme another pen. Full frontal nerdity know the rules all too well. Doesn't stop them from trying to bend them. [/QUOTE]
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