non switchers: what can wotc do to win you back?

[Dannyalcatraz]

Heh- it wasn't until I hit the "Vote now" button that I realized the poll was multiple choice.

I voted "Publish 5Ed (assuming you like the changes), but I also would have voted for parallel publishing for older editions. And "Other."

That would be my wish.

In reality, probably the only edition that would get any meaningful new releases would be 3.5. It just doesn't make too much business sense for WotC to continue to support the older editions.

As for 5Ed, it will come in its own time. However, I doubt that that new edition will be to my liking unless 4Ed flops like New Coke. The only thing like that I've seen in the RPG market was when HERO came out with their FUZION rules after 4Ed...which went nowhere. 5Ed followed after, a refinement of 4Ed.

The "Other" option would be if WotC published something else that I liked. I loved the long OOP Primal Order books. I liked Everway. It is entirely within the realm of possibility that they could even produce another RPG based on a system that is neither 3.5 or 4Ed related that would be worth playing.

I have no ill will towards WotC per se, but 4Ed is a dead end for me, personally.

 

[johnnype]

I feel like we are drowning in crunch and the game has only been out a year. Enough already.

I want a new and highly detailed, non-vanilla, non-kitchen-sink setting with lots and lots of support.

It'll never happen.

Oh, and 4E won't be viable to me until Githyanki are a playable race with a full writeup. The excuse they provided for leaving them out the next PHB was terrible.

 

[lutecius]

Many interesting comments, I haven't read them all yet.

For those asking, by "non switchers" I meant "not switching to 4e". Of course every opinion is welcome.

And by "winning you back" I meant as a customer. I was mostly thinking of D&D (any edition) but I guess other wotc products are also relevant.

I'll put that in the op.

 

[Azgulor]

Yeah I know, this is so last year.

Anyway, poll coming up, not an edition war thread, blah blah blah

Nothing. That ship sailed a while ago: I didn't like the direction of 4e, I didn't like the final product, I didn't like the GSL, I care for the DDI business model but this was the least of the factors in play, and I didn't like the PR efforts [while I don't necessarily subscribe to sinister motives and intentional disrespect of certain customer segments, the achieved result, sadly, was the same].

I came to peace with no-longer being WotC's target customer a long time ago. However, a year ago I couldn't have predicted how pleased I would be with my RPGing prospects. My Conan OGL game is going strong and now I've got Pathfinder campaigns in the works. Life without 4e & WotC is just fine.

They have my thanks for 3.x, D20 Modern, the OGL, and the d20 License. But me coming back into the fold? I no longer have a desire or need to do so.

 

[EricNoah]

I would pay them money if they had a DDI for 3.5. Something that would help make characters and monsters. I actually have that (eTools, tweaked out as far as I can take it), but if it was good enough they could have $10 a month or so from me for the rest of my gaming life.

 

[Shemeska]

The ship has probably sailed at this point. I'm not part of the target audience they apparently want for 4e, and my money was well spent on WotC from 2000 to about 2006, so their loss.

And now the caveats:

If they offered 2e PDFs for sale (any option that doesn't let me download and keep an electronic version of the content is not viable), and made good scans of a number of books that never had legal scans made of them ('On Hallowed Ground' I'm looking at you) I would very likely get a copy for reference purposes.

If they produced a 4e rules Planescape setting that was true to the 2e flavor text and was part of the Great Wheel cosmology, without being forced to rewrite content to fit the 4e default PoL world. If they produced that, and even better yet let me be one of the writers, they could own me.

 

[Derren]

As soon as WotC focuses again on producing an immersive rpg instead of an highly abstract combat game, either through variant rules or, better, a new edition/game I will look at it.
But until then I am getting my games from other companies.

But at least I have now time for Dark Heresy and Shadowrun.

 

[TheNovaLord]

switched to 4th for about 5 months before selling it all on....never back going to 4th as has fundamnetal things i didnt like.

sold all my 3.5 too as the prices went up and i couldnt resists temptation

havent bought any minis, and i used to buy whole boxes, (2 of WOTDQ)since unhallowed. no longer like the model, either business OR figures now

i never played 2nd much either, so maybe its an even number thing

in 5th they need to make swinging a sword feel different to casting a spell, which in 4th it dont, otherwise never goona switch

have bought PF, will see how that goes...but currentlly playing lots of non-d20

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

1) Offer the DDI character generator, compendium, and monster maker (and future tools) for all WOTC 3.5 books (so it would not ever need an update once they do the data entry) as its own data set;

Just don't do it without reinstating pdf sales. If this is to be the alternative offered required instead actually owning a copy of the rules you're paying for, I myself, and I think many others, would be very upset.

2) License the chracter generator, compendium, and monster maker (and future tools) to Paizo for the limited purpose of Paizo entering all Pathfinder data into those programs for it's own data set, updated as Paizo publishes more Pathfinder books;

3) Split the access on programs from the magazines for 3.5 and Pathfinder, and sell the program access based on the system data set you purchase.

So, if you want to play pathfinder using the software tools that WOTC sells, you pay a subscription fee for just that (and WOTC can share proceeds on that portion with Paizo). If you don't want to pay a subscription, you can purchase access for a month and end it there (just like they do right now for 4e), though of course you would miss out on future Paizo updates.

And if you want to play with those tools for just 3.5, you can pay a one-time fee for lifetime access, or pay that larger fee over many months in installment payments.

The DDI tools are powerful, and better than anything else out there. If WOTC leveraged those tools for 3.5 and Pathfinder, they could probably capture a wider audience, with frankly very little effort.

It's interesting...but I don't see why Paizo couldn't set up their own such system for pathfinder and not have to split the revenue. If WotC, reknown for their online expertise *snicker* can make a DDI, why can't someone else? The investment cost would have to be pretty sizable, or the immediate need rather great for Paizo to make such a deal. They already have the PRD online for core rules, too.

 

[coyote6]

As for 5Ed, it will come in its own time. However, I doubt that that new edition will be to my liking unless 4Ed flops like New Coke. The only thing like that I've seen in the RPG market was when HERO came out with their FUZION rules after 4Ed...which went nowhere. 5Ed followed after, a refinement of 4Ed.

HERO 5e came out four years and at least one owner after Fuzion, too.

I did forget one thing that would bring me back: a big fat cash bribe. Say, $60,000, and I'm there. I will drag my group to 4e, kicking and screaming! At least for a couple of sessions. In my shiny new gaming room.