I like that they're doing this, I like it a lot!
Post initial launch sells of core book just drop. They won't get those numbers unless a new edition comes out. Just selling those ain't viable. Maybe with all sort of other products it is (e.g. board games, video games), but how they make the APs playable even without the core books is telling.I suspect they still want to sell folks the core books, but are just being realistic about the fact that not everyone who is interested in getting into the hobby is going to jump at the opportunity of paying $150 for the core books. Basic is a great alternative, "the first taste is always free" and all that.
The PRD contains just the core stuff (AKA hardcovers that aren't about Golarion). For the rest of the crunch you need to go to d20PFSRD or a similar site. When making APs they make sure that if they do not include the rules, they can be found exclusively in the PRD.The PRD makes everything available.
That is an interesting argument. It is similar to what me and others say about lack of up coming content for the edition. At some point you want something else than just core.Basic provides everything you need to jump into a friend's AP campaign, but at some point you're going to want to play a Paladin, or a Bard, or a Ranger.
It is also true with Paizo, exept players have more stuff they can buy. Not just the core. More importantly, they want to sell subscriptions. It is why WotC's plan is weird. Post PHB, a player doesn't have any other buying options.APs are probably going to only every be bought by DMs, but if each DM can recruit just one new player over the course of their time running the game, that's and extra $50 per group spent on PHBs.
Getting new players is a good business model. Not cattering to the ones you have isn't. Seems what you discribe means they get a new player and expect the old one to quit. It is true that most people play D&D for a short period of time and then move on. There are others who keep playing. From the Nathan Stewart interview, it seems people who have been player for more than five years represent 75% or 80% of players.Basic is a great on-ramp IMO, and while they're definitely focused on the APs, I think they're hoping for a vicious cycle type of effect with them, where APs + Basic lead to more Core Book sales, which in turn leans to more APs sold, which helps recruit more players to buy the Core Books...
It is the big question. Can varied sources of revenue compensate for the for those players who have been playing a long time and at some point what more content and just leave because they don't have it?Time will tell if that strategy brings in the sort of numbers they're hoping to see, but personally I can see it working well enough, especially if they're able to leverage outside interest in the hobby through novels, movies, video games, television series, etc.
They did that with the Tyranny of Dragons modules. Not sure why they didn't do it with Princes.
[MENTION=6680772]Iosue[/MENTION]: I think you've taken my comment out of context. I was replying to someone who was suggesting that WotC include a note in all future adventures that you can go online and download a supplemental pdf. I was saying that they did do that with the Tyranny of Dragons modules, but that I wasn't sure why they didn't also include such a note in the PotA book.
OK, so let me see if I've got it right. By "They didn't do it because all the rules needed weren't available for free, at the time. However, they did tell you which of the other books to look in for the additional stats", you meant that there is no mention of a free supplement in the PotA book because it wasn't available straight away, so instead the book tells you to look in the core rulebooks instead?
Yes, *some* sort of insanity must be involved if you're suggesting a copy of the PHB (same price and page count) but stripped of everything non-basic... :-o ;-)I hope they would offer a retail print version of Basic Rules down the road in a couple of years. $50, 320ish pages with full art and some explanatory sidebars to make it a tad less spartan. That would make a nicer entry point for players seeing the game randomly at Walmart or other non-gaming oriented retail than the core 3. Then again, that might just be my '91 D&D Rules Cyclopedia nostalgia talking.
It's OK. I think that based on what [MENTION=6680772]Iosue[/MENTION] said above, I wasn't entirely clear myself.Yes.
Something about today is causing me to be confusing, I guess.