Weaning Off the Sauce

[I'm A Banana]

Once more with feeling?

Not a boycott.

Not.

A.

Boycott.

I do care about how a company acts and what it does even if I like what it's making, though. I try to be at least a slightly ethical consumer. I'm not mercenary about D&D, especially when I can theoretically play and enjoy 4e for years to come without having to make any more purchases.

I mean, you can, too. You don't NEED to buy books to have fun playing 4e.

Like, you don't NEED to drink alcohol to have fun hanging out with your friends.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

I've been gone for a bit, but there is another option that has been touched on tangentially but not spelled out yet. For those that want to help put a pinch on WotC pocket book, but still want all the new books there is a solution.

As the OP said, he can wait a little bit before getting the book. Wait another week longer and start looking on eBay. The answer is buying used. You still get the book you want and WotC doesn't get your money directly. You are still supporting Wizards indirectly because they still have the money for a book, but you have essentially prevented the sale of 1 book to somebody who didn't really want it.

 

[freebfrost]

Hi KM,

I've been off the sauce since August of 2007, when the powers-that-be announced 4E.

Being a part of the crusty old grognards that loved previous editions and clutched our fears to our chests about this "new edition," I immediately ceased spending my disposable income on WotC products, including all D&D products, books, and minis. Instead, I took my cash over to the Paizo booth and subscribed to everything they had.

I do not regret that decision in the least. I've played 4E, and won't waste space discussing it, but it's not *my* D&D.

Do I think WotC has noticed my $6,000 - $7,000 dollars a year that I used to spend on their product? Yup, I do. That's a lot of DDI subscriptions needed to take my place. And that's not even considering gifts.

I will happily continue to chronicle the failures of WotC in releasing 4E (as others have mentioned many times), while supporting Paizo to the fullest with my wallet.

Did I choose to boycott? Yes, I did. Still do. Proudly. It's a personal choice, just as other choose to support them.

Glad to see more people are opening their eyes/coming to the Dark Side though...

 

[freebfrost]

In five years of posting here, I think that's the first time anyone has said that.

Hey!

I've always said you've got the second best avatar around, Twowolves... doesn't that count for something?

 

[Twowolves]

Hey!

I've always said you've got the second best avatar around, Twowolves... doesn't that count for something?

So THAT'S where my other wolf got off to!

 

[Tinker Gnome]

So THAT'S where my other wolf got off to!

*Ponders whether or not he should create a "Threewolves" alt*



Nah.

 

[Caerin]

So...

Ordinarily, I'd be buying the new WotC pdf in about 10 minutes.

What should I buy now? ^^;

 

[nnms]

Ordinarily, I'd be buying the new WotC pdf in about 10 minutes.

What should I buy now? ^^;

I think I'm going to go with another of the campaign setting books from Paizo's Pathfinder Chronicles series. I don't play 3.x/Pathfinder but find them to be great for any system (running 4e at the moment).

 

[Voadam]

Ordinarily, I'd be buying the new WotC pdf in about 10 minutes.

What should I buy now? ^^;

I'd suggest Pelgrane Press' Dying Earth RPG books. Their license for the Jack Vance material expires at the end of the month and all their pdfs are 50% off until they are removed in May. Vance's DE was a big influence on D&D and it is a neat game written by Robin Laws. Available at rpgnow

 

[JohnRL]

Once more with feeling?

Not a boycott.

Not.

A.

Boycott.

I do care about how a company acts and what it does even if I like what it's making, though. I try to be at least a slightly ethical consumer. I'm not mercenary about D&D, especially when I can theoretically play and enjoy 4e for years to come without having to make any more purchases.

I mean, you can, too. You don't NEED to buy books to have fun playing 4e.

Like, you don't NEED to drink alcohol to have fun hanging out with your friends.

I basically support your view, but if you expect WOTC to notice your delayed purchase, yes it is a boycott of sorts.
I, like others in this thread, started letting go about a year ago (when they stopped the paper versions of Dragon and Dungeon in my case). I do not expect WOTC to notice my lack of custom. But it is what is good for me. I realised that my money was better spent on other things, and I had more than enough 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3.5 ed stuff to get ideas from.
As others in this thread have said, it is a question of whether I want the products they are trying to sell, rather than how I feel about their management decisions. Mind you, I am annoyed about them stopping PDF sales - they were the WOTC products I was still buying (nearly all previous edition stuff). But obviously my not buying their PDFs any more is not exactly my choice.