I didn't. I just know things can be converted pretty quick with 5e.
D&D 5E Settings played in D&D: cause or effect?
I didn't. I just know things can be converted pretty quick with 5e.
hawkeyefan
Legend
It's possible. I think FR works in part because it is the easiest to steal from for home brew games, so it will sell to the FR fans and to a good chunk of the homebrew folks. Dark Sun and Ravenloft and the like begin to cut that number down, to varying degrees.
And don't get me wrong, I am not at all saying that WotC shouldn't try some alternate routes than the pretty regimented product line they are offering so far. I just don't think it's as simple as "ignore the past and take a chance because it's what I want".
These kind of options seem far more feasible.
For the setting specific/conversion guides, I like the idea. I think it would appeal to people. I suppose they look at it as a question of priority and if releasing that kind of material would make sense now. Perhaps they're holding the settings for later release? It's hard to be sure. The fact that they've acknowledged all the settings in the existing books implies to me that they intend to do something with them. That could be wrong, but I think if they had no plans, they wouldn't even mention the names in the PHB and elsewhere.
As for the 3rd party option, that worked in the past as far as players having options for those settings for the then current edition...but does that mean that such a relationship was beneficial to WotC? And if they have later plans for the alternate settings as I said above, would it be wise to license the settings now?
hawkeyefan
Legend
Ignoring market data is absolutely bonkers.
Having said that, I think that it's a leap to say that I am saying they must solely play it safe and not take any risk. I just think it's smarter to firmly establish the brand again before branching into other settings or more diverse/innovative content.
I don't think it's smart for them to just bang out a 5E version of each setting because some folks are clamor ing for that. Because to me, it seems that some folks just clamor for the next thing regardless. If WotC put out a book for everything from Mystara to Dark Sun and Star Frontiers to Alternity, there would folks that would then say "ugh enough with the rehashes, where are the new settings?" And so on.
So my view is not that they don't do things like try another setting or something new altogether, but rather that I don't want them to do it just to satisfy a small portion of the fanbase. I want them to do that stuff because they think the time is right and they're ready to do it right.
Well yeah, but if it works then you are a Creative Genius.
Absolutely they should play to their strengths.
Yeah, there is no way WotC can do a book a Month. I would have expected that now would be a good time for licensing old Worlds from WotC but for some reason I just do not get that vibe from their "Story, story. story" comments.
Yeah, they should not do something just because the fans are asking for it. Just stick to their guns and give us what they think the fans will buy.
I was also thrilled about the mentioning of various settings in the corebooks, that is mainly why I'm patient with them, because it seems they want to do something with them.
The question is: what and when? If I have to wait for a XY setting book I'm interested in for 3-4 or more years, because they want to solidify the brand and playerbase with the most-safe brand (again this is understandable on itself), I would say, please try an alternative choice. There are tons of edition-independent material out there, so just do shorter conversion pdfs. Or if they don't even want to do that in reasonable future, outsorcing.
How beneficial or wise it would be? If they want to do something with them, please do! If not, sitting on the IPs just pisses off the fanbase as the bajillion threads testifies and sends gamers to alternative games or 3rd party settings. There are already lots them on the market, so I think supporting (or outsorcing the supporting of) the original DnD ones would be good at least for satisfy the said fanbase. And it would bolster the donwloading of older material for the fluff from WotC and also the 5E corebook sales and FR-independent supplement sales. I don't think it would cut in half the AP and FR books sales, because the main support would be still for them, including AP, AL, novels etc. so FR would remain the most-recognized and played setting of DnD.
We have a proverb for this in Hungary: The goat gets enough to eat and the cabbage also remains.
The chance of WotC doing what you suggest here is zero.
WotC's market position is all about luxuriously designed and illustrated books, not illo-free B/W PDFs.
They also are all about supporting game stores - which is another reason why they wouldn't do PDFs as you suggest.
And by all accounts 5e is selling very very well. Sure, sales can always be boosted - but the likelihood that the best way to spend marketing resources is in the way you describe is also, in my view, zero.
Some people like multiple campaign settings. But many people don't; and many more won't buy books for things that they do like.
[MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] posted on some fairly recent thread that sales goals for WotC books are at least 100,000 sales. (I can't remember what his source was.) Presumably WotC have doubts that a GH or DS book would sell that many copies, given that they don't seem to be publishing any such books.
The only version of such a story that I know has Moongoose's Matt Sprange as its source. And the book was Menzoberranzan, not Neverwinter.
They couldn't afford to do it in 2nd ed times either! As Ryan Dancey explained over a decade ago, it was the proliferation of setting material that was a major contributor to TSR going broke.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
I don't have even a little time for conversions. I barely get 20-50% of my prep done as is and have to wing the other 50-80% during sessions. It's good that I am very good at improvising.
hawkeyefan
Legend
Ha "the fans" meaning you or me?
I hear that. I wouldn't mind some material based on Planescape or Dark Sun. I can get by without it, but if they put it out, I'd almost certainly buy it.
So I can understand your criticism or your desire for more stuff, although I think you're overstating things a bit about the bajillion threads and whatnot.
I think a better question to ask is why aren't they putting out setting books? If you genuinely believe they are doing so to piss the fans off, then I don't think we'll ever get anywhere in a discussion. So let's just assume for sanity's sake that that's not why they're doing it.....so then what could be the reason?
What do you guys think?
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