Anyone else finding their TTRPG spending going down for lack of interest/need?

GMMichael · Apr 19, 2019

MNblockhead said:
I subscribe to D&D Beyond and don't see that changing.

+1 Hasbro point. Just for kicks, think about switching to the ENWorld Patreon?

MNblockhead said:
Anyone else in the same boat? Where are you spending your hobby money?

Food and drink for Game of Thrones parties.

I've cast a pretty good anti-spending ward on myself. My RPG is super-easy to run and modify, so I don't need rulebooks. And, although I'd like to do some personal world-building, I have a video-game-bible that provides NPCs, maps, treasure, quests, and more. So I don't need adventure modules either. For everything else, I'm a member of a pretty awesome Internet bulletin-board...

psiconauta_retro said:
I am in a similar boat… Last year my awesome collection of RPG books was mostly lost due to a terrible flood and it would take years and tons of money to build it back. After that heartbreak I have become much more selective and these days it is hard for me to find products that really catch my attention.
. . .The positive side is that I am saving that money, but I would be glad to pay it if I could feel the joy I used to get before.

I believe that was Poseidon giving you a chance to find RPG joy in a new way. Ever tried writing?

MNblockhead · Apr 19, 2019

DMMike said:
+1 Hasbro point. Just for kicks, think about switching to the ENWorld Patreon?

I've subscribed to ENWorld EN5ider from almost the beginning and have ever EN5ider article from #1.

I'm also a copper subscriber to the boards.

I don't subscribe to the general ENWorld Patreon, just felt like an extra subscription to track without providing anything I find compelling. Eventually, I expect that the copper/silver subscriptions to go away and for Patreon to replace that, but for now, I prefer the Copper/Silver subscription.

Jacob Lewis · Apr 20, 2019

I just found other hobbies.

trancejeremy · Apr 20, 2019

aramis erak said:
The overwhelming dross of the d20 bubble really curbed me of a lot of spending.

I'm the opposite. What I loved so much about the d20 era was all the new people writing stuff, bringing in different ideas. The DIY aspect is what I love most about the OSR and ironically, I find somewhat lacking in 5e, thanks to DM's Guild allowing use of WOTC/D&D IP, rather than forcing people to come up with their own stuff. Sort of like people writing Star Trek or Star Wars fan-fiction, rather than original stories.

MNblockhead · Apr 20, 2019

trancejeremy said:
I'm the opposite. What I loved so much about the d20 era was all the new people writing stuff, bringing in different ideas. The DIY aspect is what I love most about the OSR and ironically, I find somewhat lacking in 5e, thanks to DM's Guild allowing use of WOTC/D&D IP, rather than forcing people to come up with their own stuff. Sort of like people writing Star Trek or Star Wars fan-fiction, rather than original stories.

I skill the d20 boom as I had stopped playing TTRPGs just as 2e came out and didn't start again until 5e. Yet, I have trouble squaring your observations with mine. While the may not be the same glut of material for 5e as there was during the d20 content boom, there is certainly far more than I could ever use. We have streaming shows funding hugely successful Kickstarters for new books. We have many 3rd-party campaign settings. There are many great creators on Patreon, there are some wonderful blogs, YouTube channels, and stuff published on DriveThruRPG. You have people making and sharing homebrew creations on DnD Beyond.

Admittedly, I wasn't there for the d20 boom, but I'm seeing lots of DIY, facilitated by powerful new communication and collaboration platforms.

Ralif Redhammer · Apr 22, 2019

I’m very glad we’re seeing more and more documentary work on the hobby. I’m currently in for Secrets of Blackmoor, Dreams in Gary’s Basement, and The Great Kingdom (if we ever see that one). The recently fulfilled Eye of the Beholder was so darn good.

My gaming spending has probably increased this year. I splurged on Beedle’ Grimm’s Saltmarsh set. And I’m going to both Origins and Gen Con (normally it’s an either-or deal). And next year is going to be Gary Con and Origins. If I had to give a causal factor, really, it’d be my brother and I egging each other on. He wanted to go to Gen Con this year, and I wanted to go to Gary Con next year. Origins is close enough for us to do that it’s a yearly tradition.

On the whole, though, my gaming spending has never been particularly extravagant. I try to support my FLGS, and I pick out the occasional reasonably-priced OOP book online, but generally keep my expenditures at a reasonable level. This year is probably a blip rather than a trend.

MNblockhead said:
4. Movies, TV, and Books ABOUT the hobby

More of my money is going to books and video about or inspired by gaming. Example include the Art & Arcana book, kickstarted documentaries (Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons and Dragons, The Dreams in Gary’s Basement: A Documentary on Gary Gygax, SECRETS of BLACKMOOR: The True History of Dungeons & Dragons), the Critical Role cartoon, etc.

MNblockhead · Apr 22, 2019

[MENTION=30438]Ralif Redhammer[/MENTION]

I envy you, but I have hope. My eldest has been asking to go to comic and video-gaming conventions. I may not be able to make a family trip out of Gary Con, but Convergence (here in the Twin Cities) and perhaps a trip for a PAX may be in the cards.

Gary Con is the one I'm most interested in. Really hoping to make that one one of these years.

Ralif Redhammer · Apr 22, 2019

I’d been pushing to go to it for years now. It’s a splurge, and going to be a logistical pain (needing to both take a plane and rent a car). But it’s a chance to game with the hobby founders in Lake Geneva, the place where it started.

MNblockhead said:
Gary Con is the one I'm most interested in. Really hoping to make that one one of these years.

darjr · Apr 22, 2019

GaryCon is a blast! It’s also growing fast. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put a cap on attendance.

Also GameHoleCon is awesome and is one of the big three or four bucket list cons in my humble opinion.

I think the edition treadmill fatigue hits a lot of folks. Which makes 5es continued blockbuster growth even more amazing.

S'mon · Apr 24, 2019

Spent a bunch on everything produced for Primeval Thule when I started my new campaign in January. Very happy with purchases!

Of course that stuff mostly came out in 2015. I am not an early adopter.