References to Barbarian playtest vanished?

[Cadfan]

On one hand, I don't like seeing this sort of change. It isn't a big deal- a bigger deal would be pushing an article back a whole month and not replacing it with other content. But in general, I would prefer that the magazines run as smoothly as possible so that I don't have to worry that once I've already paid for my subscription things will get flighty.

That being said, I have nothing but scorn for evidence free conspiracy mongering. It doesn't come from an honest place.

 

[Maggan]

I've worked in newspaper publishing, not magazine publishing, so I could be wrong about this but my understanding is that a magazine is pretty well laid out several issues in advance.

Sure they are. But the pressures of magazine publishing still means that things can fall through at the very last moment, when the freelancer who absolutely promised you the content you wanted was in the mail turned out to be mad, which means that the cover you ordered two months earlier is now not at all a proper represenation of what you've got inside the mag. Not to mention line up with the contents you promised in the last issue ...

Not to mention the fact that the deadlines can still be hysterical even for modern magazines, and things get lost in the hysterics of getting the thing ready for print.

It can be a madhouse.

I've worked at newspapers and with magazines (roleplaying magazines). Newspaper production was less stressful.

/M

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I doubt that those comments would be taken at face value and head of any high emotions. Each time WotC comments on anything, there are those who are falling over themselves to find ulterior and sinister motives.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; the best thing for WotC would be to never comment on unreleased stuff. Ever.

And then they should just stop commenting their released stuff as well. But who am I kidding. That would be taken as evidence of ulterior and sinister motives as well.

/M

As you say, haters and conspiracy theorist will always do their stuff - so why not throw the fans a bone so that they have a warm and fuzzy feeling about WotC? "Wow, they really explained why they couldn't get it done." "Nice, now the link is working again - thanks for the info!"

Nobody likes to be kept in the dark. Why no err on the side of better lighting?

 

[Cadfan]

Mustrum Ridcully- its about molding people's expectations. If you tell people there will be a Barbarian preview, then there isn't, they get upset. If you regularly tell them nothing until the instant that the full article is released, they can't get upset about the full article not being on time. No one would be upset because they wouldn't even think to consider getting upset. The expectation that they could preview the article titles in advance wouldn't exist.

 

[The Little Raven]

Nobody likes to be kept in the dark. Why no err on the side of better lighting?

Because the more a company makes statements or responses on the internet, the greater the chance that someone will seize upon something to take as a mortal insult. Look at the whole Scales of War nonsense that somehow became WotC dictating how we're supposed to have fun, despite the post having no contents that would lead a reasonable person to that conclusion. People say communication will make everything okay, but when they do communicate, it gets twisted into something sinister.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Mustrum Ridcully- its about molding people's expectations. If you tell people there will be a Barbarian preview, then there isn't, they get upset. If you regularly tell them nothing until the instant that the full article is released, they can't get upset about the full article not being on time. No one would be upset because they wouldn't even think to consider getting upset. The expectation that they could preview the article titles in advance wouldn't exist.

And I say that only "haters", "whiners" and "conspiracy theorist" will do this. I am think of myself as a nice, decent guy, that won't get worked up over such issues. But maybe I am alone in that. I suppose WotC Marketing will eventually figure out the solution.

But I tell you this: If again some complainers take away something I liked (see the idea of Wizard schools/traditions), I might get angry. And no, not at WotC.
And you I wouldn't like me when I am angry.

 

[Edgewood]

I'm not a conspiracy guy and I don't think WotC has ulterior or suspicious motives

This. I keep trying to come up with what WOTC would be evil and sinister about? "BWAHAHAHA! We have pushed back an article by one month!! Now to tie that damsel to the train tracks!! "Twirls moustache and disappears behind black silk cape....

 

[Cadfan]

Mustrum Ridcully- It isn't just whiners who don't like not getting things on time. I don't like not getting things on time.* Telling me that something will be available on a particular date creates an expectation in me that I will actually be able to obtain that item on that date. If I can't, I feel like I lost something.

Let me give you a comparison. I follow two miniature wargames, Infinity and Anima Tactics. They each have their own release scheduling systems.

Infinity releases 4 miniature blisters per month. They don't tell you in advance what they'll be. But there will be four of them, always.

Anima Tactics releases two to three miniatures per month. They're a smaller company with a smaller product, so that's not an issue. What is an issue is that every six months they issue a release schedule that is a pack of lies. It predicts five to six miniatures per month for the next six month period. At the end of that timeframe they've invariably released the usual two to three per month that they always release, and the next six month schedule is packed full of overflow from the previous six months. In fact, this cycle is how they ended up with such a heavy release schedule to begin with- they just roll each season's figures into the next season without pushing anything back.

From a certain perspective, these companies are doing the same thing. Each releases a certain flat number of miniatures per month. But one lies** about it first. That one annoys the heck out of me, and out of a lot of other people. If the only thing that matters was the consistency of physical product reaching my hands, I wouldn't react to the release schedule written on the water. But expectations count too.

*Maybe that makes me a whiner? Hope not.

**I'm sure they aren't lying per se. They're just consistently making statements that turn out to be false in repeated, identical contexts. Its like someone who swears they'll give up cigarettes every New Years. They probably mean it when they say it but no one believes them.

 

[Rechan]

Seriously, Rechan? I mean seriously you're refusing to spend a couple of bucks on something you obviously want? Free, or nothing, is that it?

No, it's not "I want it free or otherwise I'm not getting it". My beef is that they don't have the courtesy to even say something. It's rude, especially when we were told at GenCon that it'd be out in the September edition.

It just smacks of how they're going to treat their paying customers. Just like the refusal to put out an outline of the Scales of War (and then putting out a half-assed outline, but to be fair they gave one three months after the fact).

As the saying goes, "It's easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission". If WotC said "Sorry, we actually can't give you a preview of the barbarian period, for x reason" I would cut them enormous amounts of slack, because they are being communicative and courteous to the customer. That is a trait I value highly in such a business, and so I would still purchase the magazine with that sort of attitude.

And it's not "a few bucks". Because I'm either going to drop the $60 for the full year, or I'm not going to pay; that's the most cost effective method overall, but still a $60 chunk out of my month's funds, so it's a pretty significant decision.

Even assuming that next month's issue will be chargeable, something for which we have no evidence?

I seem to recall that it was said September would be the last free month.

However, I am not attributing any sort of malice, ulterior or suspicious motives. Hanlon's Razor here - Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. This is probably a snafu. I don't have an issue with that. My issue comes down to the lack of courtesy in telling the customers "Hey, we made an error, see the Barbarian next month". That would have taken all of twelve seconds, instead of playing switcheroo at the 11th hour and hoping no one noticed.

 

[catsclaw227]

No, it's not "I want it free or otherwise I'm not getting it". My beef is that they don't have the courtesy to even say something. It's rude, especially when we were told at GenCon that it'd be out in the September edition.

It just smacks of how they're going to treat their paying customers. Just like the refusal to put out an outline of the Scales of War (and then putting out a half-assed outline).

A few years ago, my company was hired to take three monthly print publications online by a publisher in the Health & Wellness industry. Lots of articles about exercise, diets, healthy living, green, sustainability, etc.

Their editorial calendar changed multiple times every month. I thought it was odd, but they said it was part and parcel to the print periodical industry. Articles promised by freelancers were late, some stories that didn't have proper fact checking were deferred to the following month, hot topics got priority and last minute shorts were written, etc...

They would publish the "In the Next Issue" section of their magazine as well, but sometimes that changed. It was rare for any MAJOR article to be late, since it was freelancer-death to be late, and most times they kept two months ahead of schedule with their calendar, but things slipped each month.

They never sent emails or posted apologies or whatever when something didn't appear in an issue, they simply moved it to another month and that was it.

It isn't rude to change the editorial schedule, nor is it rude to fail to apologize for it or explain why. It is part of the business.

The internet, with previews and instant news, makes us all raise our expectations to a reasonable level, but some of the reaction to WOTC changes in their Dragon/Dungeon publishing schedule is way over the top.

Seriously. Way over the top.

Now... I AM disappointed with WOTC's half-assed SoW outline. That thing isn't a tasty teaser or an overview of some value to a DM. It's a lame attempt to appease the loud interweb minority.