GTS 2009 D&D Seminar - the Rouse discusses D&D

[Scott_Rouse]

Scott,

It has been mentioned that Sigil would be the mapped out city in DMG2. Can you let us know what product Village of Homlet will show up in? Or is that not on the schedule yet?

Thanks,

Nothing announced yet. TBA soon

 

[haaz]

Our marketing efforts will focus mostly on core hobby media and less on mass type media. This will include a focus on bloggers, podcasts, core RPG sites, and more "viral" web based media. Print will be minimal with some trade adversting and a few core magazines like KQ and Level Up.

Any word on a "new" fansite policy ?

 

[Scott_Rouse]

I don't think even more "oh, that fluffy stuff only the DM reads" chapters will change that perception.

I think what the game needs is cool non-combat stuff that draws the eyes of players, not DMs. When you build your characters, there should be abilities and capabilites that makes you go "Oh, I want to buy/use/try that!"; more skills/powers/rituals/magic items purely aimed at the non-wargame part of the game. Or rules for that sake, like an roleplay-focused advantage/disadvantage system or something.

The article on Familiars in Dragon makes a good example. They had cool non-combat stuff they could do, and they had wonderful little roleplayable quirks listed.



The 4E rules set is the first rule set I encountered that I did not stop while leafing through and say "ooooh! I want to do that!" in regards to non-combat stuff...

(I did not do that on combat stuff either, but that is because I've burned myself out on MMOs, and want table-top RPGs to provide what you cannot get in a computer game.)

Good advice here. One chapter in a book won't change that perception. I would love to see some more RP type modules like the original Ravenloft.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

So, how does Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles figure into this? (You watch that show, right?)

I don't watch the show, except for those episodes. Sara Girard on my team coordinated that product placement. It was great!

Aside from that, I am sure the writers of Kobold Quarterly and Level Up like the title of "core magazine".

We you core to refer to "non-mass market" as in core hobby.

On an unrelated note - I wonder if there are any plans to find a new distributor in Germany? I am accustomed to using English books, but not everyone is, and certainly not newbies...

yes we are in active negotiations with a new German publishing partner

Don't forget to add more such stuff in your adventures and your player-targeted stuff (PHB, <source> Power)

OK

 

[Hawke]

This tends to be broader reaching media, likely aimed at younger video game players.

From the get-go I've felt that 4E has the easiest conversion to a videogame. Manipulation of a set of basic states and very clear movement information seems like it would be much easier to setup than 3.5 was for NWN. I'm surprised that a year later we haven't seen any game companies announce a 4E style game. I wonder if there's something in the works or if wotc specifically decided to hold off and focus on their core product for a while?

 

[Scott_Rouse]

Some questions:

1)
"2008 Global Brand Study US and Canada and part of Europe."
"Aided Awareness 89% (brand recognition)"

-What does "global" stand here for? Also I would like to ask what kind of people this survey reached. Random, casual people? WOW subscribers? People who frequent certain web sites?

It was a nationally representative study that surveyed USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Spain, Italy, Germany, & France

Without looking at the survey again I don't recall the exact filtering methodology. I recall there was some filtering by demographic (mostly age) and I believe they had to play video games.

2)
"80% WOW
"89% D&D

-What was the question of this answers? I would guess if respondents know about or recognize what D&D or WoW stand for but I aint sure. Clarification would be nice.

This was an aided awareness question. Do you recognize one of these Roleplaying games with a list provided.

89% recalled Dungeons & Dragons
80% recalled World of Warcraft

To be expected on a game with 35 years of equity but still nice to see since Wow has such a big presence in the game category

 

[Imaro]

@Scott:

First let me commend you on recognizing that some people have an issue as far as 4e goes and it's very tactical combat centric nature. I think some people are confusing the issue, I don't think people necessarily don't want combat to be tactical... but want a robust system that handles things outside of combat in an interesting way as well. Many are equating it with an either/or thing... when it doesn't have to be.

Quick question, if you have time ... will there be, outside of DDI anything to address the various issues many (even core fans) are having with skill challenges? I understand Mike Mearls is addressing it through DDI.. but that's only reaching a small subset of those who bought 4e. I really think, if done right, skill challenges could be one of the major ways to address the whole "wargame" complaint about D&D 4e. For inspiration I would suggest looking at Exalted as well as the social rules in Requiem for Rome.

Create powers that can influence skill challenges in a narrative way (and make their cost separate from combat powers, maybe based on skill ranks or something.)...as an example something like a power name "Luck o' the Irish" that allows you to happen to "find" an item ina scene that gives the PC a bonus on his next skill roll... Or a power called "With Style Chere...With Style." (Heavily inspired by Gambit of the X-Men ) Where if your skill check is below a certain number, and others are watching, you get to roll again and keep the higher of the two. Hey I wouldn't mind coming up with something like this for a Dragon article... though I'm not sure where the current guidelines for submitting actually are. Anyway just a couple of suggestions.

 

[davethegame]

Our marketing efforts will focus mostly on core hobby media and less on mass type media. This will include a focus on bloggers, podcasts, core RPG sites, and more "viral" web based media.

I fully approve of this!

 

[Scott_Rouse]

I think you wanted a colon there. You're saying that "existing D&D fans" = lapsed players, players of other editions, and fans of the brand.

Yes, typed in haste. D&D Fans: lapsed players (played but stopped typically due to a file change like starting a career), current players of older editions (e.g. OD&D *cough* Dialgo *cough*), novels readers (FR, Dragonlance etc), and people who have interacted in other ways like video games. Basically people who we don't need to explain what D&D is.

Who are the core fans? Does this mean current 4e players?

People who play D&D or read D&D novels

Am I understanding correctly that lapsed/prior edition fans aren't currently considered core?

No, I would say a core fan is someone who is actively engaged with the brand in some way. Reading books, playing games, etc.

Sounds good to me! Go where the geeks are.

Yep

Hmm. I would not have guessed that among brand fans, the perception that it was a tactical combat game was the problem. D&D has always been a tactical combat game. I think 4e certainly highlighted/enhanced that existing "core brand experience."

Combat is a key element of D&D for certain. After all, it is "Kick in the door, kill the monster, take it's stuff" but RP is also part of the game. Personally, I don't buy the rules for roleplaying argument (don't pounce on this and start an edition war) but perception is reality and if people believe that they we need to manage to alter that perception.

Was there marketing research specifically to lapsed/prior edition players to find out why they did not adopt 4e? I didn't see anything here at ENworld. Is there a bigger, more accessible pool of "brand fans" who are not 4e adopters?

Yes this was studied and cotinues to be studied

I'd like to know what's holding them back, and my guess is that the predominant reason is that 4e "breaks with the traditions of prior editions."

I would like to know this too. I think it comes down to many reasons like personal preference on a system, some people don't like or feel the need for change. 3.5 was a good game system that people are happy to keep playing, etc. There is no silver bullet answer that will suddenly get people to drop hatthey are doing and start playing 4e so wee need to appraoch it from many angles.

"Lots of cool, evocative tactical combat" is the one tradition 4e delivered in spades.

In my opinion, it's not that the play feels different, it's that the world feels different.

Thanks for making my point above. Someone else will tell me a different reason

With all due respect, and much props to Robin Laws-- especially when Robin Laws is writing it. Robin could convince folks to play chess as an RPG.

Then DMG2 should rock your socks off!

 

[GnomeWorks]

After all, it is "Kick in the door, kill the monster, take it's stuff"...

This attitude is why I don't care for the new edition.

Some folks play this way, and that's fine - it should be a supported approach to the game.

But if I want to play that way, I'll go play WoW.