One Bad Egg going dark

[Crothian]

They are too good for 4e, anyway. Games like Don't Rest your Head are what they do best.

 

[Rechan]

They are too good for 4e, anyway. Games like Don't Rest your Head are what they do best.

Hopefully this will give them more time to work on Dresden Files RPG.

 

[Vorput]

But it’s more than sales stuff. WOTC is doing a great job providing support for their game, and the online tools that come with a DDI subscription have had the curious side-effect of defining a product space that we can’t even touch, as third party publishers. Creating classes — already hard work — pretty much becomes a nonstarter when there’s no way to provide a “class definition” for use with the DDI character builder, and creating monsters (even ones as oogy fun as the Death Mother) starts to be questionable when a solid Monster Builder tool debuts from the primary publisher.

I don't know if I like or dislike that statement. On the one hand, it's great that the primary publisher is providing so many useful and workable tools and ideas. On the other hand, it's sad that it's doing so in such a way that 3pps can't compete.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I don't know if I like or dislike that statement. On the one hand, it's great that the primary publisher is providing so many useful and workable tools and ideas. On the other hand, it's sad that it's doing so in such a way that 3pps can't compete.

It's not that they ever could compete.

None of them ever could.

Now support on the other hand... but see, now it's not even support because they don't have access to the other half of the game, which is now the DDI. And if you're selling the product ONLY online, then many of the people who are online and supporting 4e already, your target audience, may be using the DDI.

And some companies CHARGE extra for a seperate file for the powers laid out in a more friendly format. Can't see that working too long.

Companies that want to support 4e are better off avoiding the crunch in most cases and working on things like adventurers, physical counters, etc... little things that can be physically added to the game without need for competing against the WoTC crunch supported by the DDI.

Now they get access to the DDI, that's a whole nother beast.

 

[ggroy]

Now they get access to the DDI, that's a whole nother beast.

What's the likelihood of this happening? (ie. Short of hacking DDI).

 

[Glyfair]

I don't know if I like or dislike that statement. On the one hand, it's great that the primary publisher is providing so many useful and workable tools and ideas. On the other hand, it's sad that it's doing so in such a way that 3pps can't compete.

I agree that WotC has gone a bit too far in the direction of making things hard for 3rd parties to get traction. That being said, I think the monster builder is not a negative thing for third parties, contrary to their comments.

I can add most 3rd party monsters to the monster builder. I can't add 3rd party classes or races to it (at least without using the house rules section for every character that uses the new race/class).

Right now I am basically looking for 3 things from 3rd parties. I want adventures, monsters and adventure support material (locations, groups, etc.)

 

[jasonbostwick]

I can count myself among the less than 100 people who bought most of their products, but I have to admit that none of it has seen use in my games yet.

My players already have enough character concepts from Wizards material to fill up a dozen one-shots, and the support in the Compendium and CB really tips the scale.

While the preview for the Witch-Doctor was promising, by the time the product was released I knew that 3rd party player material would never get any traction in my game. I had the same problem with Ari's Advanced Player's Guide - great material, but my players only ever half-considered it when it was released. Now that the PHB2 is out, it can't really compete with classes that have all of their powers in the Character Builder and are continually supported in Dragon.

I've got the monsters from Death Mother printed out on index cards like I've done with all the MM and Dungeon monsters, but haven't really found a good spot to use them. Killing a Death Mother is pretty much an adventure on its own, and it hasn't fit in yet.

The one OBE book I'm still hoping I'll get some good use out of is Poisoncraft. While I don't think any PCs will take the Poisoncrafter feat, that won't stop me from handing out vials of poison as treasure.

 

[WampusCat43]

Pity. We used their 'Hard-boiled Armies' to simulate a large-scale battle using 4e rules the other night, and it was very well received. Good stuff.

 

[JoeGKushner]

What's the likelihood of this happening? (ie. Short of hacking DDI).

If I was Goodman Games, it would priority #1.

If I was going to keep doing crunch sourcebooks like Forgotten Heroes races/classes.etc... books.

How likely is that to happen? No clue. Relies on way too much information that we have no access to.

Have 3pp approached WoTC about it?

Would WoTC be open to it?

etc... etc.. .etc...

 

[Psion]

Hopefully this will give them more time to work on Dresden Files RPG.

^ This.