Third Party: If So, Then What?

[Mark]

Breaking News: Wet streets found to cause rain.

Could just be someone pissing on your leg.

 

[Eridanis]

Yes it is, because your argument is simply not sound.

You've spent a lot of time in this thread deconstructing other people's arguments. Let's get back on topic, everyone, and keep posts focused on the discussion and not on reading tea leaves.

 

[ggroy]

I hope you enjoyed the yarn I've just spun. Let me repeat my main point though: WotC doesn't care if 3pps ever make another adventure.

Wonder if 4E was designed from the beginning such that novice players can easily design their own adventures and move into the DM chair very easily. If such a scenario passes muster, WotC adventure modules could very well be made superfluous and/or are used as "proof of concept" examples as a guide for less experienced DMs. This may be suggestive from the last Worldwide D&D Game Day event for DMG2, in the exercises of designing encounters.

Where this leaves 3PP adventure modules, is anybody's guess.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

You seem to be relatively new here but the proof appears to be in the numbers. All I know is what dominates the news and threads as compared to wha used to do so, alongside the turn out of the recent appeal to the community. It's apparently not footing the bill. Of course, I see an opportunity for you to step up, so feel free to walk the walk along with the talk.

Historically, this place has been a hub of news and discussion on D&D and particularly the OGL that accompanied it. Since the launch of 4E, there haven't been as much exciting goings on coming from 3PP, either from the OGL or GSL. Pathfinder has been an out of character blip on what is otherwise a steady decline. It stands to reason that ENWorld might decline similarly to the decline of its core focus.

 

[AllisterH]

Wonder if 4E was designed from the beginning such that novice players can easily design their own adventures and move into the DM chair very easily. If such a scenario passes muster, WotC adventure modules could very well be made superfluous and/or are used as "proof of concept" examples as a guide for less experienced DMs. This may be suggestive from the last Worldwide D&D Game Day event for DMG2, in the exercises of designing encounters.

Where this leaves 3PP adventure modules, is anybody's guess.

You know...this is an interesting theory...

Look at the WOTC page and also things like the DMG1, DMG2 and DDI. Hell, even the much maligned "Part-time sorceress" column and the focus on the website with the opening graphic.

If 3.x was player focused, 4e seems REALLY focused on making the game easier to run for a DM.

re: Adventures
As an aside, elves make pretty damn good wizards. You do realize that elves actually make better control wizards than eladrins right? Not having a negative to an ability score kind of means that it is pretty easy for any race to be any class.

The only thing I think you would really have to change in adventures is the size and number of people involved.

 

[BryonD]

It stands to reason that ENWorld might decline similarly to the decline of its core focus.

Pretty much hits the nail on the head.
Welcome to the era of simple to DM D&D.

 

[AllisterH]

Pretty much hits the nail on the head.
Welcome to the era of simple to DM D&D.

And then the question is, "Is this a bad thing?"

Personally, I would say no. For all the complaints about how 4e isn't a roleplaying game, the DMG1 and DMG2 have more useful information in actually encouraging DMs to put on that roleplaying hat.

I've been a player since 1e and a DM since 2e, and while the crunch has always been adequate in modifying the game for DMs, I never found D&D to be especially strong much less decent in actually encouraging/teaching the art of being a DM.

I look at 4e DMG 1 (best DMG ever for teaching a newbie to relatively new DM) and DMG2 (great resorce for intermediate and even old pros) and I look at all the way WOTC designed 4e.

They intentionally tried to make it more easy for DMs since I believe WTC has realized that the biggest impediment to D&D isn't the players (Really, finding players has never been a problem IMO) but actually getting one of the poor suckers to be a DM.

 

[BryonD]

What does 4e have to do with supporting EN World, which also has a large Pathfinder/OGL group?

Hey, its pretty cool to see non-4E gaming suddenly get equal billing here!!!!!



But, with all the smashing success that 4E is, it does seem odd that throngs of adoring 4E fans don't seem to provide the financial support that was demonstrated on several occasions in years past. Something seems different now.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

Hey, its pretty cool to see non-4E gaming suddenly get equal billing here!!!!!



But, with all the smashing success that 4E is, it does seem odd that throngs of adoring 4E fans don't seem to provide the financial support that was demonstrated on several occasions in years past. Something seems different now.

Maybe because 4E doesn't really need ENWorld like the OGL movement did. 4E has WotC's forums(even with their current ugliness), and we have RPGnet(actually has the best 4E discussion these days IMO) as well. ENWorld isn't the flagship 4E forum like it was the flagship OGL forum.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Hey, its pretty cool to see non-4E gaming suddenly get equal billing here!!!!!



But, with all the smashing success that 4E is, it does seem odd that throngs of adoring 4E fans don't seem to provide the financial support that was demonstrated on several occasions in years past. Something seems different now.

And in and of itself, may that very notion, support on multiple occassions be the 'real' problem?