Subscription levels dropping

[Kzach]

Pay wise, I would prefer a lump sum subscription like you can get with DDI, with discounts for longer term subscriptions. e.g. $3 a month, or $30 for a year, or $45 for two years, etc... whatever it is but monthly is almost never an option I go for. I bought DDI when it was cheap for as many years as they would let me, and I usually do the same with paper magazines that I really like.

I didn't even realise they'd stopped allowing longer subs. Yeah, that's a deal-breaker for a lot of people. If I can afford it, I always go for the longer, cheaper option.

Was there any reason to drop the other sub options? Seems like a no-brainer to re-instate that.

 

[Sylrae]

Personally, I hang out almost exclusively in the Pathfinder/Legacy Forums.

What types of content are in the subscription? Only thing I knew you got was search functionality (something I can mimic pretty well with google). I wasn't sure exactly why people paid monthly for a search box for the longest time, when you can search google with the site: keyword

If there was content coming out that I could use, and I could pay for it in advance instead of monthly as described above, I'd sign up. I just bought a 1 year subscription to KQ 2 weeks ago.

4e content isn't any good to me though. Give me things I can use with my Pathfinder with minimal converting, stuff I can use with the Storyteller/Storytelling system (not going to happen but it would interest me), and you'll get the subscription from me.

Again though, not with a pay monthly schedule.

I'd do a lump sum for a year, but I'm not sure I'd sign up for anything with recurring payments. Give me a year at a time that will expire and won't bill me again, and I'll sign up for it, and likely renew it when it's done.

 

[Argyle King]

As someone who is not a subscriber, I often find myself unsure of what benefits I would get from paying the monthly fee.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Well, I am a fanboy of the site and a supporter. Reasons I support the site:

• Grandmother's rule - the site is civil and clean. This may not sound like a lot but some sites just wear me out with the amount of unrest that takes place in a post.
• The Spice of Life - lots of different content and different voices discussing the hobby.
• ENnies - What I see as the major awards of our hobby, companies have been made by the award and a lot of products sold. I see the support of the site as a support of the awards.
• Support the Industry - I see the support of this site as supporting the industry and hobby. This is a independent site, company sites are marketing sites for fanboys, if I like the game, yes I will go there but when that game disappears from the market, so does the site.
• COMMUNITY - sort of says it all, we are united in our hobby. I support this site because of each and everyone of you, your post, your reviews, your maps, your games, your links, advice and so much more...

 

[Khairn]

Even though the cost is very low, when finances are tight, some discretionary items have to take a hit. I have no issues with Paypal, but having multiple payment options would probably help some members.

We're working on a new campaign saga, developed wholly for 4th edition (rather than a conversion). While it would definitely be several months at least before we can roll that out, I wonder how well that would draw subscribers.

I'd probably re-sub for that as I find 4E's published settings (especially WotC's) to be quite underwhelming. Can you share anything with us to help start the buzz?

 

[DragonLancer]

After being a way from ENW for about 18 months (far far too much 4E stuff at the time) I came back last week to check out what Pathfinder material was being discussed. Pleasently surprised to see 4E having it's own corner of the forums and more general gaming discussed so I subscribed again (monthly only because I can't afford more). I don't care about the benefits (it's mostly 4E stuff) I did it to help support the best gaming forums on the net.

People probably need something more to keep them subscribing. Maybe something like the next time the site puts up an adventure path it's for Pathfinder/3.5 rather than 4E. Do something for people who play games other than 4th ed. It's the current official rules but not everyone plays it.


On a teritary note, what's wrong with Paypal? I've never had an issue with them (maybe I'm just lucky) and wish more sites accepted them.

 

[Wayside]

I think I am in the same boat as Ari. I have been enduring an 8% pay cut at work, and we had just bought our house a year before... so almost everything that was luxury went out of the budget.

Ain't working for the state grand?

 

[SethDrebitko]

I think what holds me back is that as d20 marches forward so does enworld. For example: when 3.5 was out I would have nearly jumped on the subscription. I don't like pathfinder or 4th ed; I am more into variants like m20 and mutants and masterminds.

Heck I might even be interested to see what the enworld folks would do with the srd.

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with choosing to lean towards editions, but this is a very big line in the sand time as far as editions go.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Well I can't say why people are cancelling subscriptions.

I know that I only subscribe because I like the forums. I find many of the discussioins to be very interesting and helpful for my gaming. ANd so I contribute to the site that contributes to my game. (Ain't that warm and fuzzy?)

I've barely glanced at the parts of the site that aren't the forums.

 

[Stoat]

I don't subscribe because ENWorld, particularly the general forum, is less and less interesting to me.

The number of new threads in general seems to have decreased. Umbran closed the "What could WotC do to woo back disenchanted fans" thread 2 days ago, and it's still on the main page. A year ago, it would have dropped down to page two in a few hours.

Worse, IMO, the quality of the conversation has declined. The same half-dozen or so topics (sandboxing v. railroading, WotC's pdf/piracy policies, 4.5 and rumors of 4.5, fudging, verisimilitude and the loss thereof, WotC's treatment of D&D canon, etc. etc.) pop up again and again. Each time one of these topics shows up it spawns a gigantic 20+ page thread where the same dozen or so posters make the same points they've raised in a hundred previous 20+ page threads. Nobody's adding anything to the discussion. Nobody says anything new. The only interesting thing is to see who blows their stack and gets modded first.

I still lurk around. I post from time to time. I even follow the occasional 20+ page megathread out of morbid curiousity. But I'm less interested, less informed and less entertained by ENWorld than I ever have been, and for that reason I haven't subscribed.