What kind of print products would want WotC to produce?
- Thread starter Klaus
- Start date
I want flavor-heavy books along the lines of Draconomicon, Open Grave, Manual of the Planes, Planes Above/Below, etc. etc.
I particularly think there's room for a detailed treatment of the Feywild and the Archfey. It's a new part of the game, and hasn't been fleshed out in any previous edition.
I have some interest in good 4E adventures, but I lack the faith that WotC can produce them consistently.
I stopped buying Books of Crunch almost immediately after 4E came out. I DM 90% or more of the time. I don't need the crunch in Martial Power to make 4E NPC's the way I needed the crunch in Complete Warrior to make 3E NPC's. And if I need to reference a power or feat, it is faster and more convenient to look for it in the Compendium.
I particularly think there's room for a detailed treatment of the Feywild and the Archfey. It's a new part of the game, and hasn't been fleshed out in any previous edition.
I have some interest in good 4E adventures, but I lack the faith that WotC can produce them consistently.
I stopped buying Books of Crunch almost immediately after 4E came out. I DM 90% or more of the time. I don't need the crunch in Martial Power to make 4E NPC's the way I needed the crunch in Complete Warrior to make 3E NPC's. And if I need to reference a power or feat, it is faster and more convenient to look for it in the Compendium.
JustKim
First Post
I thought Plane Above and Plane Below were some of the best books yet written for D&D. I was very excited for the new Shadowfell book but the more I hear about it, the more it sounds like 4E design is going inexorably in a different direction, and we will not see any more high flavor books. I want books that explore the setting, cosmology, history, and characters of 4E, in a way that's comparable to what White Wolf does for Exalted.
I don't think there's a possible compromise between what I want from adventures and what WotC anticipates will sell to a broader audience, or represent the brand well, or however they decide to publish Big Dumb Meat Grinder adventures exclusively. That's fine, I can and do look elsewhere.
I don't think there's a possible compromise between what I want from adventures and what WotC anticipates will sell to a broader audience, or represent the brand well, or however they decide to publish Big Dumb Meat Grinder adventures exclusively. That's fine, I can and do look elsewhere.
UnknownAtThisTime
First Post
I am reposting what I said elsewhere, because it answers your exact question. Bear in mind, this is what I want, and I think it would sell, but I could be totally off base:
Two things:
I'd like to see something apparently sort of like the Fantastic Locations: You'd get two double sided maps. 2 sheets of tokens, and a side trek or delve style adventure with some minor fluff/background/setting and 2-4 encounters. I would NOT expect great plot development in this product.
Then, for adventures, you've got the 64 or 96 page detailed booklet as a separate type of product. This would still include a map like they do now, but the story and setting would be far more detailed than the locations product or even therecent WotC adventures. The balance of the Maps are up to the DM: whether they be DTs, parallel FL Maps, or hand drawn. Likewise, the monster representation would be up to the DM, whether they come from minis, home made, or previously/parallel released with the FL product.
Both products serve a different purpose, but are linked, and I think they would fall at the same price point. One has higher dev costs, and one has higher production costs. You absolutely could use one without the other, but there is an 'ease of use' benefit to having both if the consumer so chooses.
Two things:
I'd like to see something apparently sort of like the Fantastic Locations: You'd get two double sided maps. 2 sheets of tokens, and a side trek or delve style adventure with some minor fluff/background/setting and 2-4 encounters. I would NOT expect great plot development in this product.
Then, for adventures, you've got the 64 or 96 page detailed booklet as a separate type of product. This would still include a map like they do now, but the story and setting would be far more detailed than the locations product or even therecent WotC adventures. The balance of the Maps are up to the DM: whether they be DTs, parallel FL Maps, or hand drawn. Likewise, the monster representation would be up to the DM, whether they come from minis, home made, or previously/parallel released with the FL product.
Both products serve a different purpose, but are linked, and I think they would fall at the same price point. One has higher dev costs, and one has higher production costs. You absolutely could use one without the other, but there is an 'ease of use' benefit to having both if the consumer so chooses.
Quickleaf
Legend
I think crossover print products would be interesting, things which aren't just books and don't fit neatly into categories like "adventure" or " accessory". My hunch is the Shadowfell box will be a step in this direction.
For example, you might have a boxed set (1) super adventure with battlemaps, tokens (or minis for main villains...wishful thinking I know), handouts, a music CD combined with (2) a thematically similar board/card game, (3) a player book with new character options (though not necessarily feats, paragon paths, and the usual suspects), and (4) a bit of setting lore for the main supported campaign settings.
With player oriented content apparently being focused on digital offerings, then players need more incentive to continue purchasing print products. Plus you'd also get a minigame/boardgame which could be used as a segue into tabletop roleplaying.
I am not convinced of this neat division between player consumers and DM consumers - we are gamers first. We like fantasy novels, graphic novels, getting immersed in another world, kicking monster butt and gaining fabulous riches, and gathering around a table to relax with our geek friends. We're grown up kids who still get wowed by shiny props at the game table, savor rolling mounds of damage dice, and wonder what will happen next session. We laugh at fake accents, rib each other for no reason, and in general have a
questionable sense of humor.
For example, you might have a boxed set (1) super adventure with battlemaps, tokens (or minis for main villains...wishful thinking I know), handouts, a music CD combined with (2) a thematically similar board/card game, (3) a player book with new character options (though not necessarily feats, paragon paths, and the usual suspects), and (4) a bit of setting lore for the main supported campaign settings.
With player oriented content apparently being focused on digital offerings, then players need more incentive to continue purchasing print products. Plus you'd also get a minigame/boardgame which could be used as a segue into tabletop roleplaying.
I am not convinced of this neat division between player consumers and DM consumers - we are gamers first. We like fantasy novels, graphic novels, getting immersed in another world, kicking monster butt and gaining fabulous riches, and gathering around a table to relax with our geek friends. We're grown up kids who still get wowed by shiny props at the game table, savor rolling mounds of damage dice, and wonder what will happen next session. We laugh at fake accents, rib each other for no reason, and in general have a
questionable sense of humor.
Aberzanzorax
Hero
This is tough to answer for me, because what I want most from them are what they've historically been the worst at.
I want settings and I want adventures.
I want inspiring worlds and fantastinc things happening in those worlds...places and events in which I can use all that crunch they've already put out.
But I want it well done. I don't want Forgotten Realms. Dark Sun was a masterpiece...so they CAN do it.
And maybe that IS what they need to do...return to their roots, return to the context (storied worlds) that all that crunch gets used in. Get better at adventures and worlds.
I want settings and I want adventures.
I want inspiring worlds and fantastinc things happening in those worlds...places and events in which I can use all that crunch they've already put out.
But I want it well done. I don't want Forgotten Realms. Dark Sun was a masterpiece...so they CAN do it.
And maybe that IS what they need to do...return to their roots, return to the context (storied worlds) that all that crunch gets used in. Get better at adventures and worlds.
The should make two different games. One with heavy focus on the combat with lots of rules for such, and one where narrative can push the rules to the back so they aren't telling the story, but the players are.
Other than that, a wise person would make as much fluffy stuff that could be used for any type of game without crunch forcing it only into one game to get the most revenue from all sorts of readers and gamers.
They also should be amking accesories that people WANT, rather than forcing them to need them. Like folders of poster maps for a decent price so people can have a background ready to through the tiles on, with a description of them...or rather make maps for the areas detaield in their fluff so that people using those areas can just throw out the map and use the fluff rather than try to recreate it. Even if using old map technology that the maps are paper folded up like you get at visitor centers when you cross state-lines. The cheaper to make and price, the better so that replacing a torn on isnt a major purchase, but people are willing to do so, and even if they are black and white or greyscale.
Other than that, a wise person would make as much fluffy stuff that could be used for any type of game without crunch forcing it only into one game to get the most revenue from all sorts of readers and gamers.
They also should be amking accesories that people WANT, rather than forcing them to need them. Like folders of poster maps for a decent price so people can have a background ready to through the tiles on, with a description of them...or rather make maps for the areas detaield in their fluff so that people using those areas can just throw out the map and use the fluff rather than try to recreate it. Even if using old map technology that the maps are paper folded up like you get at visitor centers when you cross state-lines. The cheaper to make and price, the better so that replacing a torn on isnt a major purchase, but people are willing to do so, and even if they are black and white or greyscale.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Quality modules, adventures, and adventure paths -- ones done so well they once again become common shared experiences among the gaming community. WotC doesn't need to remake Tomb of Horrors ... it needs to find the Tomb of Horrors for the latest generation.
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