Help me get WOTC to release Siege of Gardmore Abbey Publicly

[SSquirrel]

On one hand I can understand the annoyance when exclusive content is no longer exclusive. You feel like you've been cheated of your reward.

On the other hand, you did get to run the content before anyone else, and you did get a printed copy. So if it appeared in DDI, which isn't free, then how would this really hurt you or mitigate the reward for your hard "work"?

You know this is the same argument (the first bit where you are commiserating w/him) that hardcore raiders in MMOs use when content is nerfed or a new tier comes out and then people can get the epic gear they have been wearing for months. It doesn't' change a thing for you, it just means that now more people can enjoy it. You had your special alone time with it, how does it hurt to share it now?

Considering the number of people I see on various forums who say WotC does almost no good adventures or that the only good adventures they produced were actually done by Paizo, I would think they would want to get adventures that receive lots of praise like this one in a wider distribution, even if it was months after the fact.

 

[Zaukrie]

After earning a copy of an adventure by running a table for twelve to twenty weeks, I'm not terribly inclined to see DDI subscribers get it for free.

Why not? What about people that live no where near a place to play? How does it make your life better to deny them the opportunity to play this? I've never understood this attitude.

 

[Zuche]

You're right. Its much better people just illegally download it.

Hey, why not suggest counterfeiting reproductions from the Louvre while you're at it?

If you'll steal it because you can't have it, chances are good you'll find some other excuse to steal it when you it's made available to you. The option wasn't convenient, or it was overpriced, or it was Tuesday.

If you don't like what your subscription buys, cancel the subscription. If you do like what the public promotional material provides, find a way to support that program.

And by all means, campaign for better DDI content.

Why not? What about people that live no where near a place to play? How does it make your life better to deny them the opportunity to play this? I've never understood this attitude.

You never read the Little Red Hen?

Would you find it acceptable to give people running the store programs in free access to all the DDI stuff? I wouldn't. It's been offered to me by well-meaning suscribers before, but it's just not right to rip them off like that even if they don't realize that's what they'd have let me do if I'd let them.

For good or ill, WotC is interested in the participatory market. You don't foster that by trying to bring players in with something that's going to be available for sale in a few months. That decreases the incentive to get involved.

 

[Gargoyle]

Hey, why not suggest counterfeiting reproductions from the Louvre while you're at it?

If you'll steal it because you can't have it, chances are good you'll find some other excuse to steal it when you it's made available to you. The option wasn't convenient, or it was overpriced, or it was Tuesday.

If you don't like what your subscription buys, cancel the subscription. If you do like what the public promotional material provides, find a way to support that program.

And by all means, campaign for better DDI content.

Couldn't agree more. I don't condone piracy, but I don't think the quoted poster was doing that either. I think the point was merely that people will pirate it, and WotC loses potential profits.

You never read the Little Red Hen?

Yes, but I don't think of running D&D games as work, so a folk tale about being rewarded for your work ethic doesn't apply so much, IMO. Does it take effort to run public games? Sure. But if you really want to compare it to work, maybe the problem here is that the game itself needs to be more fun. I know, maybe WotC could release better adventures....

Would you find it acceptable to give people running the store programs in free access to all the DDI stuff? I wouldn't. It's been offered to me by well-meaning suscribers before, but it's just not right to rip them off like that even if they don't realize that's what they'd have let me do if I'd let them.

Ironically, you have a great idea. I would find it perfectly acceptable for WoTC to offer DDI accounts free to stores that run D&D events. I think that makes perfect sense and would help FLGS's promote the hobby. It does not bother me at all that I would have to pay for it and participating stores would not.

For good or ill, WotC is interested in the participatory market. You don't foster that by trying to bring players in with something that's going to be available for sale in a few months. That decreases the incentive to get involved.

I feel like playing the adventures early should be enough incentive and would be better for the hobby overall. But so far, obviously WotC agrees with your point of view.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

I have to agree on all points that [MENTION=529]Gargoyle[/MENTION] said. Very well put together counterargument and it would help the industry rather than hinder it to release some of these products to actual paying subscribers so that they can bring more people into the community, especially adventures that are actually getting rave reviews. That's the stuff that we want, give it to us. To me: DM'ing is NOT work, if you are running encounters or putting on games and get free stuff to do so, that's a frickin bonus to doing something you LOVE, if it's work to you and that's the only reason you do it, I would not want to game with you. Simple as that, the most fun games are put on by people who love the game for the game not for the freebies they get out of it.

 

[Alphastream]

I do *not*, do NOT understand WoTC's refusal to release special event adventures, free RPG day, and their Encounters/Lairs packets to the general public, even in PDF form. Their just seeming lack of caring boggles my mind. Maybe its out of some misguided belief that if people knew the content would be available they wouldn't attend the events? I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me. Almost all of Paizo's organized play and free RPG stuff is available on their site. Doesn't seem to be impacted them one bit.

I normally agree with the policy of keeping special events special by not distributing the materials. The value of those events, the ability to attract judges, and the special nature are all enhanced by the rarity. It may surprise you, but when gamers know they can just play it at home a good number will not show up to the event.

In this case, however, I think releasing the adventure through DDI would be a great way of promoting the Madness at Gardmore Abbey boxed set, raising awareness of the types of classic adventures available at conventions (another will be at next year's D&DXP), and increasing the value of DDI.

I've written DNDInsider to request they release it (I also mentioned it in person to Greg Bilsland at PAX).

 

[Ferghis]

I'm not terribly inclined to see DDI subscribers get it for free.

People get DDI subscriptions for free?

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

People get DDI subscriptions for free?

No they pay monthly, quarterly, or yearly. I think it's $7.95 if you do it per month, $6.95/mo for the 3 months so about $21 or yearly it's $5.95/mo which is paid up front is like $72.

We are discussing giving the free PDFs to the paid subscribers of DDI a few months after it is released at an event.

 

[Arbanax]

Done and done. I think that its a shame that pdfs can be found floating about or you can buy such adventures for ridicules amounts on Ebay (showing surely there is a market here) but WOTC doesn't release these themselves.

Even if they had a thing going with say Lulu so you can get it print on demand.

Ab

 

[vagabundo]

Actually that is a great idea, people who run encounter games should be given complimentary codes for DDI. Seems fair to me.