D&D 5E The new Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set - and online tools?

[Ichneumon]

Only on the internet would people get outraged about a company giving away something for free and think it's a good point that some day they might no longer give it away for free.

It's a natural physiological process. Info in, outrage out.

 

[darjr]

I'm not outraged.

Please. Mistwell how many times have you had to explain to others that you were not outraged in posts on line? This is my version of that.

I just think chargen in the starter set is a better idea and could have easily been included even for $20.

 

[Morrus]

The issue is people feel entitled to a full D&D game for $20 (now $12 or £8).

They object to having to use an internet to download a free 50-page PDF having spent a grand total of £8.

I understand why WotC doesn't worry about those people as customers. I wouldn't.

It's for kids in Toys R Us . Not every product is designed for you personally. Your product is called the Player's Handbook, just like it has been since 1874.

If you object to a slimmer product being sold to children in Toys R Us, then you should be ashamed. That product isn't for you. It's about recruiting new young gamers in a shrinking market, something nobody else us doing.

 

[darjr]

The issue is people feel entitled to a full D&D game for $20 (now $12 or £8).

They object to having to use an internet to download a free 50-page PDF having spent a grand total of £8.

I understand why WotC doesn't worry about those people as customers. I wouldn't.

It's for kids in Toys R Us . Not every product is designed for you personally. Your product is called the Player's Handbook, just like it has been since 1874.

If you object to a slimmer product being sold to children in Toys R Us, then you should be ashamed. That product isn't for you. It's about recruiting new young gamers in a shrinking market, something nobody else us doing.

I realize it isn't for me. It isn't about my entitlement. As I've said before, if I purchase the product it'd be to give it away, I wouldn't keep it.

I think chargen in the box is a good idea because of the people it's for and for the folks I might buy it for. I think there will be quite a few people who will look at the starter set and feel, rightly so in my opinion, that it isn't a complete game. That the free chargen would be an unfortunate afterthought. There is so very much WoTC, in my opinion, is getting so very right in this edition, this stands out as a glaring omission. I just wish they'd announce the rest already. It might very well make this discussion moot.

 

[Hussar]

That's all well and good until someone at Wotc decides to make it unavailable. Unless there is a license to replicate it everywhere, which I doubt at this point, then only illegitimate copies will be available.

Never minding the fact that WOTC still has it's 3e, not 3.5, but 3e articles available on it's website. If they are keeping 15 year old articles for a game that's been out of print for over a decade, I'm thinking this one is pretty safe.

As far as the whole, "Well, no chargen means it's not a full game", goes, that's, I'm sorry, ridiculous. The answer I never seem to be able to get is how something like Moldvay's chargen, which allowed you exactly two choices - pick your name and your equipment - more than the pregens is somehow crippling the game. The version of a Starter D&D that was the most popular D&D product ever, had essentially, randomly assigned pregens.

But, apparently, this is a massive failure for WOTC.

 

[GravyFingerz]

I'm tired of private enterprise controlling the distribution of Dungeons & Dragons! I demand the government step in, create a full game, and distribute it to the masses!

 

[Morrus]

I realize it isn't for me. It isn't about my entitlement. As I've said before, if I purchase the product it'd be to give it away, I wouldn't keep it.

I think chargen in the box is a good idea because of the people it's for and for the folks I might buy it for. I think there will be quite a few people who will look at the starter set and feel, rightly so in my opinion, that it isn't a complete game. That the free chargen would be an unfortunate afterthought. There is so very much WoTC, in my opinion, is getting so very right in this edition, this stands out as a glaring omission. I just wish they'd announce the rest already. It might very well make this discussion moot.

They won't feel it's not a complete game. Only an existing RPG gamer could possibly arrive at that conclusion. This is for small children.

A new gamer won't even know character generation is a thing, the starter set is for the latter. The PHB is for the former.

Man, maybe they should just forget acquiring new kids. The existing grown-ups are too obsessed with every product being designed for them.

Existing gamers: your starter product is called the Player's Handbook. It has character generation in it.

Small children: there's an £8 boxed set that all the grown ups are sneering at. Screw 'em and buy it anyway. It'll be awesome and show you a new way of gaming. Maybe you'll follow through and upgrade later, if you're not too out off by the sneering adults

 

[Hussar]

They won't feel it's not a complete game. Only an existing RPG gamer could possibly arrive at that conclusion. This is for small children.

A new gamer won't even know character generation is a thing, the starter set is for the latter. The PHB is for the former.

Man, maybe they should just forget acquiring new kids. The existing grown-ups are too obsessed with every product being designed for them.

Existing gamers: your starter product is called the Player's Handbook. It has character generation in it.

Small children: there's an £8 boxed set that all the grown ups are sneering at. Screw 'em and buy it anyway. It'll be awesome and show you a new way of gaming. Maybe you'll follow through and upgrade later, if you're not too out off by the sneering adults

Well, you were talking earlier about D&D Satanism scare driving sales. Maybe we could leverage the antiestablishment idea of screwing over the older generation by buying, playing and enjoying the Starter set out of spite.

 

[darjr]

They won't feel it's not a complete game. Only an existing RPG gamer could possibly arrive at that conclusion. This is for small children.

A new gamer won't even know character generation is a thing, the starter set is for the latter. The PHB is for the former.

Man, maybe they should just forget acquiring new kids. The existing grown-ups are too obsessed with every product being designed for them.

Existing gamers: your starter product is called the Player's Handbook. It has character generation in it.

Small children: there's an £8 boxed set that all the grown ups are sneering at. Screw 'em and buy it anyway. It'll be awesome and show you a new way of gaming. Maybe you'll follow through and upgrade later, if you're not too out off by the sneering adults

Not true. I've seen it happen with the 4e starter box. These kids and their new fangled video games that let them customize all kinds of things.

 

[Morrus]

Not true. I've seen it happen with the 4e starter box. These kids and their new fangled video games that let them customize all kinds of things.

What's not true?