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

[Agamon]

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.

Too bad these kids don't know how to use the internet. We should find an old person to teach them.

 

[darjr]

What's not true?

Sorry.

New kids to the hobby not knowing what chargen is. The knew it well enough that what little there was in the 4e starter was, well, a non starter.

 

[darjr]

Too bad these kids don't know how to use the internet. We should find an old person to teach them.

I don't know if I've said it in this thread, so I'll say it here.

I think putting the rules for free on line is freaking fantastic. And yes, it goes a long way. I'd add that even folks at WotC agree that chargen for the starter set is important enough to make it available for free online, and note not just the little it would take to be a complete game in the box, but 15% of the PHB.

 

[Iosue]

Sorry.

New kids to the hobby not knowing what chargen is. The knew it well enough that what little there was in the 4e starter was, well, a non starter.

By all accounts, the 4e starters sold quite well. It was getting folks to move on to the full game, with chargen and all that stuff, that was the problem.

 

[Agamon]

I don't know if I've said it in this thread, so I'll say it here.

I think putting the rules for free on line is freaking fantastic. And yes, it goes a long way. I'd add that even folks at WotC agree that chargen for the starter set is important enough to make it available for free online, and note not just the little it would take to be a complete game in the box, but 15% of the PHB.

So, it's available for those that want to go out of their way to make a Pc instead of use the pre-gens.

I'm not sure why this thread is so long. It's one thing to think it would have been nice if the rules were included in the box, but the fact that are indeed available if you want them doesn't make it a big deal.

 

[Morrus]

I don't know if I've said it in this thread, so I'll say it here.

I think putting the rules for free on line is freaking fantastic. And yes, it goes a long way. I'd add that even folks at WotC agree that chargen for the starter set is important enough to make it available for free online, and note not just the little it would take to be a complete game in the box, but 15% of the PHB.

As someone dealing with printing and shipping costs right now, I totally understand where they are coming from. The product now is in the price range of a ten year old who does some work for his parents for pocket money. Pages are at a premium; you can't substitute the adventure for the character generation rules. The set would cost more.

So you can (a) make it cost more so the unpleasant sneering adults deem it to "meet their needs" (and by "needs" I mean "wants"); or you can (b) produce a thing that kids in Toys R Us will buy cheaply, try out, use simply, and maybe look up on the web (with the help of cards and things in the box).

And anyone calling this approach "stupid" is saying more about themselves than anyone else. It's a smart approach, and it'll probably work. But, no, it's not D&D for £8, and if anyone is hoping for D&D for £8 they need to really recalibrate.

(Though, amazingly, it actually is - the chagen rules are free! D&D for £8! Seriously. How amazing is that?)

 

[darjr]

As someone dealing with printing and shipping costs right now, I totally understand where they are coming from. The product now is in the price range of a ten year old who does some work for his parents for pocket money. Pages are at a premium; you can't substitute the adventure for the character generation rules. The set would cost more.

So you can (a) make it cost more do the sneering adults deem it to "meet their needs" (and by "needs" I mean "wants"); or you can (b) produce a thing that kids in Toys R Us will buy cheaply, try out, use simply, and maybe look up in the web (with the help of cards and things in the box).

And anyone calling this approach "stupid" is saying more about themselves than anyone else. It's a smart approach, and it'll probably work. But, no, it's not D&D for £8, and if anyone is hoping for D&D for £8 they need to really recalibrate.

(Though, amazingly, it actually is - the chagen rules are free! D&D for £8! Seriously. How amazing is that?)

But that's the thing. It is D&D for 8 pounds. It is probably already a loss leader. A few pages of simple chargen couldn't have made it into the box? And I sure do hope you don't mean the 'snearing' nor 'stupid' coments for me.

I hope it works. I just think it's a missed opportunity.

 

[Morrus]

And I sure do hope you don't mean the 'snearing' nor 'stupid' coments for me.

The "stupid" comment is quoting those who call the approach "stupid". Exactly like it says!

 

[darjr]

So, it's available for those that want to go out of their way to make a Pc instead of use the pre-gens.

I'm not sure why this thread is so long. It's one thing to think it would have been nice if the rules were included in the box, but the fact that are indeed available if you want them doesn't make it a big deal.

yea, maybe your right.

 

[Mistwell]

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.

It IS a complete game.

Does anyone buy a board game and say "Hey, this is only a five player game with five player pieces, that's not a complete game!"

It's not the thing you want. The thing you want will require downloading the free Basic edition. But, it IS a complete game.