D&D 5E Comment on the negative article by John Dodd

[SkidAce]

I started my diet 10 days ago.

You guys are killing me with all this pizza talk.

Hate. You.

I'm here with you man..../hug.

 

[Gorgon Zee]

This is now a thread about pizza reviews:

http://www.valentinopizzeria.com/menu.htm in Sarasota, Florida. Their classic Margherita is to die for and the below is the greatest pizza in the history of the universe. Even better than the Tatooine's Jabba Hutt's pizza. *****

BRUSCHETTA PIZZA
fresh tomato, basil, red onion, arugula, fresh mozzarella tossed & served on our warm brick oven crust (toppings are cold)

I would be at least 10x more likely to buy this than the starter set.

I currently do not have any pizza in my house and so the pizza will definitely improve my ability to enjoy pizza. Without buying the pizza I will be required to eat lesser foods and so my enjoyment will definitely be improved by the existence of this pizza. However the incremental improvement of owning the new D&D kit is less certain. I have existing materials and systems that I can play, like Pathfinder, FATE, Numenéra, and 13th Age. My impression is that this new book will not actually improve on them.

So, for me, the pizza will give 20 minutes of (relatively expensive) improved happiness. The new D&D kit seems unlikely to meet that goal. If I had no existing games, then it's a different matter ...

 

[billd91]

I just had fantastic pizza last night. Went out with my wife and son (daughter was working) and another family to Luigi's. I had the porky pie which has white sauce, smoked gouda, roasted mushroom, caramelized onions, bacon, and basil. It was fantastic. I had only had Luigi's pizza once before but I will definitely be going back soon.

 

[The Black Ranger]

I was not impressed by his failure to note that "slightly higher price" is also generally *double* price, and include that in considering the value....

I also was not impressed by how, "The test group liked this, that, and the other" became, at the end, "The favorite is the protagonist, the less favored is the antagonist". Casting one as a villain pretty much makes the message, "Paizo good guy, WotC bad guy." If that was his intent, then he seems an edition warrior who's impartial judgement I must question. If that wasn't his intent, then he's not thinking much about what he's doing, and again, I must question his conclusions and presentation.

All in all - I'm not impressed by this review. I would suggest that the colorful pop-culture reference commentary be left out of his next such attempt, as is severely undermines his credibility.

The D&D starter set in Europe is 20 euro while the Pathfinder Set is 29 euro. I wouldn't call that double the price.

 

[Manbearcat]

I would be at least 10x more likely to buy this than the starter set.

So, for me, the pizza will give 20 minutes of (relatively expensive) improved happiness. The new D&D kit seems unlikely to meet that goal. If I had no existing games, then it's a different matter ...

Same goes for me for the same reasons. However, I don't think we are the market for the product. If I was looking for a basic, on-ramp product for bog standard D&D, meaning my experience is limited enough to not have refined preference or I just wanted something that plays relatively quickly, 11.99 would be a steal.

I just had fantastic pizza last night. Went out with my wife and son (daughter was working) and another family to Luigi's. I had the porky pie which has white sauce, smoked gouda, roasted mushroom, caramelized onions, bacon, and basil. It was fantastic. I had only had Luigi's pizza once before but I will definitely be going back soon.

yum.

 

[The Black Ranger]

Some people just can't handle D&D getting any negativity no matter how true it may be.

 

[Joe Liker]

I think it's sad because a lot of people will confuse 5e as a whole -- which is quite good -- with the Starter Set, which is just OK.

People who like 5e and have read the Basic Rules feel like this review is an attack on D&D, when in fact it's a lot more about the components and presentation than the game itself, and is not entirely off base in its criticisms of the Starter Set.

The good news is, there are not likely to be a lot of new players doing a side-by-side comparison with the Pathfinder set. You kind of have to have some grognard cred to even know what Pathfinder is.

 

[Agamon]

Some people just can't handle D&D getting any negativity no matter how true it may be.

It's just not a good review. I could respect a review where it's just the Starter Set and it was played and the people that played didn't like it.

 

[doctorhook]

Some people just can't handle D&D getting any negativity no matter how true it may be.

Fact: The 5E Starter Set has no battlemaps or tokens.
Myth: John Dodd's review of the 5E Starter Set gave it an unbiased assessment.

 

[Umbran]

The D&D starter set in Europe is 20 euro while the Pathfinder Set is 29 euro. I wouldn't call that double the price.

And if you felt that review was specifically targeted at European viewers, that'd be a good point.

As several have already mentioned, the manufacturer's list price is the only comparison that isn't subjective. The Starter Set lists at $19.99. The Beginner's Box at $34.99. So, the difference isn't a factor of two. It is a factor of 1.75.

If you look at Amazon, for a US buyer, not counting shipping. The Starter Set is currently $13.87. The Beginner's Box is $28.92. The difference here is a factor of 2.08.

Even for you, the factor is 1.45.

The point is that there was a bit of rhetorical slight of hand involved. A "slight" price difference? "Slight" is a relative term. Compared to the base price of either product, the difference is not "slight". The difference is a large fraction of the base price, no matter if you're buying in the US or Europe.