D&D 5E Am I no longer WoTC's target audience?

[CleverNickName]

I'm reading about Mercer's new campaign sourcebook coming out from WoTC, and I've decided that I'm no longer WoTC's target audience.

...

Am I alone?

In that you can make your own decisions? No, of course not.

I only chimed in to iterate that you are the one who made this decision, but the rest of this thread seems to imply that Wizards of the Coast either forced your hand, or others have somehow made this decision for you. You said it yourself--you decided that you are no longer their target audience. That means you also have the power to decide otherwise.

I wasn't all that interested in Acquisitions Inc., so I didn't buy the D&D book. And I can't stand Rick & Morty, so I was in the same boat you are in when they inexplicably released a Rick & Morty D&D book. "Oh great, now I have to throw D&D in the garbage along with everything else that has been sullied by that terrible cartoon, thanks a lot Wizards of the Coast for ruining my hobby."

But then they announced the Wildmount campaign book and I'm back in their camp. I'm one of the (presumably) rare Gen-X gamers who likes Mercer's work. I like his imagination and play style, and I love the Critical Role brand. Matt Mercer's games feel a lot like the games I used to play in high school and college with my own friends, back in the day...funny accents, table props and all. I have the first book he wrote, published by Green Ronin, and I'm impressed with the level of detail and the amount of material he crams into his campaign settings. Seriously, DMs everywhere could learn a lot from him. So of course I'm gonna buy that book.

Anyway. I just wanted to say: don't feel obligated to buy anything you aren't interested in. And don't feel obligated to leave anything you love.

 

[Sadras]

I'm not sure if anyone else has expressed this, but I'm pretty happy they have put out a book I do not desire to have. I am already swamped trying to keep up with this slower release schedule I do not need more material that I fancy. So books on Ravnica, Eberron or Wildmount don't interest me in the slightest and it allows me to play a slight catchup on stuff we haven't managed to get through.

So yes, I'm happy for the breathing room created. I realise ofcourse my perspective on this issue might not be popular but that is due to our slower playing pace. Things look promising though for the future, as I plan to step down end March from an NPO that has sucked up much of my time and energies for the last 6 years which means we can begin playing more frequently.

 

[Li Shenron]

I'm reading about Mercer's new campaign sourcebook coming out from WoTC, and I've decided that I'm no longer WoTC's target audience. Maybe that puts me in the minority of gamers, and I would imagine that WoTC knows exactly what they're doing with some of the books and supplements they've come out with recently.

I've been gaming since high school, like many people here, and high school for me was around the late 80s. So, that puts me starting with 1st as a player, GM'ing 2nd edition, and then moving (gladly!) into 3rd, skipping 4th, and absolutely loving 5th. I make my own campaigns, so campaign modules are not of interest to me. I'm also a huge fan of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy. It's literally more campaign world than I could ever possibly use, so I don't need any more. I loved Xanathar's Guide, and I LOVED Volo's guide. One of the best books WoTC's ever created. I was lukewarm on Mordenkainen's, since many of the monsters I'd never use (and really, who needs a dozen demon lords, anyway?).

But I keeping seeing things like Acquisitions Incorporated, and a Rick and Morty module, and I can't help but think those are probably popular products - for someone... but not for me. I've no interest in that stuff. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting a follow-up to Volo's so I can snatch that, maybe a Monster Manual II, or something that gives me a ton more magical items that I can use, or something else that will add value to my game. I'd even settle for a version of Tales of the Yawning Portal that didn't actually suck (I wanted to like it, I really did, I just couldn't).

Am I alone?

I don't see the problem... I own the 3 core books + Volo, and I am fairly sure I'll still get Xanathar one day. I don't buy 5e published adventures (I have enough older edition ones which are still unplayed), I have zero interest in Eberron and MtG, and I have either ignored or hated almost all UA material after Xanathar. So I am definitely not in the target audience either. It just means my money goes somewhere else, but definitely I am not going to stop playing. I don't need to buy anything more to play

 

[3catcircus]

So of course you're getting personal blowback - because you're being an asshat.

More ad hominems instead of rational responses.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

@3catcircus , the reason is that your posts, more often than not, appear to be attacking an idea/product/etc. rather than addressing the idea/product/etc. whether intentional or not. And not just in this thread, but usually when you appear in any 5e-related thread.

 

[akr71]

Do you remember the controversies among the fandom about the last Star Wars movies? A lot of people said "This is not my SW". I guess WotC is afair about the complains with a possible "jump the shark". My suggestion is to recover the chronomancers and the concept of the time spheres where you can change the D&D how you want.

snip

* OK, WotC isn't publishing new sourcebooks with lot of crunch for players, but there are many 3PP and homebred creations to fed up. I wonder about WotC buying some 3PP because these had got some good ideas...for example Pugmire by Onyx Path, perfect for a kid-friendly shonen cartoon, and action figures.

I know I mentioned "jumping the shark" in a previous thread, but that was toward Critical Role, not WotC. I also said that as a fan whose interest is waning. The cast is great, the characters cool, but I've lost interest in the storyline.

As for the second part, yes! Support 3rd party publishers and their products! This thread has a list of third party campaign settings. It might need updating now though..

 

[Jd Smith1]

I have lost interest in WOTC products because they've got nothing in the pipeline or recently released that interests me. Third party companies are my hope these days.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

hominems

No such word.

Using Latin incorrectly does not make you look clever.

 

[Jd Smith1]

No such word.

There is so. I saw it in this very thread.

 

[Anoth]

It’s more about pop culture references. The one they are doing now aren’t for me.

but d&d had pop culture references early on that many of us are blind to