Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
How do you know that it's definitely a big part of the success?
WotC Which releases do you own?
darjr
I crit!
I didn’t say that.
I’ll try and restate what I said.
The adventure style, and ADVENTURE release schedule and their support and encouragement to get as much of the community on the same season as possible may be ONE OF MANY things leading to its success.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
Speaking personally, I have bought every one of these books minus 1. That's opposed to buying two books in the prior 14 years of playing D&D, both PHBs. Then more generally, there are the stellar sales of even the most ancillary of these products. The product schedule itself is a hit.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
I wasn't saying you did say that. That's why I started with, "I don't think..."
I don't think the release schedule is helping the edition and may be holding it back. The 3e release schedule was way too aggressive in my opinion, but I also think 5e's has been way too passive. Perhaps with some more options more people would be playing it.
My opinion is that the longevity is due to the solid design of the system appealing to a broader base of player. It pulled back many older players who had splintered into their favorite edition, as well as brought in many new players. That's huge.
Mercurius
Legend
I wasn't saying you did say that. That's why I started with, "I don't think..."
I don't think the release schedule is helping the edition and may be holding it back. The 3e release schedule was way too aggressive in my opinion, but I also think 5e's has been way too passive. Perhaps with some more options more people would be playing it.
My opinion is that the longevity is due to the solid design of the system appealing to a broader base of player. It pulled back many older players who had splintered into their favorite edition, as well as brought in many new players. That's huge.
Whatever they're doing is working beyond wildest expectations, and--as of right now--isn't being "held back." Now at some point sales might stagnate, and they might shake things up a bit, but that's not now.
Furthermore, I think, they've been taking a delayed expansion approach--and the expansion only being mild. After three books per year from 2015-17, they added a fourth book in 2018-19, along with the Tyranny compilation and a couple starter sets. Who knows, maybe 2021 will see a fifth book added.
That might be true @Maxperson, but there's also a break point in sales where a guy who was buying everything buys less. More importantly, when there's a book coming every month people take a pass on things they might have bought anyway because there's another book right around the corner. I think WotC has identified the sweet spot. Just because every single books sells well doesn't mean that you could up the release schedule and be confident of the same results.
I would agree with you that the design of 5E and its appeal to a broad player base is certainly a key factor, and I agree with your reading of the appeal both veteran and newer gamers. I don't think I agree that you can take that info to mean sales could be better. The official releases have some gravitas, and applying a little bit of artificial scarcity doesn't hurt. I think we should also keep in mind the design side of things, which might not necessarily scale either. Rushing the design process to meet a release target repeatedly is a recipe for nothing but disaster.
I would agree with you that the design of 5E and its appeal to a broad player base is certainly a key factor, and I agree with your reading of the appeal both veteran and newer gamers. I don't think I agree that you can take that info to mean sales could be better. The official releases have some gravitas, and applying a little bit of artificial scarcity doesn't hurt. I think we should also keep in mind the design side of things, which might not necessarily scale either. Rushing the design process to meet a release target repeatedly is a recipe for nothing but disaster.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
WotC has even said the release pace is based off of research on what people like best. Passes the smell test.
Mercurius
Legend
True, although it is a decent representation of grognards and quasi-grognards. I'm not sure how their (ahem, our) purchasing habits might differ from the newer breed. I'm guessing that a higher percentage of newer folks buy products like Ravnica and Wildemount, which are more part of the contemporary D&D ethos.
darjr
I crit!
ah.
I do agree that it’s well designed. Also that it’s broader appeal has brought in new players and old players. And that is huge.
Here’s were I cop to what I really think about the slow schedule, I do think it’s helping.
It’s helping to keep bloat and rushed design at bay.
The “smarts” about what they are releasing and how they are releasing it and supporting it has brought the community of players closer together and largely on the same season.
Also I think it’s allowed them more flexibility, in time to market, in size of the division, and in overhead costs.
I do agree that it’s well designed. Also that it’s broader appeal has brought in new players and old players. And that is huge.
Here’s were I cop to what I really think about the slow schedule, I do think it’s helping.
It’s helping to keep bloat and rushed design at bay.
The “smarts” about what they are releasing and how they are releasing it and supporting it has brought the community of players closer together and largely on the same season.
Also I think it’s allowed them more flexibility, in time to market, in size of the division, and in overhead costs.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Sorry man. But there's no way that you know that the edition wouldn't be doing better if it had a somewhat more frequent crunch release schedule. You can ASSUME it, but you not know that it isn't being held back. An edition can be doing very well and still be being held back from its full potential.
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