It is time to forgive WOTC and get back onboard.

[Faolyn]

I think he/she is saying that if you don't buy a product specifically because you want to hurt WotC, not avoiding it because you have no use for the product.

Yeah, but how is it different? It's not like WotC is reading my mind and loses extra money if I don't buy something because I don't want to support them, rather than because I don't have a use for it or because the reviews say it's bad or because I'm broke or whatever.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Like Acti-Blizz, is a gross monstrosity of what was once a fabled game company, Wizbro, has supplanted the Wizards of the Coast, well, killed really.

There are some costs to a company when it gets aggregated into a greater whole for sure. I don't know that anthropomorphising that merger by attaching emotions or malicious intent to harm its consumers is a worthwhile activity. The acquisition could lead to a drop in quality (or some other negative effect) of the product, but not necessarily so. 'Indie' companies don't necessarily translate into 'awesome' companies. Look at the production of the Rust movie. Or what happened at Paizo back in 2021.

 

[Scribe]

There are some costs to a company when it gets aggregated into a greater whole for sure. I don't know that anthropomorphising that merger by attaching emotions or malicious intent to harm its consumers is a worthwhile activity. The acquisition could lead to a drop in quality (or some other negative effect) of the product, but not necessarily so. 'Indie' companies don't necessarily translate into 'awesome' companies. Look at the production of the Rust movie. Or what happened at Paizo back in 2021.

I dont think Blizz or Wizards before they were sold/purchased were 'indie', but I hear you.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Yeah, but how is it different? It's not like WotC is reading my mind and loses extra money if I don't buy something because I don't want to support them, rather than because I don't have a use for it or because the reviews say it's bad or because I'm broke or whatever.

The point is that WotC would have made X dollars from product Y if the only determining factor is 'do I, as a customer want/like this product'. 3PP Z, who makes add ons for product Y, will lose dollars if fewer products get sold because another factor is introduced that drops sales of product Y (and its add ons, by corollary effect). The new factor in this case being 'I want to harm WotC by not buying their stuff'.

 

[Faolyn]

The point is that WotC would have made X dollars from product Y if the only determining factor is 'do I, as a customer want/like this product'. 3PP Z, who makes add ons for product Y, will lose dollars if fewer products get sold because another factor is introduced that drops sales of product Y (and its add ons, by corollary effect). The new factor in this case being 'I want to harm WotC by not buying their stuff'.

But this assumes that everyone who buys a D&D adventure or sourcebook is going to buy a 3pp add-on, which is totally not the case.

And it still fails to take into consideration all of the other gaming companies out there. If I spend $50 on a WotC adventure and add-ons, then other 3pps and other companies "get hurt" because of that. If I spend that $50 on books from, say, Mophidius, then WotC and those 3pps "get hurt."

So this whole idea that I'm hurting people because I'm not buying WotC books anymore is ridiculous. It's not like it's WotC or nothing. It's literally hundreds or thousands of game companies, and probably nobody on this site is rich enough to support every one of them.

 

[mamba]

probably nobody on this site is rich enough to support every one of them.

I used to be, but the recent 3pp explosion was really tough

 

[Scribe]

I used to be, but the recent 3pp explosion was really tough

See, if I had that kinda money, I'd just make my own 5e-alike, and market it to people like me.

 

[mamba]

See, if I had that kinda money, I'd just make my own 5e-alike, and market it to people like me.

never claimed I spent that money wisely

 

[ECMO3]

At this point? No, not really. Who doesnt have the core books?

The PHB was the top selling item in Amazon's Puzzle and Game Reference section in 2022. Number 1, more than all the other D&D books buy WOTC, 3rd party creators and everyone ... so A LOT of people don't have them

There is enough content out there, to play till we are all old and grey (if not already there) and never give another dollar to Wizards.

Enough content where specifically? Peple wanting conent will either need to buy it second hand, steal it, or buy it new to play it.

 

[ECMO3]

Anyway, I've asked you this before and you've never answered. If I don't buy Rime of the Frostmaiden because I have no use for that particular adventure (my last D&D games were in Ravenloft and a homebrew world) or if I buy it but don't buy 3pp maps, monsters, or magic books because I can make my own, am I still hurting 3rd party creators?

Not buying something because you don't like the content is fundamentally different than not buying it in protest or as a boycot or to "hurt WOTC"