D&D 5E Don't Throw 5e Away Because of Hasbro

[TiQuinn]

The problem was Paizo upended the paradigm of 3e in response to 4e and started taking bites out of the flank of its host instead of keeping it healthy - cloning the product leading to direct competition. The content creators for 5e (some more than others) spend time hammering WotC for every decision because it fills air time and generates click.

I don’t follow. This is caused by Paizo in your opinion? Something that predates social media influencers by a few years? If that’s what you’re saying here, that a pretty spotty argument.

As for the content creators, I have no problem with WotC simply not supporting certain streamers who seem driven by outrage videos. Same goes for any of them that don’t honor NDAs. (Of course, they have clear NDAs, yes? With clear communication, yes?) There’s been at least one consistent bad actor who they continue going back to that I’ve long since blocked.

 

[Micah Sweet]

So why are you acting like you have to stop playing 5E because you don't want to give WotC money? That's the part I don't get.

Maybe you didn't mean to imply that, but that was how it sounded to me when you talked about how RPGs are "a luxury that I can get through hundreds, or possibly thousands of other companies" and "I'm not going to be forced to live in a cave because I don't buy from WotC."

I believe she is saying that she can engage in 5e or any other RPGs just fine without continuing to contribute to WotC financially, so she loses nothing she cares about by doing so.

 

[AlViking]

I think that it was all a bit more complicated than that; there was some miscommunication and misunderstanding, coupled with an unforgiving YouTube reporting system.

As with anything in life, the truth is more nuanced but telephone game outrage is more sexy and $$$

I was curious about the pinkerton issue a while back after reading somethings about how the pinkertons basically broke down the door and terrorized an innocent couple. But when I listened to the actual stream and the followup from the horse's mouth the guy it happened to said the issue was overblown. We also have to remember that the story was pretty one sided and much of his negative reaction was because he was relying on knowledge of what the pinkertons were and did in the first half of the 20th century. It may very well be that someone in marketing or a lawyer type overreacted and it should have been handled better but it also seems like a mountain made out of a mole hill. It may have been a really big-ass mole hill but a mole hill nonetheless.

 

[Hussar]

and yet none of these were on the list of things of WotC caused outrages / tempests in a teacup. it was things like the Pinkertons and Blurgate

Both of which have been subject to so much misinformation and outright fabrication that any actual, real outrage is hard to find.

 

[jayoungr]

which is the actual point of the thread--there's people who who seem to be bothered by the idea that not everyone is going to buy the 5.24 books.

Responding belatedly to this point. That idea may have crept in somewhere along the way, but it wasn't the reason the thread was started. From the very first post:

"Since its release into the Creative Commons by two different companies, 5e is now an open system supported by hundreds of publishers and, in some cases, with whole games built around it.

"5e is now and forever an independent tabletop roleplaying platform not tied to any single company."

 

[Hussar]

Your definition here is wrong. The first thing that comes to my mind with apologists is Christian apologists and they are obviously not defending something obviously in the wrong. Their point is a systemic defense of their beliefs.

Not going to get into specifics here because of board rules. But your first thing is not really relevant here.

An apologist is someone who is trying to defend something regardless of the morality of what they are defending. And I’d point out that the many difficulties you have run into on these boards in these types of discussions have a lot to do with your idiosyncratic approach to the definitions of words.

 

[Hussar]

On monoculture.

I’ve recently been taking a break from dnd to play Ironsworn. Just a palette cleanser. Now this is hardly a top ten rpg.

But it still has a vibrant community with frequent discussion, regular new video content and whatnot.

I find it hard to believe that other non dnd communities are so lacking in content.

 

[TheSword]

I sometimes wonder if the 5% of the pie left is larger than the entire pie a decade, or more, ago.

Or if not, how much bigger is that 5% than back then.

If it’s the same or similar proportions than that small slice is bigger, in raw numbers, than it’s ever been by a huge amount.

I think non-D&D has a much bigger slice than they are given credit for as well.

Here was the Orr report from a couple of years back. It’s only Roll20 and It will have changed but it gives an indication.

 

[TheSword]

On monoculture.

I’ve recently been taking a break from dnd to play Ironsworn. Just a palette cleanser. Now this is hardly a top ten rpg.

But it still has a vibrant community with frequent discussion, regular new video content and whatnot.

I find it hard to believe that other non dnd communities are so lacking in content.

The Ratcatcher Guild on Discord has at last count 8,804 members. There are definitely thriving communities.

 

[TheSword]

"5E is so big that my channel doesn't get recommended to those who are streaming TTRPG content, so I am going to stop talking about Pathfinder 2E, Call of Cthulhu, etc., and return to talking about the best subclasses you can take for your 5E game."
That's it. That's proof. That's evidence. Even if that is one content creator out of 1000, that is diminishing in the content that is available in the gaming sphere outside of D&D. And it's because the other games "aren't as big as D&D."

It’s because the content creator is driven more by views than they are about passion for the subject. That’s a problem with the content creator and their goals. Not the product they choose to discuss instead.