Recent content by Reynard

GMing is design, too, so consumer in that way too. Like i said in the OP, this was mostly an attempt to consolidate my own thoughts on the subject through discussion. In the end, I am not really concerned with how people define or embrace "engagement". And really I don't think people are...

One clear negative impact of Insider I can recall is that it allowed WotC to engage in video game style "patching" which meant rulebooks were out of sync with the state of the actual rules well beyond what is usually the case with simple errata.

That is not the thesis. The thesis is that when you make stuff for an RPG, it is important to consider play first and foremost in that work. That is different than suggesting folks can't engage in the hobby in other ways, or saying the only play maters. "Paramount" means most important, not...

Speaking of heart issues: life is too short for me to interact with [REDACTED] any further.

Can you say more about this? Have you played with groups who are actively not interested in advancement? If so, what games and genres? And do you mean NO advancement, or only diegetic advancement?

Every PDF of everything prior to 5th edition. Plus Lost Laboratory of Kwalish and Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron are both official products.

Or just as a PDF on their website or via DMs Guild or whatever. it seems very strange that you are so adamant that Beyond is the only venue for small products even though that has not been the case for decades.

No one is asking for a physical release.

Stupid players, always ruining games...

I think it is worth noting that CR started out as an actual D&D game (well, Pathfinder, but whatever) that they decided to stream. it has certainly evolved since then, but as I understand it, it was not crafted as a form of streaming entertainment. I think games that are can sometimes feel more...

What, in your mind, is a "real" actual play?

My point was that the Greeks thought of the Heroic age as far in the past as well. No one believed there were minotaurs currently living in the world.

That was true up until they decided to have their own Endgame. And we know how that turned out...

This is a dubious statement. D&D has been a "cultural touchstone." I have never seen any evidence that 5E was a touchstone anywhere outside the industry and D&D fandom prior to its explosion of popularity following CR, ST and covid.

This ignores literal decades of alternate digital distribution methods employed by the industry, WotC included.