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

[Warpiglet]

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?

wow. I could have written this save for not playing 2e. We stayed with 1st for a long time. And I did not hate yawning portal.

however, I hope/think we are still the target audience....too.

if we both love playing and buy the books I’d say it is good for us. If we like it and buy it, we are a target.

now as for the cartoon crap and streaming stuff? Not for me. Either it seems silly or watered down...just sort of not a fit.

but so much else is.

The tent has expanded my friend. And it’s good. They are printing the hell out of the books. New people are playing. You might even lure some of them into some old school goodness! Sometimes the newbies dig the grit and seriousness of something different!

the game lives! Rejoice! As long as they give you products that allow you to play your style in updated and innovative ways, there is no problem.

just skip rick and Morty stuff. That does not diminish your fun andmight be cool for someone else.

but I feel ya

 

[Haffrung]

What do you, as an experienced DM who can do his own homebrew world and has got a favourite theme for it also, need from Wotc? I bet you are able to convert stuff from almost any edition properly to 5e.

Not the OP, but some content WotC can publish to support DMs who homebrew:

Lairs
Encounters
NPCs
Factions
Caravans
New monsters
Plug and play settlements
Content for adversaries like undead, dragons, etc.
Maps
Magic items
Large-scale combat rules

Yes, DMs can create these on their own, or convert content from earlier editions. Of course, the same can be said for campaign settings and adventures. WotC doesn't need to publish anything except the core rules. But I have money to spend on my hobby, and I'm always eager for material that will make running my game easier. From my POV, WotC is leaving a lot of money on the table.

IMHO, the best way to ensure D&D has a fresh intake of tables playing the game is to support DMs and keep them happy. However, I have my doubts that really is the goal of WotC (or other RPG publishers). I suspect most RPG books are bought by people who don't actively play. So the practical utility of a book doesn't matter nearly as much as its appeal to people who enjoy the vibe of a game but will never use the books for anything but reading material.

 

[Mistwell]

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).

They're working on another Xanathar's-like book. I am curious why you didn't like Yawning Portal? I like it quite a lot.

 

[Warpiglet]

Not the OP, but some content WotC can publish to support DMs who homebrew:

Lairs
Encounters
NPCs
Factions
Caravans
New monsters
Plug and play settlements
Content for adversaries like undead, dragons, etc.
Maps
Magic items
Large-scale combat rules

Yes, DMs can create these on their own, or convert content from earlier editions. Of course, the same can be said for campaign settings and adventures. WotC doesn't need to publish anything except the core rules. But I have money to spend on my hobby, and I'm always eager for material that will make running my game easier. From my POV, WotC is leaving a lot of money on the table.

IMHO, the best way to ensure D&D has a fresh intake of tables playing the game is to support DMs and keep them happy. However, I have my doubts that really is the goal of WotC (or other RPG publishers). I suspect most RPG books are bought by people who don't actively play. So the practical utility of a book doesn't matter nearly as much as its appeal to people who enjoy the vibe of a game but will never use the books for anything but reading material.

I would pay for a nice group of plug and play encounters/lairs!

 

[oreofox]

I mean, I'm not the only one who remembers all of this stuff they talked about back in 2014-15, right?

I have a memory of them saying something like that. I also remember them saying they were going to make Next very modular, so you could make 5e play exactly like an older edition of D&D. As you can see, that didn't exactly happen. That was one of the biggest selling points of 5e for me, being able to use my 2e stuff with no problem with 5e.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy 5e. It's the most fun I've had since early 3e. But I feel similar to the OP. Xanathar's, Volo's (well, half of it anyway) I have gotten a lot of use out of those two books. I also have the starter and essentials box sets. Only one adventure interested me, and that was PotA, because it had the sense that it would be similar to ToEE. It was a huge let down. I'm a DM that has a homebrew world. Been using it for 17 years now. The only thing that really interests me from WotC is the generic books, like the core 3, Xanathar's, and half of Volo's (the first half was useless garbage to me as it had no use for my world). I thumbed through Mordenkainen's, but that was more of the same with Volo's, where half the book was useless garbage to me, so I didn't bother spending the money on it.

If WotC would make more generic, non-adventure books, they'd make a lot more money, especially from me. So long as they don't fill it with the crap they did in Volo's and Mordenkainen's books. Those 2 definitely aren't worth the $50 price tag (or even the $30 that Amazon had them for).

But that's just me. I know others have found the first half of Volo's to be useful. I just found it to be a waste. Now, if they'd reprint Volo's and Mord's books without it, I'd buy them in a heartbeat (maybe not Volo's since I already have it. Maybe).

 

[DEFCON 1]

Apparently. I mean, I remember some things Mike Mearls said, but the less said about those the better.

Wow, Morrus, you gave the message board a full 24 minutes to respond before declaring yourself correct. How the heck were you ever able to restrain yourself for that long?

 

[Morrus]

Wow, Morrus, you gave the message board a full 24 minutes to respond before declaring yourself correct. How the heck were you ever able to restrain yourself for that long?

Huh? I don't follow.

 

[dave2008]

I've never really asked myself if I'm in a target audience. I just buy what I think I'll like and don't by what I don't think I'll like. I've skipped all the tie ins like Stranger Things, Acquisitions inc, and Rick and Morty. I also skipped Ravinica and Eberron.

I love Avernus though, and I think I'll grab the Essentials kit too.

Same with my, I skipped all of 2e and 3e (well except for the draconomicon) before I started buying again in 4e and 5e. I just but what I like and don't buy what I don't.

 

[Anoth]

The world does not revolve around me. They make a product that they think will sell and I decide if I want to buy it. I don’t think they are making products for me. I decide if the product is right for me.

 

[GMMichael]

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...

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...

WotC's casting a wider and wider net, is all. I wonder if that's what the invention of Planescape was: a call to any DMs who might be interested in third-party settings to stay with D&D, because Planescape allows access to all settings.

I caught the not-target-market whiff back when the book of Incarnum came out, but I think they recovered nicely with the Complete (Class) series of books (Incarnum was before these, right?).