Dice4Hire
First Post
Yes, WOTC has done a lot of work for the LGS, and I hope hat is not going to be changed.
Ampersand: 2011 releases officially gutted
- Thread starter captainspud
- Start date
Yes, WOTC has done a lot of work for the LGS, and I hope hat is not going to be changed.
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Several retailers I spoke with were not happy and a few indicated they thought 5th ed on the horizon and not to be announced at Gen Con because WoTC is so large that unlike most companies they don't need Gen Con to make up their revenues.
It does seem very odd that Wizards have been so supportive of FLGS by giving them books early, the in store encounters programs and such. Then they turn around and gut their physical book release schedule. I still want to believe Wizards is planning something and this isn't as bad as it looks like, but that is far too optimistic for me.
lutecius
Explorer
considering the state of ddi (anemic magazines, buggy CB) and wotc's past experience with digital features, it would be very imprudent for them to go that route just now.
I think they're only recycling the content of these books as a quick patch to prevent subscribers from canceling en masse.
I believe the danger for now is the d&d department not being profitable enough to survive, not ddi becoming "a raging success" and leaving book readers behind.
I agree.
I said as much upthread somewhere...and/or possibly in one of the other speculative threads floating around right now.
The speculation isn't that things are going to go digital starting now but that we're now firmly on that path. I think the original intent on 4Es launch was that DDI would play a supportive role and be worth it's price for that function.
That's all well and good when you also see books released at a steady or quick rate. Now though we've just heard about 3 cuts which leaves just a few books for the year. There are hints that content will appear in DDI. We're looking towards the future which based on the trends seen in the past year leads us to believe wotc wants to push for a digital base (in the future).
That certainly appears to be Wizards deciding digital is the way forward.
That's all well and good when you also see books released at a steady or quick rate. Now though we've just heard about 3 cuts which leaves just a few books for the year. There are hints that content will appear in DDI. We're looking towards the future which based on the trends seen in the past year leads us to believe wotc wants to push for a digital base (in the future).
That certainly appears to be Wizards deciding digital is the way forward.
the Jester
Legend
Looking on the bright side, maybe this year's slim pickings will let me catch up on the 3-8 other D&D books I've yet to pick up that are on my list.
I have to say calling the DS book a splatbook is absolutely hilarious. If that's what qualifies as a splatbook I don't know what's going on anymore.
On the topic of essentials. I don't really understand all the crying. I understand it from the perspective that it is taking development time away from what has been the normal 4E structure for 2+ years. Beyond that I really, really don't. Because honestly, all their doing is changing the framework a class can have and making it more diverse.
That's not why people dislike 3.5. No one ever cites the fact that the classes are all over the place in abilities they gain, feats, spells, whatever as a problem with 3.5. At least I've never seen that as a complaint. I'd much rather have variety in class framework than the perception of balance given by the traditional 4E model.
In addition, how many feats are there for let's say the fighter? How many powers? Certainly there are enough to last decades. Heaven forbid wizards should stretch their brains and create new class structures using the 4e blueprints. Classes that don't break the game or even separate themselves except because they're labeled 'essentials'.
I would really like to know what the reaction would be if these builds were presented in 'Martial Power 3'. I feel there'd be much much less resistance.
On the topic of essentials. I don't really understand all the crying. I understand it from the perspective that it is taking development time away from what has been the normal 4E structure for 2+ years. Beyond that I really, really don't. Because honestly, all their doing is changing the framework a class can have and making it more diverse.
That's not why people dislike 3.5. No one ever cites the fact that the classes are all over the place in abilities they gain, feats, spells, whatever as a problem with 3.5. At least I've never seen that as a complaint. I'd much rather have variety in class framework than the perception of balance given by the traditional 4E model.
In addition, how many feats are there for let's say the fighter? How many powers? Certainly there are enough to last decades. Heaven forbid wizards should stretch their brains and create new class structures using the 4e blueprints. Classes that don't break the game or even separate themselves except because they're labeled 'essentials'.
I would really like to know what the reaction would be if these builds were presented in 'Martial Power 3'. I feel there'd be much much less resistance.
Imprudent or not it looks like that's where we're going, and while that's not my first choice I think from what's been said/written here and elsewhere then that's the way forward for our hobby.
Although I thought there were other threads prior to the present cache of 'sky-falling' threads, such as this, that were concerned with poor sales of books/minis et al with FLGS etc stating that they have lots of unsold stock (or similar).
Also with Pathfinder doing their thing (joint 1st for sales) then the market just got squeezed so tight you can hear the pips, let's face it some of the PF APs et all look lush (not my thing but I bought a few just to read and digest).
So, for me, and I think WOTC, it's a DDi future whether your face-to-face or via the VTT, and if everything gets folded in so it all interacts then I'll be as happy as larry, although I'd still like a few books here and there to read in the head (I believe 'the head' is the correct nomenclature for 'smallest room' on yonder side of the pond).
Goonalan
I agree with this as well.
It sucks to be roadkill on the Information Superhighway, but barring some catastrophic revelation about corrosive effects of our digitized lifestyle (or the technologies that support it), that's the way we're going.
I've heard guys in tech companies already talking about implantable devices being on the market within a couple of decades. Pipe dream? Perhaps. But this is the first time I can remember such thoughts being expressed outside of sci-fI books or interviews with scientists I've never heard of...
Similar Threads
- Locked
