An Open Letter to Dragon and Dungeon Readers

[WayneLigon]

I'm very pleased with what I've heard so far; I bought a 3-years sub to both magazines when 3E first came out, and I've renewed for another three. I really will miss some of the Polyhedron content and the mini-game content but I certainly understand the reasoning behind it. I'd also like to thank Keith for posting this announcement, then answering queries as well. It really shows what a great forum we have here

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

Have I missed something? I think the Poly crowd in this thread have been pretty restrained, especially in the face of all the "I dance on Polyhedron's grave" posts.

Maybe it just shows how mature and restrained the Poly fans are. Or maybe it just shows that we knew it was coming eventually.

I for one think that it makes lots of sense to make Dragon the player's magazine and Dungeon the DM's magazine. I'll be interested to see how things work out and will be looking forward to the remainder of my subscription to Dungeon (assuming I actually get any issues, since I re-subscribed, I think I got the first one, but not the last two ).

That being said; Polyhedron (and its mini-games) were by far my favorite things about Dungeon and the reason why I subscribed. I was greatly dissapointed when Dungeon went monthly and reduced the Poly content. Now that they are cutting Poly all together, I will let the reamainder of my subscription run, and will be suprised if I renew it again...

:\

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Have I missed something?

Yeah, I wasn't directing at any category of subscriber or allegedly potential subscriber, other than exactly what I said. I have no stand in the discussion, other than to make fun of everyone with over-heated rhetoric towards Paizo over this.


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[Acid_crash]

Ya guys at Paizo know what, you guys bite. First you all take away Star Wars Gamer and PROMISE that you'll have great coverage of that game in Polyhedron. Broken. You guys PROMISED more Polyhedron coverage with all of your announces over the last year. Broken. Now, you guys wont' cover any of that at all. You are not getting my money for Dungeon. Polyhedron was THE reason why I bought those magazines, and after three years of having all those cool bits, it's all back to boring old fantasy. God, this sucks.

AS for Dragon, I like those changes, so I'll keep buying that one.

 

[Zaukrie]

Keith and Erik, thanks for taking the time to discuss this with us. Since I just re-upped for Dragon, I'll certainly give it a 12 month test run

As for Dungeon, I currently don't have an active game, but when I do, I'm much more likely to buy this magazine. If the articles are good enough, I may even buy it without an active game.

 

[NewLifeForm]

Long One...A Bit Ranty...But Not Much

I will begin by agreeing with the majority of the people who have posted so far. I say good luck to Paizo with this new direction. Logically, it sounds like the best approach for them at this time.

That said...

With the 30th Anniversery of D&D and the 28th Anniversery of Dragon this year, I find myself thinking nostalgically about both, and coming to the conclusion that I shall not see Draon's heyday again for some time...

In the dim and distant past, Dragon Magazine had articles about...<gasp>...other games! You could find ideas for Traveller and Champions within those mighty pages. The Polyhedron section of Dungeon still connected me to that time. With the Poly section of Dungeon departing, I certainly have little reason to purchase it in the future. No Star Wars, No Mini-Games, No thank you.

Dragon just has not interested me very much in the last year or so. After gaming for as long as I have, I look at most articles and simply think "this subject again?" The latest issue of Dragon covered 30 years of D&D history - very cool -, but then had an article on Dragon PCs (Between Dragon Magazine and house rules I've been seeing that since the early to mid eighties-and do we really need to push this into a game that has enough trouble with power gamers and balance as it is).

I'm going to give each mag's new format a few issues. It would be unfair not to. They will have to really wow me though. These days, with the internet and all the ideas and supplement material I can get for free, I may start to cut out a resource that, as much as it dismays me to say so, I really just don't use.

AD

 

[C. Baize]

I agree. Those are settings, too--and ones with passionate followings. However, in order to build for the highest growth and long-term health of our business, we need to deliver quality magazines that meet the needs of the largest segment of our audience. In short, we need to deliver what the majority of the market wants. We currently do not have any plans to suppor Star Wars, d20 Modern, or d20 Future. It's not a satisfying answer, I know. But it's the honest one.

Keith Strohm
Vice President
Paizo Publishing, LLC

Well. The candor is appreciated... but to give a little analogy... a stoked fire burns better, longer, and more satisfyingly in the long run.

That being said, I know that in the 21st century it's all about right now! We can't realistically expect a company to look to the long term, rather to snatch what they can, and eventually dump the product when they feel they've squeezed as much profit as they can out of it.
And, no. I'm not hacking on a corporation for wanting to make money. It's what they're there for. I know this. I simply lament the days that a company would look past the profits at the end of TODAY, and instead look at how to increase those profits TOMORROW by supporting a dynamic and exciting new product...
Ah well.
Polyhedron will be missed.

 

[Dragonblade]

I certainly understand the reasons, but I'm sad to see Polyhedron go. I may not renew my Dungeon subscription.

That said, I have an idea to save Polyhedron. Why don't you get rid of the fiction in Dragon and replace those pages with Polyhedron info?

Does anyone actually read the fiction in Dragon? I never read it. Its a waste of space. I would much rather have Polyhedron take up those pages.

 

[tetsujin28]

I haven't bought an issue of Dragon in more than 20 years, and unfortunately, I don't see anything to make me change my mind. Too bad.

 

[Ranger REG]

That said, I have an idea to save Polyhedron. Why don't you get rid of the fiction in Dragon and replace those pages with Polyhedron info?

Because then those avid Dragon readers of today -- unlike yesteryears -- will be offended and will flood Paizo with the same abusive emails that Dungeon readers have done.

It's been a very long time since the ARES section (whose format is to support non-D&D games like Marvel Super-Heroes and Traveller) used to grace the pages of Dragon in its early days (the 80's). But Dragon readers wants D&D material, even though the debate rages on to the magazine's "official" status.