D&D 5E Anyone else finding character advancement pretty dull?

[Hussar]

Then don't try to shut down other posters when they want to discuss "the release schedule" here.

In fact, this is the place I've went to for precisely that type of discussion since June 2003.

Thing is, "the schedule" discussion has been beaten to a bloody pulp for YEARS.

Since 5e released, we've had this repeated conversation every month or three for five years now.

You asked the question about why aren't we getting more books. The question was answered in the clearest way possible - we aren't getting more books because WotC's current business model is the most successful RPG business model in the hobby's history. At no point, even in the fad days, have we seen this degree of growth, and these levels of consistent sales. Let's not forget, by this time in AD&D's run, PHB sales had crashed and they rushed out the Unearthed Arcana in order to jump start the hobby sales again giving rise to what we'd now view as a half edition.

You have not provided a single piece of evidence to indicate that WotC should do anything different. You might want them to do something different, fair enough. But, at the end of the day, when you have a record selling product, year on year, you're doing something very, very right. I mean, good grief, when almost EVERY publication you have banged out for the last 5 years is STILL in the top 1000 on Amazon, why on earth would you change a thing?

 

[CapnZapp]

Thing is, "the schedule" discussion has been beaten to a bloody pulp for YEARS.

Since 5e released, we've had this repeated conversation every month or three for five years now.

You asked the question about why aren't we getting more books. The question was answered in the clearest way possible - we aren't getting more books because WotC's current business model is the most successful RPG business model in the hobby's history. At no point, even in the fad days, have we seen this degree of growth, and these levels of consistent sales. Let's not forget, by this time in AD&D's run, PHB sales had crashed and they rushed out the Unearthed Arcana in order to jump start the hobby sales again giving rise to what we'd now view as a half edition.

You have not provided a single piece of evidence to indicate that WotC should do anything different. You might want them to do something different, fair enough. But, at the end of the day, when you have a record selling product, year on year, you're doing something very, very right. I mean, good grief, when almost EVERY publication you have banged out for the last 5 years is STILL in the top 1000 on Amazon, why on earth would you change a thing?

If you want to discuss the economy and profit of this Hasbro subsidiary, maybe you need to find another forum.

In this forum, expect players to tell you what material they want WotC to provide.

 

[Hussar]

If you want to discuss the economy and profit of this Hasbro subsidiary, maybe you need to find another forum.

In this forum, expect players to tell you what material they want WotC to provide.

And that's great and all. And, please, stop including other people. This isn't players telling me what they want WotC to provide, this is YOU. You want more books. Ok, great. I want lots of things too. It's not going to happen.

How much more is there really to discuss? I mean, you're not even content with free content on the WotC website. It MUST be printed in order to count. They aren't going to print more books until sales slump. It's just not going to happen.

Never minding the thousands of perfectly fine products on the DM's Guild that are right there begging you to buy them. Oh, right, those don't count because they're not "official".

Look at the poll right there at the top. Only about 10% of respondents are unsatisfied. Why on earth would they change what they're doing when 90% of their customers are happy and changing would turn off a heck of a lot more people than it would make happy.

Let's not forget, every single time they up the production schedule, D&D crashes and burns. Every time. From 1e forward. I have zero interest in a new edition. Which means I want this edition to stay current for a long, long time. Which means slow release.

 

[Parmandur]

I have hit that point. We have a backlog of adventures.

I also didn't buy MToF. I already have Volo's and Xanathar's. Having some specialty monsters in Volo's is cool, but I don't see using even more.

Thing for me is, I don't know if I have that point inlinear terms. Having a new fun book to read every Quarter that I can then use to game...as long as quality remains what it has been, and the pace remains on target, I see no reason to stop buying. When things spiral out of control in quality or pace, then I might stop buying.

 

[Parmandur]

If you want to discuss the economy and profit of this Hasbro subsidiary, maybe you need to find another forum.

In this forum, expect players to tell you what material they want WotC to provide.

In this forum, you should also expect people to have different opinions as to what they want to see WotC produce.

For instance, I do not want them to make what you have asked for, but to keep on their current path. More like MToF, more like XGtE, more like the APs. It's an evergreen approach that they can keep going forever, basically.

 

[Parmandur]

And that's great and all. And, please, stop including other people. This isn't players telling me what they want WotC to provide, this is YOU. You want more books. Ok, great. I want lots of things too. It's not going to happen.

How much more is there really to discuss? I mean, you're not even content with free content on the WotC website. It MUST be printed in order to count. They aren't going to print more books until sales slump. It's just not going to happen.

Never minding the thousands of perfectly fine products on the DM's Guild that are right there begging you to buy them. Oh, right, those don't count because they're not "official".

Look at the poll right there at the top. Only about 10% of respondents are unsatisfied. Why on earth would they change what they're doing when 90% of their customers are happy and changing would turn off a heck of a lot more people than it would make happy.

Let's not forget, every single time they up the production schedule, D&D crashes and burns. Every time. From 1e forward. I have zero interest in a new edition. Which means I want this edition to stay current for a long, long time. Which means slow release.

I see no reason to not assume that option 1 is possibly over represented on this forum: I wouldn't be at all surprised if far less than 10% of actual customers thought this way.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If you want to discuss the economy and profit of this Hasbro subsidiary, maybe you need to find another forum.

In this forum, expect players to tell you what material they want WotC to provide.

STOP telling people what they can and can't discuss. You do it all the freaking time when people disagree with you. So unless you're the secret alt account of Morrus, you don't have that authority. When Hussar and I are agreeing on something, that should tell you something. The idea that the topic of WoTCs business model's impact on release schedules for the D&D game doesn't even belong on a forum dedicated to D&D is simply silly. Do you even hear yourself? And yet again, no one is saying you can't say what you want. People are taking issue with your demand that they give it to you, and if they don't then they are horrible and anyone defending them or pointing this out to you is an apologist.

 

[happyhermit]

On this forum there is a lot of:

"I want this."

"No, WotC knows better than you and you should not get it."

It is devastating for a positive forum debate climate.

What's the point of asking or needing or wanting anything if apologists that doesn't like it are free to shoot it all down using this argument.

There's no need to discuss ANYTHING in that case. Since WotC are successful and their bottom line defines what's right and wrong, we should apparently just wait obediently for whatever morsels they deign to let us pay money for, and we should be thankful.

It's absurd. It's useless. It's clogging up thread after thread with just waste.

TLDR If you disagree have the guts to say so, instead of hiding behind "It's not good for WotC's coffers" as if that was our concern.

What I see a lot more of (albeit from only a subset of posters) is more along these lines;

OP: "I am not happy with X"

Poster 1: "I tried "this" and it worked for me."
Poster 2: "Check out this 3pp."
Poster 3: "What exactly is your issue with X, I'm sure we can come up with something."

OP: "NO, the only solution is for Wotc to release a new print book."

Poster 1: Oh... Ok, you might not want to hold your breath on that though. Wotc current strategy is working well and there's little indication that what you want will be addressed in the short term. Is the wotc print requirement because you play AL?

OP: Stop being an apologist! No AL has nothing to do with this.

Demanding a very specific thing, to people who can't actually deliver this specific thing, then calling them names for offering solutions or explaining why the thing you want might not be available, seems like a top notch way to "devastate a positive forum debate climate". Maybe this sort of thing is a carryover from the official Wotc forums, where it made a bit more sense.

 

[FieserMoep]

My biggest issue is that Levels in DnD can make a MAJOR difference or no real difference at all.

- Either you get something entirely new with awsome powers
- Or "all" you get is just another hit die

I prefer systems with smoother progression.

 

[BookBarbarian]

My biggest issue is that Levels in DnD can make a MAJOR difference or no real difference at all.

- Either you get something entirely new with awsome powers
- Or "all" you get is just another hit die

I prefer systems with smoother progression.

Is there a 5e class that has a level so dead that all it gets is a hit die?