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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
"Are the Authors of the Dungeon & Dragons Hardcover Adventures Blind to the Plight of DMs?"
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<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7377276" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>Then you would have many DMs complain that the adventure was filled with too much fluff. "Why," many experience DMs ask, "do you need to waste space on detailed descriptions on a room of no great import. A good DM should be able to--and would want to--make up the details." Instead, I've read many critics recommend that the adveture books use that space for more in-line stat blocks so DMs don't have to go to another book--or the back of the book--for them. </p><p></p><p>I can understand that sentiment, but I think this is another area where there is a balancing act that WotC has to play. I think in CoS they did a good job overall with area and room descriptions. Personally, I think they should err more on the side of wordier descriptions to help newer DMs or experienced DMs that just need a crutch now and then. A good DM can ignore the read-out boxes. That doesn't mean it is a waste. </p><p></p><p>This is where new media formats should help. For example, in products like DnD Beyond and RealmWorks (RW doesn't have official AP material from WotC yet, but the functionality is great for running homebrew or the adventures they have) the content is cross-linked, allowing you to jump to a monster (or right click and open in a new tab). When an NPC is mentioned, same thing. Maps are linked to descriptions. VTTs go a step further by letting you load and run the encounters. I'm not using a VTT but I've seen games run in Fantasy Grounds and the level of automation is impressive. If you don't have to enter the content in yourself, VTTs are great aid for DMs. </p><p></p><p>Some features I have not seen in a VTT or digital adventure yet, that would really help make adventures helpful for DMs of ALL levels:</p><p></p><p>* in addition to linking content, have hover-over text to give a very brief synopsis for those moments where you need to refresh your recollection and don't want to leave the focus on the current page. </p><p></p><p>* use a layers approach. For example, the DnD Beyond Character creator has multiple modes, one for new players where it is very verbose and hand-hold and a mode for advanced players that allows you to jump right into making your selections. Why not do something similar for APs? When you open the AP in a PDF or in DnD Beyond, or some other digital format, have the option to show/hide DM tips, show/hide call-out text, or even a verbose/concsise option for room descriptions. </p><p></p><p>Now that WotC is starting to make their material available in digital formats, and formats that *should* be able to provide a lot more value-added features than PDF, I would really like to see the third-party publishers with licenses to publish in digital format to add more value than "you can read it on your phone."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 7377276, member: 6796661"] Then you would have many DMs complain that the adventure was filled with too much fluff. "Why," many experience DMs ask, "do you need to waste space on detailed descriptions on a room of no great import. A good DM should be able to--and would want to--make up the details." Instead, I've read many critics recommend that the adveture books use that space for more in-line stat blocks so DMs don't have to go to another book--or the back of the book--for them. I can understand that sentiment, but I think this is another area where there is a balancing act that WotC has to play. I think in CoS they did a good job overall with area and room descriptions. Personally, I think they should err more on the side of wordier descriptions to help newer DMs or experienced DMs that just need a crutch now and then. A good DM can ignore the read-out boxes. That doesn't mean it is a waste. This is where new media formats should help. For example, in products like DnD Beyond and RealmWorks (RW doesn't have official AP material from WotC yet, but the functionality is great for running homebrew or the adventures they have) the content is cross-linked, allowing you to jump to a monster (or right click and open in a new tab). When an NPC is mentioned, same thing. Maps are linked to descriptions. VTTs go a step further by letting you load and run the encounters. I'm not using a VTT but I've seen games run in Fantasy Grounds and the level of automation is impressive. If you don't have to enter the content in yourself, VTTs are great aid for DMs. Some features I have not seen in a VTT or digital adventure yet, that would really help make adventures helpful for DMs of ALL levels: * in addition to linking content, have hover-over text to give a very brief synopsis for those moments where you need to refresh your recollection and don't want to leave the focus on the current page. * use a layers approach. For example, the DnD Beyond Character creator has multiple modes, one for new players where it is very verbose and hand-hold and a mode for advanced players that allows you to jump right into making your selections. Why not do something similar for APs? When you open the AP in a PDF or in DnD Beyond, or some other digital format, have the option to show/hide DM tips, show/hide call-out text, or even a verbose/concsise option for room descriptions. Now that WotC is starting to make their material available in digital formats, and formats that *should* be able to provide a lot more value-added features than PDF, I would really like to see the third-party publishers with licenses to publish in digital format to add more value than "you can read it on your phone." [/QUOTE]
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"Are the Authors of the Dungeon & Dragons Hardcover Adventures Blind to the Plight of DMs?"
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