D&D 5E Are you happy with how WOTC's D&D department interacts with the fans (Frequency/ Transparency/Methods)?

[Umbran]

For example, we just had a lengthy thread on a possible layoff that has still not been confirmed.

Well, let us think about that.

Morrus had *unsubstantiated* reports about layoffs at WotC. A long thread was had here. Why should we have seen confirmation on that? It isn't like it started with an incomplete WotC communication, or anything. The fact that we have a discussion here puts no onus on WotC to confirm or deny things.

 

[Jester David]

Well, let us think about that.

Morrus had *unsubstantiated* reports about layoffs at WotC. A long thread was had here. Why should we have seen confirmation on that? It isn't like it started with an incomplete WotC communication, or anything. The fact that we have a discussion here puts no onus on WotC to confirm or deny things.

It doesn't cost them anything to pop on and confirm/deny. And pointing out false rumours is a form of damage control of the company's rep. And it's not like the staff has ever confirmed a layoff before: confirmation usually comes from the person laid off or someone else in the industry.
I'm sure someone asked a staff member on Twitter or emailed, so they likely knew of the rumours. If not, keeping an eye on the front page of ENworld is likely a good idea.

It's not the best example, but it does demonstrate their propensity for silence. They're great at responding to questions about the rules and the game itself, but for anything else things are more quiet.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I think they are well intentioned, and they make great efforts to be open about certain aspects of the game and their approach.

But we are still in the dark about the OGL, and there is great uncertainty regarding the future of certain product types, such as smaller adventures or splat books. There are many threads about these subjects, and I would like to see some candid answers regarding them.

Given enough time, their actions will provide answers, but I know I don't like waiting.

 

[Hussar]

It doesn't cost them anything to pop on and confirm/deny. And pointing out false rumours is a form of damage control of the company's rep. And it's not like the staff has ever confirmed a layoff before: confirmation usually comes from the person laid off or someone else in the industry.
I'm sure someone asked a staff member on Twitter or emailed, so they likely knew of the rumours. If not, keeping an eye on the front page of ENworld is likely a good idea.

It's not the best example, but it does demonstrate their propensity for silence. They're great at responding to questions about the rules and the game itself, but for anything else things are more quiet.

Umm, if they've never confirmed or even discussed their personnel issues before, why would they do so now? Does anyone else talk about their hiring and firing practises? I'm pretty sure a company with as many employees as Paizo has people coming and going on a fairly frequent basis. Do they announce it? And, more importantly, do people demand that Paizo do so?

 

[Remathilis]

I miss Legends and Lore. I felt like every month, I was getting an insight into where D&D is going. Not all of them were earth shaking, but there was a lot of "this is what we think" and "we want to do this" type stuff. However, I bet it was canned for over-promising (coughFanLicence) and revealing too much pie-in-the-sky thinking.

But I'd love to see L&L return as a monthly look at where D&D is going in terms of brand, game, and so on.

 

[Shasarak]

Umm, if they've never confirmed or even discussed their personnel issues before, why would they do so now? Does anyone else talk about their hiring and firing practises? I'm pretty sure a company with as many employees as Paizo has people coming and going on a fairly frequent basis. Do they announce it? And, more importantly, do people demand that Paizo do so?

That is true, WotC should just copy what Paizo does. It is the only way to make sure.

 

[Mistwell]

The time that I was satisfied with the WotC communication was during the playtest of 5e.

Unfortunately after the release of 5e and the general downsizing...or should that be "restructuring" then there is really nothing left to communicate about.

They appear to have more than doubled their number of employees, from about 13 (at launch) to about 30. The "restructuring" is rumored, currently, about one employee...and it remains unconfirmed. Do you have any evidence of a general downsizing?

 

[Jester David]

Umm, if they've never confirmed or even discussed their personnel issues before, why would they do so now? Does anyone else talk about their hiring and firing practises? I'm pretty sure a company with as many employees as Paizo has people coming and going on a fairly frequent basis. Do they announce it? And, more importantly, do people demand that Paizo do so?

1) They never did, no. But they also claimed to want to improve relations and communication with the fanbase. So that's a good reason to do so now.
2) Whenever Paizo has a new hire, that person gets a blog post on the front page of
(For example and most recently: http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lhdw?By-Our-Powers-Combined )

 

[Shasarak]

They appear to have more than doubled their number of employees, from about 13 (at launch) to about 30.

Do you have any evidence that they have doubled their number of employees?

 

[Jester David]

I miss Legends and Lore. I felt like every month, I was getting an insight into where D&D is going. Not all of them were earth shaking, but there was a lot of "this is what we think" and "we want to do this" type stuff. However, I bet it was canned for over-promising (coughFanLicence) and revealing too much pie-in-the-sky thinking.

But I'd love to see L&L return as a monthly look at where D&D is going in terms of brand, game, and so on.

Agreed. It was irksome when that ending. To me it felt a little like they were saying "now that we have your feedback, we don't need this any more and don't need to communicate.
Even if it was every couple months or quarterly, it'd be interesting. A summary of what has happened, what is new, and what us upcoming.