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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 2631174" data-attributes="member: 63">Um, that's odd, because the truism I heard a lot of publishers saying after about, oh . . . *checks watch* 2002 was that adventures and campaign settings don't sell. Maybe all the folks were wrong, but if we look at two of the biggest d20 publishers - Mongoose and Green Ronin - they don't put out many adventures, do they?Of course, they don't directly compete with WotC anymore. They make things WotC doesn't. Hell, smart publishers of any size make things WotC doesn't. E.N. Publishing makes books focusing on niche items (one exotic weapon, or a bunch of random magic items, or monsters for a specific habitat), along with the occasional experimental new system book (Elements of Magic, Steam & Steel, Mechamancy).WotC certainly has better production values than most of the d20 publishers (but not all), and they have a larger market presence to be sure. But saying that they make things better than d20 publishers is a little silly. Honestly, WotC is the core of the D&D market. They should make core material, like more feats, classes, monsters, spells. And adventures that use those things.The third party publishers then would make weird stuff like new rules components (see E.N. Publishing), strange adventures (see Goodman Games), and small bits that aren't cost effective for WotC to produce (see Ronin Arts and tons of other pdf publishers).Honestly, Mr. Ryan's tone is a little confrontational. It sounds like he blames 3rd party publishers for not playing along, which is a little worrying. A world where WotC does not like 3rd party publishers is not a good world for me, and I doubt it'd be a good world for a lot of EN Worlders.What I'd like to see is WotC doing more to encourage 3rd party publishers. I know they're a big company and traditional business models say it's stupid to give you competitors publicity, but obviously Mr. Ryan believes 3rd party publishers should not compete with WotC. Therefore, wouldn't it be wise for WotC to offer up some space on their website to announcing 3rd party products that they like? Sure, it'd be biased as heck, since they'd never promote a product that honestly competes with them, but it'd be a nice way to encourage 3rd party publishers to fill the niches WotC wants filled. If you could go to their site and see "10 cool adventures" being discussed and promoted, I bet publishers would start working on adventures, in the hope of WotC giving them the nod.I really hope Mr. Ryan is not trying to imply that the 3rd party publishers somehow failed, or that any downturn in sales is their fault. I would love to have interviewed Peter Adkison 5 years ago and asked him what path he thought 3rd party publishing would take. Does anyone by chance have such an interview?</blockquote>

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