Class Compendium: Gone?

[Echohawk]

Shoes and soda!

 

[Scribble]

My guess is they changed the date of release. New date just wasn't added into the list before someone went home for the holidays.

 

[ShadesOfGrey]

My guess is they changed the date of release. New date just wasn't added into the list before someone went home for the holidays.

That would make sense, werent it that even (past) mentionings of those products are gone.

Either way, I dont dislike WotC or anythink, but boy do they lack adequate PR & communications. Wether they pulled product without explanation, or due to some oversight just give the (wrong) impression, it's not very conductive to, you know, gaining/keeping goodwill and trust in the company & it's product.

The cynical side of me says that some higher up decided to pull the plug on physical product to push DDI, but that's just wild guessing on my part.

 

[OpsKT]

Well, all I have to say on this is that Essentials was the first D&D product I had purchased since DMG2 in November 2009. I got the RC, both 'Heroes of ...' books, and the MV and DMK.

I was interested in this book and the Nentir Vale book. If they are not published, I will instead spend that money on more Savage Worlds stuff, but I am very picky about what I buy for D&D books.

 

[Scribble]

Either way, I dont dislike WotC or anythink, but boy do they lack adequate PR & communications. Wether they pulled product without explanation, or due to some oversight just give the (wrong) impression, it's not very conductive to, you know, gaining/keeping goodwill and trust in the company & it's product.

Eh... I think right now no matter what they do, someone will find a way to turn it negative- so I can kind of see why they say nothing.

People harp on every word, and spend all day everyday looking for the most negative way to read it possible then broadcast that message far and wide everywhere they can find on the interwebs. There's just no way they have the manpower to keep up with that kind of insanity, so after a while truthiness takes over...

If they say nothing, there's nothing to spin, and everything people say is at least just conjecture.

 

[Zaran]

Eh... I think right now no matter what they do, someone will find a way to turn it negative- so I can kind of see why they say nothing.

People harp on every word, and spend all day everyday looking for the most negative way to read it possible then broadcast that message far and wide everywhere they can find on the interwebs. There's just no way they have the manpower to keep up with that kind of insanity, so after a while truthiness takes over...

If they say nothing, there's nothing to spin, and everything people say is at least just conjecture.

I disagree. They could easily come out and say "We have not ceased production of these products. They are just being delayed." I don't think people would have such a hard time accepting that over not hearing anything.

I think people have reason to complain. They told us over and over that Essentials is not 4.5 and that they will continue to support the whole game and so far all we have gotten is Essentials based content. Removing those products enforces the idea that Essentials is the only way they are supporting DnD. Stepping forward and talking about this issue would make me at least feel better about WotC's future.

 

[Scribble]

I disagree. They could easily come out and say "We have not ceased production of these products. They are just being delayed." I don't think people would have such a hard time accepting that over not hearing anything.

Guess we'll just disagree on that... I mean.. see your own comments below... They make a statement, and before they even have time to act on said statement you're already turning it into a false statement on their part.

I think people have reason to complain. They told us over and over that Essentials is not 4.5 and that they will continue to support the whole game and so far all we have gotten is Essentials based content. Removing those products enforces the idea that Essentials is the only way they are supporting DnD. Stepping forward and talking about this issue would make me at least feel better about WotC's future.

It's not 4.5 so in effect they ARE supporting the game as a whole... (IE everything they release works with the game you already have.)

Either way, what are you looking for as far as support?

Also if they do release the book people will complain despite the facts that it's 4.5... if they don't, they'll complain despite the facts that it's 4.5...

So again... If they say nothing, at least the net crowd can't twist something they said into a "fact."

 

[ShadesOfGrey]

Eh... I think right now no matter what they do, someone will find a way to turn it negative- so I can kind of see why they say nothing.

People harp on every word, and spend all day everyday looking for the most negative way to read it possible then broadcast that message far and wide everywhere they can find on the interwebs. There's just no way they have the manpower to keep up with that kind of insanity, so after a while truthiness takes over...

If they say nothing, there's nothing to spin, and everything people say is at least just conjecture.

Sure, you'll always have pessimists and complainars, just as much as that you have optimists and people who'll buy *anything* they'll publish. That's not even something specific to D&D or WotC.

Even so, wheter or not D&D is going strong or it's in good hands at WotC, it'll be an everlasting debate, it's been a bumpy ride and WotC, or indeed any company that survives on niche product and binding small but loyal amounts of customers needs to recognise that you cant thrive by just milling out product and expecting people to just pay for it.

That never works very well, and even moreso today, when neither the community is dependent on them, nor are they the only publisher on the tabletop market.

Keeping your market means you need to engage people, give people a reason to support you because you personalise the hobby, not just a reason to buy a couple of books because you are a no-face publisher who happends to sell something you want..for the time being.

To engage people, you need to have a dialoge, communicate *both* ways. Refusing to communicate in more than one direction or communicate at all is just a sign of a company culture that is increasingly focused inwards.

Ehh.. I dont think WotC is a bad company. But it just looks like a company run without focus.. like it's run by gamers with no bussiness sense, or bussiness men with no idea about gaming.
Or maybe both? With both groups / culture struggling to give direction? It would explain the see-saw kind of way WotC has been doing bussiness.

 

[Ahrimon]

They are engaging their customers. They've got free games going in any store that is willing to sign up. They're major players at numerous gaming conventions around the US if not the world. And I'm sure they're doing a whole lot more.

What it appears they may have decided is to no longer engage a small portion of their customer base through the official forums. Time will tell if that's true or not. Personally, it's hard to blame them at this point. There are always people on both sides any issue, but it cirtainly feels like the "can do no right" crowd have invested in one heck of a PA system. It's hard to hear anything else at times.

 

[Dice4Hire]

What it appears they may have decided is to no longer engage a small portion of their customer base through the official forums. Time will tell if that's true or not. Personally, it's hard to blame them at this point. There are always people on both sides any issue, but it cirtainly feels like the "can do no right" crowd have invested in one heck of a PA system. It's hard to hear anything else at times.

It is not just on the forums, it is customers who do anything more than buy what they see on the shelves and go play it.