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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nedjer" data-source="post: 5470766" data-attributes="member: 83796">This is most of an earlier blog. Maybe others find the price tag and the UK price difference OK?The recent thread  about Wrath of Ashardalon, the new D&D boardgame/ RPG crossover  title’s feature set includes: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">co-operative gameplay</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">cards placing the most used data ‘at your fingertips’</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ‘iconic’ visual representations of monsters, PCs, NPCs and other  in-game features</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> customisable classes</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> streamlined rules and fast turns</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> team play</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> solo play</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> three card encounter combinations</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> trigger effects, like ‘switching’ doors, ‘alarms’ and other knock-on effects, such as monsters revealing new areas</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> exploration as a central element of gameplay</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ready-to-run layouts</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> short, episodic scenario options</li> </ul>The design might be seen as touching on,  without copying, games like Sorcerer’s Cave, Descent, The Warlock of  Firetop Mountain, whoever first came up with stunt points/ cards,  Dragonquest, Traveller, Everway and, possibly, Treasure – make your own  mind up there on the feature list if you <a href="http://thistlegames.com/thistle/treasure_rpg/" target="_blank">wish</a>.  Wrath is undoubtedly distinct and very  D&D, from the d20s and the hexed movement to the classes and the  monsters; but elements of its pedigree make the game unusually  interesting in two respects: <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">“It was great fun,” and, “players loved it”, are going to be likely  outcomes of games built on a collaborative ‘mesh network’ model – it’s a  function of the design in terms of communications between players,  collaborative interactions, sequence and pacing; plus the interactions  between meta-data when the other elements meet.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">It follows from this that Wrath offers ‘compelling’ gameplay and  co-design, which is, consequently, highly likely to draw new or casual  players into D&D at a much lower/ shorter level of exposure than  through apprenticeship gameplay. This suggests that the game is a must  have for anyone who wishes to spread the D&D word.</li> </ol>However, that raises a question. If  comparable feature sets are available for free online in full RPG  format, how can it cost £50 or  $50 for Wrath, plus the cost of two or  three Essentials books, to end up with a full-blown RPG?Free alternatives might involve using  poker tokens and a few painted figures instead of unpainted plastics, or  laying out coasters and table mats if you want a boardgame feel; but  there’s not a whole lot of extra convenience or value in that.  Particularly when the production cost of unpainted plastic figures is  not exactly high. In other words, why shouldn’t games like  Wrath be delivered at a £25/ $25 price point; and why shouldn’t a  premium RPG have a ‘good to go’ Wrath – Compendium ‘combo’ for £40/ $40? As with digital content, the marketable  add-ons, (to the boardgame alone), could potentially offset any element  of loss leading; as they’d be open to the ‘boardgames only’ players in  the same way as Catan or Dominion add-ons, i.e. there are presumably two  potentially dovetailing expansion markets here. Just to round off;  if you’ve notice the  rough £ – $ prices you might be asking why they match. That’s because  they’re at pretty much the same number on Amazon UK and Amazon US today.  It appears that the cost of shipping an item from the US to the UK,  (assuming it was even made in the USA), completely cancels out an  exchange rate of £1 to $1.62. Are these games being flown to the UK in  Business Class or what?</blockquote>

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