D&D 5E D&D and who it's aimed at

[carmachu]

I find it interesting that while there are constant complaints that D&D is being 'Disneyfied', it's actually clear that WotC is aiming different products at different groups. Yes, some products are aimed at younger players (which is a good thing, for obvious reasons), the recent Netherdeep book was clearly aimed at older players with its more graphic artwork and horror themes, and Dragonlance and Spelljammer, while hopefully being a great intro to those settings for gamers who weren't playing 40 years ago, also aim at the older demographic.

So let's look at the last couple of years. Going back to the start of 2021, because I'm too lazy to go further we have:

• Candlekeep Mysteries
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
• Wild Beyond the Witchlight
• Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
• Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
• Call of the Netherdeep
• Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel
• Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
• Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen / Warriors of Krynn

So what we have is 4 settings (3 of which are classic settings), 2 anthologies, and .... two? ... out of 9 books which could arguably be described as aimed at kids.

I guess I'm not seeing it. Unless every book has to be specifically aimed at middle-aged men who played D&D in the 1970s, I'm just not seeing this alleged Disneyfication of D&D. I'm seeing a range of products, some of which are aimed at younger audiences, others which are not.

And for our bonus round: lots of folks like to talk about how they got into D&D 40 years ago at the age of 12 or however old they were. When they were kids. Kids have always played D&D, and many of them stay playing D&D until they can complain that kids are playing D&D. Hey, last D&D book I bought was about 3 years ago. I'll be buying Dragonlance though, that's for sure!

"disneyfied" is absolutely the wrong term. Its not really what's happen. As someone who's played forever, its something very different. As to your list

The first 4 in my opinion weren't that good. Struck is a heart potter knockoff. Radiant is more a planescape knockoff. Not a critique role fan so neutral there. And the last two are in the wait and see category( although to be fair, nothing in the Dragonlance s trailer screams dragonlance, and wouldn't know it unless it said Dragon lance in the trailer)

But what it really is, is something I had to accept in this hobby and a few other things in my life:

I'm not the target audience anymore. I'm not. That's ok. But don't also tell me things haven't changed some of which is goid, but some of which is not so good. But WotC isn't looking at me anymore

 

[jasper]

I'm sorry, maybe I'm not understanding you, but are you saying that the book is "Disneyfied" because it doesn't encourage murderhoboing?

No, I saying the boss encounters are very over powered. And murder hobos will get curbed stomped if the DM does not play nice.

 

[Morrus]

"disneyfied" is absolutely the wrong term. Its not really what's happen.

I’m glad you agree. My whole post was about how that’s not true.

But don't also tell me things haven't changed

Nobody is telling you that. I wouldn’t dream of it.

 

[jasper]

So... you are quite literally judging a book by it's cover?

Yes it is totally okay to do so. The main purpose of the cover is to get you buy it. If the art work is not to a person's liking, then they can skip it. Or in this modern internet on phones age. Pull up audio video film which I think is call ewe tube and watch reviewers review the book. And then they can make an more informed decision not to buy it. The only reason I have Eberron, Wildemount, and a few other books are they were $17.89 each which is under my $20 impulse buy. So it totally really totally to judge a book by the cover.

 

[Umbran]

Yeah, you're either acting in bad faith or have your head on backwards.

Mod Note:

Not cool.

Maybe you ought to take a breather, until you can discuss the matter without getting personal about it. Because more of this will not be acceptable.

 

[Umbran]

Yes it is totally okay to do so.

Yes, but...

...there is always a but...

From the cover, you can say, "What I have seen doesn't appeal to me, so I didn't buy it." But it doesn't put you in a position to actually discuss or critique the contents. Like, if you watch a trailer for a movie, shrug, and never watch the whole film, you can't really speak to whether there were Oscar-caliber performances in the piece, or whether it had good action sequences...

 

[beancounter]

I think it's clear that WoTC is primarily aiming for the preferences of people in their 20's and 30's. (no, not exclusively...)

They are the ones who brought D&D into the mainstream, and to not focus on them would be a mistake.

Us geezers, statistically only have 20-30 years of purchases left in us, whereas the 20 somethings have 50-60 years of potential sales to go.

 

[Minigiant]

I think it's clear that WoTC is primarily aiming for the preferences of people in their 20's and 30's. (no, not exclusively...)

They are the ones who brought D&D into the mainstream, and to not focus on them would be a mistake.

Us geezers, statistically only have 20-30 years of purchases left in us, whereas the 20 somethings have 50-60 years of potential sales to go.

I think it's less that you don't have as many years as much as it's you already have your books.

The ones who keep saying "I don't like the changes. Oh well I can easily convert my old book" obviously won't be the biggest target.

The biggest percentage of the target will be the generations who grew up with editions you can't convert easy or people without any books.

 

[Morrus]

Yes it is totally okay to do so. The main purpose of the cover is to get you buy it. If the art work is not to a person's liking, then they can skip it. Or in this modern internet on phones age. Pull up audio video film which I think is call ewe tube and watch reviewers review the book. And then they can make an more informed decision not to buy it. The only reason I have Eberron, Wildemount, and a few other books are they were $17.89 each which is under my $20 impulse buy. So it totally really totally to judge a book by the cover.

It's OK to judge a book by its cover, of course. Nobody would dispute that. I would argue that it's not in our own interests to do so, especially if the book is a major release for one's primary hobby, but people can do what they want.

 

[Greg Benage]

No, I saying the boss encounters are very over powered. And murder hobos will get curbed stomped if the DM does not play nice.

I'm old enough to remember when "unbalanced" encounters and an expectation that characters would choose their battles wisely was considered a core principle of old-school play and something that had been lost in the new-school "combat-as-sport" era.