D&D 5E D&D Team Productivity?

[Umbran]

Because the truth is, nobody, including WotC knows whether the middle ground or their current rate is better.

Well, note that they are already in a middle ground - they are between "the old rate" and "zero".

From there, it isn't actually about "knowing". It is about risk assessment and tolerance. And, well... you and I have very little skin in that game. It is really easy to suggest that they can put out more safely when your income isn't on the line over the choice.

 

[Mistwell]

It would be decent productivity if it was in fact WotC producing 4 books of a new content a year. But they're not. Some of their productivity is due to rehashing old material and outsourcing production. The actual content generated by WotC is lower than 4 books a year.

They write a whole lot of stuff for release on DMsGuild. A huge ton of support over the years for AL. Nobody ever seems to consider it as productivity. Which baffles me.

 

[Mistwell]

There is a middle ground, though.

Yes we've heard that for years. And you've heard the response of "this IS the middle ground" for years. There will always people who want more. You've always been on the "we want more" side of that topic. Such that your "middle ground" looks different than the middle ground for many others.

 

[Mistwell]

Their output is certainly lower than previous editions. And...? What conclusion are you drawing from this?

I find their output to be higher than 1e production, and lower than 3e and 4e production (I missed most of 2e).

 

[Oofta]

I have no idea how many would be "right" amount, just that pushing out a book a month didn't work.

I know I have more than enough, someone else might want a book a week. For some things there is no right answer, which is about the only answer that can be given.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, note that they are already in a middle ground - they are between "the old rate" and "zero".

From there, it isn't actually about "knowing". It is about risk assessment and tolerance. And, well... you and I have very little skin in that game. It is really easy to suggest that they can put out more safely when your income isn't on the line over the choice.

That's not the middle ground I'm speaking about. 1e had a slow release rate, as did BECMI. 2e, 3e and 4e had high release rates. 5e is back to slow. The middle ground between the two has never been tried.

 

[Stormonu]

I wouldn't mind a couple more books a year, but not at the rate of 2 per month like in 2E (and I think 3.5E!).

Also, D&D has used contractors (I'm drawing a blank on the actual term) for years. It's easier to pay work-for-hire on specific projects than keep someone on-staff 24/7.

Book bindings could be better though - the new books don't hold together nearly as well as my pre-3E books. I still have an '83 1E PHB, MM & DMG with intact bindings, despite the amount of abuse they've been through.

 

[Umbran]

That's not the middle ground I'm speaking about. 1e had a slow release rate, as did BECMI. 2e, 3e and 4e had high release rates. 5e is back to slow. The middle ground between the two has never been tried.

I think you're rather arbitrarily claiming 1e and 5e release rates both are the same "slow". I bet that if you work out, say, pages of (non-magazine) content per year, 1e will turn out to be significantly slower than 5e.

 

[Bravesteel25]

I can't help but wonder if part of the problem is that everything has be a big glorious full-color hardback. I feel like they could do several softcover releases the size of 3.X adventures or splat books for every one hardcover that someone may or may not be interested in. I dunno, I'm not in the publishing industry, I'm probably way off base on that.

 

[Parmandur]

That's not the middle ground I'm speaking about. 1e had a slow release rate, as did BECMI. 2e, 3e and 4e had high release rates. 5e is back to slow. The middle ground between the two has never been tried.

5E is faster than 1E. What particular reason is there to think that this is not the middle ground? It's certainly the most stable business model so far.