D20 Filtered: What do you think?

[BradfordFerguson]

All right, d20 fans... I started an ezine with all of you in mind called D20 Filtered. The first issue of D20 Filtered is now available for free download. D20 Filtered is an ezine that is focused on D&D, d20 fantasy, and D20 Modern reviews, interviews, and news. It is 57 pages and ZIP'd up in a 5.0 megabyte file that is located here:

http://www.silven.com/publishing/productlines.asp?case=showproduct&id=15

The September 2004 issue of D20 Filtered features 18 reviews, "d20 Modern RPG Buyer's Guide," interviews with Monte Cook and Philip J. Reed, pictures from Privateer Press' new RPG miniatures line, and two exclusive map tiles from SkeletonKey Games' line of e-Adventure map tiles.

Reviews included: Aberrant d20, d20 Future, Dave Arneson's Blackmoor, DragonMech, Dragon Magazine, Dungeon Magazine, Desert Ruins e-Adventure Tileset, Eberron Campaign Setting, Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin, From Stone to Steel, Iron Kingdoms Character Guide, Lords of the Night : Zombies, Planar Handbook, Races of Stone, Shadows of the Last War, Serpent Kingdoms, and World War II Heroes.

Reviews were written by Shane Cubis, Dana Lynn Driscoll, Bradford Ferguson, Matthew Haught, Joe Kushner, and Melissa Piper.

Anyhow... check it out and let me know what you think. I'm anxious to hear what people think of it, even the grognards who can't get enjoyment out of anything. Hey, I game with y'all so relax.

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Bradford Ferguson
D20 Filtered

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I'd like to subscribe, but I do not and can not use paypal. Is there a physical address to where I can send payment?

 

[BradfordFerguson]

Payment and Costs

The September 2004 issue, or issue #1, is free as a PDF or electronic magazine. But I am selling the printed version of it on a limited basis in Chicago or to people who pre-order through me. (limited = collector's issue) The print version will have a color cover with a black & white interior.

Prices:
Print issues cost $7.00 and shipping is an additional $1.00 per issue.
Future PDFs will be sold for $4.95 through RPGNow.com, DriveThruRPG.com, and lulu.com.

If you would like to subscribe to the print version, right now all I can offer is a 6-month subscription for $40. Printing costs are kinda high though I found a decent deal in Express Media (located somewhere around Tennessee). If subscription rates go down in the near future, then I will refund the difference. People who order the print version will also receive a D20 Filtered bookmark.

For now, I will personally accept payment for print magazines, e-mail me at bradford dot ferguson at gmail dot com and I will provide my address to you. If interest grows, I will have to register as a business!

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Bradford Ferguson
D20 Filtered

 

[sinmissing]

I read a good portion of the issue. Interesting read. I like the grading system, cute. One nitpick. I don't like PDFs to be columnar. Just me, but I read most PDFs without printing. I'm sure I'm in the minority.

 

[BradfordFerguson]

Thank you for the nitpick. If the ezine used a single column, then I'm not sure the paragraphs would look OK with the smaller text. The paragraphs would probably look small. If there was a "printer-friendly" version with no pictures, would you print it out?

-Bradford

 

[sinmissing]

I wouldn't print it either way, unless I was taking something to the gaming table. I'm one of the few people I know that doesn't mind reading online, yet I still don't use a pc at the gaming table.

 

[Tinner]

Good stuff, but ...

I liked the issue, I think you have a good idea here.
However, I can't see paying for what essentially is just a set of reviews.
Yes, I recognize that you had interviews and a couple map tiles, but the bulk of this issue is reviews. Why would people pay for those? They are available for free all over the net (including here on ENWorld.org)
As a nit pick on the reviews as well, the number rating system seems to work fine. But why include the sole "Busted" for a single product? If it's a stinker, give it a number, so I know how bad it is. "Busted" is arbitrary, and were I the publisher of said product, I'd be a little miffed about a "comical" rating like that.
Back to the issue of pricing - I'd read this regularly if it were free, but I wouldn't drop $5 for a pdf of this and I'd laugh at $7 for a print version.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure those are viable costs on your end. I just don't percieve the value for me as a consumer.
Have you considered using advertising to offset this price?
I know that's a touchy matter for a zine that's essentially all reviews, but considering that the competition ie. other reviews are free, you've got a hard sell ahead of you to get readers IMO.

 

[sinmissing]

yeah, a "natural 1" woud have been in theme.

 

[BradfordFerguson]

Thank you Tinner. I agree that it will be a tough sell, but I think it has utility to it (more on this later). The 4.95 price point on the PDFs is tough because that's the minimum order for an RPGNow.com checkout. If I put it lower, then I would be faced with the possibility that people will "wish list" the issue and never buy it or quit the process all together. Plus, it cost money to produce, paying reviewers, layout, and editing. I'm not complaining, just explaining. I can't really do much with the print version price if I want stores to try and sell it. With the retailer discount, I can't really sell it below $7 MSRP right now. This is because it costs a certain amount to print and I will be selling to retailers at my cost to print it. Not complaining, just reality... Keep reading... (I think you're probably right about advertising)

Wide World of D20 books... What if I told you that I basically follow the d20 industry as a full time job and still can't keep tabs on everything? Either I'm slow or there's lots of D20 stuff coming out all the time. I've talked to a store owner who focuses on D&D and d20 ordering and they cannot keep up with everything either. So what does the normal person do with a limited amount of time? They narrow their search to favorite publishers, favorite authors, or genres that they are comfortable with. But why limit yourself? What about the next Blue Devil Games... haven't heard of them? They're awesome... Anyhow...

With D20 Filtered, we do all the research and work for you, and we go through the trouble of providing art in our reviews (though some are immune to pretty pictures). I started doing art in d20 reviews in March with Silven Crossroads and continue to do so with D20 Filtered and Silven and myself continue to be the only folks with art in RPG reviews. It's a pain to get art lined up for RPG reviews, but we do our best.

The magazine represents over 150 "man hours" each month. Would you rather have fun creating and playing games or researching products? Also, it's all in one place and the products do not share space with mediocre or bad products (There will be one or no busts each issue). There is no listing on the net of the best and most timely reviews. There are (biased) listings of the best products. There are listings of the most recent products, but nothing that combines the two.

I agree that the bust stamp is kinda harsh, but the premise of D20 Filtered is to review the best, most promising, or most anticipated products. If we review a product and it doesn't do what it sets out to do or just stinks, then it's a bust. Overall the scores are fun, but they really don't matter. If the reviewer is doing his/her job, then s/he will convey what you need to know in the text of their review so that you can relate it to your desires and tastes without needing to see a score.

If you read the Planar Handbook review and see that the criticisms are things that would annoy or bore you too, then do you really need a number that is 10 or lower in order to decide you don't think you would like it either? Or maybe the criticisms don't bother you personally and then you are going to look into the praise or look to what other sources are saying.

In summary, D20 Filtered should pay for itself in its customers minds by saving them time researching products, by saving them money spent on products that you end up not liking or go to the bottom of your bookstack, and by pointing out products that you end up enjoying more than the product you were intending on getting before you heard about something else that is cool. What's your time worth to you?

Thank you again for the comments. Sorry for my long-winded post.

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Bradford Ferguson
D20 Filtered

 

[sinmissing]

What I think would be a neat feature is the one page d20 accessory. An accessory that adds to the game, whether as a gm tool, new rule, monster, what have you. The one page idea keeps thing succinct, and too the point.

Just 2 more cents.