Does EN World need a change of focus?

[Berandor]

I think the idea that Hong should become a scoop site for 4E, though probably in jest, bears some truth to it. What I would do is, don't let go off the news; it's part of the reason Hong is so popular. However, you might want to change your focus so that you don't post press releases on Hong's front page anymore.

Keep to scoops, previews, et al. Include tidbits found on the net regarding upcoming products.

Don't post "Hordes of the Fey is off to the printer", but post "according to Castlekeep's site Hordes of the Fey's new races will include one that can shoot love arrows".

Make Hong a rumor-mill again.

What's also important is that Morrus (especially, but also other people who "work" on Hong, moderators, tech staff, etc.) keep a public profile, i.e. post to the boards. I don't think Morrus is a very prolific poster on Hong, but maybe I'm just always missing his posts. That would re-instill or further the community aspect of the site. We'd feel at home because we know the owner, and we're not some of those people who are at a party simply because the front door is open

Also, by refocusing on scoops et al, I think you'd force publishers to post more often on Hong's boards, because they'd need to solicit public opinion and publicity itself without resorting to press releases. And getting to know the publishers is great, too. Heck, I know I've bought product simply because I knew the guy who wrote it from the boards and I wanted to give him a chance to convince me, a product I wouldn't have bought otherwise.

I think that would help getting Hong back on track.

 

[Imhotepthewise]

I come here for the tomfoolery...

Really, this site is where I spend most of my precious time I have to spare on the internet. The feature to download threads has been a godsend, for instance. I consider the people posting here to be the mastercrafters of rpgers. You teach me something new most every time I visit.

The thing that brings us all together here is our love of rpgs and DnD in particular. We would all miss it if it was gone.

As long as ENWorld's focus is on rpgs and DnD, it is on the right track.

 

[Gulla]

I was pointed here by a friend far back when Eric ran it, and is still using the site to get the news and the occational review. But after having been here for a while I started frequenting (or more precisely reading) the messageboards, and I really use a bit too much time here.

I was utterly confused by the rant yesterday, but now seem to have a (weak) understanding of the subject/problems.

For me the ENnies is not worth the problems they seem to be creating. And I wholeheartedly think Berandor's idea of 'scoopifying' the newspage is brilliant. It is ok as it is, but more scoop-style (back to the roots?) would improve it.

But all in all this is the single site I use moste time on, simply because there is so much readworthy material here.

Håkon Gaut

 

[BradfordFerguson]

Of course, it's up to the Powers That Be for what EN World's focus is, though it is apparent from the Morrus Rant forum thread that people come here for news and reviews.

Why do people come here for news? It's a central repository.
Who do people come here for D&D/d20 reviews? It has the most d20 reviews.

First advice: Make things simpler on the front page. Too many options can be overwhelming for people who aren't sure what they are looking for or don't know where to find it. This has been corrected in the past and needs to be reeled in again.
Second advice: Get rid of the ENWorld RPG. It's a great idea, but gets away from your focus and is a drain on bandwidth.

-----
Bradford Ferguson
D20 Filtered

 

[Angcuru]

I used to come here primarily for discussion about D&D and RPGs in particular, but since college and work don't leave much game time, that has slackened off a bit. I don't game as much as I'd like to. Heck, I hardly game at all. It's been almost a year since I bought a Rulebook or anything like that. So now I come here primarily for the community. The arguments, the jest, the general silliness and hilarity. And since Morrus started up the NWN ENWorld thing, I feel like now I can get some game time with the community, so it's kind of gone full circle for me. I like it just the way it is, but then again, I don't use the majority of the features on the site, just the messageboards. As long as they stay in full swing, I'm cool with it. 'Cause for me, ENWorld is about the community.

 

[BryonD]

I suppose it comes back to that mission statement concept - right now, I feel it is a press/news/media outlet, and I don't think that's what the site should be about.

But that is where it started.

I really don't believe that this site would be what it is today without having been that. It may very well have more than enough critical mass to maintain itself now. But it got to that point becaase this was THE PLACE to come for information. People came for that and stayed because they found other people looking for the same thing.

I am certain the publisher's are taking you for granted. But I think that you are also taking them for granted. You are THE MORRUS of THE ENWORLD. And the fact that the publishers acknowledged this site as THE PLACE to share info is what makes that true. Granted, that may not be as true now as it was in the past, but it still is true.

None of that is to say that you owe them or anyone else a single thing. You absolutely do not. But if you want ENWorld to keep being ENWorld you or someone else is just going to have to keep paying for tomorrow today in currency of time and headache. It isn't debt, it is just reality.

If you are sick of that, then by all means, dump it. But look into your options. Eric was awesome, but he got tired of it and walked away. And GOOD FOR HIM!!!!! You stepped in and took over and you were awesome. If you are tired, maybe someone else can take the reigns for a little while, at least.

Apologizes is any of that sounds preachy. I'm not trying to enlighten you or anything stupid like that. I hope I'm offering some constructive thoughts.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Something tell me I should keep my mouth shut but...

EN.World is a community, it is the place where gamers, publishers, insiders, designers, and a lot of others come because it is civilization. Year after year I have heard the stories of how wonderful the site is, I have read the thank yous in post for help and information, the jokes we have ribbed each other with, I have seen things turn bad too, threads closed and posters dislike other posters. BUT IT DID NOT MATTER BECAUSE WE WERE A COMMUNITY AND WE WERE FRIENDS. Something has been changing over the last year, I can't put my finger on it, I have felt it, I even discussed it at GENCON with a few.

Change the focus of EN.World? Maybe that is the problem, maybe the focus has already changed and what it once was is not longer that of what it was.

I think we forget that EN.World belongs to Morrus, that there is a cost in time and money, that the mods do their job for no other reason than love of the site. We have taken the day-to-day operations for granted, we have come to demand the site to be here for us, at our beck and call. We are the problem and I think all of us need to look to ourselves and what the site means and our focus to it, for the community is the sum of its parts.

 

[BSF]

I come here for community now. I like these people.

One thing I have noticed less of is a buzz surrounding new products. This is partially a result of the publishers hosting their own forums, their own communities. How about changing the News to the Buzz and start encouraging people to post rumors and speculation as oppossed to hard facts?

I'm only halfway joking. I would be serious if I had any ideas on how to actually pull it off.

 

[JeffB]

One thing I have noticed less of is a buzz surrounding new products. This is partially a result of the publishers hosting their own forums, their own communities.

And also because there are so darn many products now, and D20 companies, that I suspect most people really don't care that much anymore..at least to the degree we used to, even as far WOTC products go. There was the buzz about Eberron, but it paled in comparison to the buzz about The FRCS, or MotP, or BoVD. No excitement 'cos it's basically the S.O.S.The D20 Glut has hit, and unlike the first 2 years of 3E/D20, people are not clamoring to buy every book they can get their hands on....because of finances (so many books), and like Russ said in his rant, we have all the products we will ever need. When you have 50 companies producing the same types of books, it gets old real quick.

 

[Zudrak]

A few thoughts on this whole ordeal.

1) I used to come for the Creature Catalog, mostly, and to check in on new products. I still do the latter. The Tome of Horrors book ended my most pressing need at the time 3E came out. However, I have recently become a little more involved in posting and reading posts on the message boards because the gamers -- as always -- offer some of the best ideas for campaigns, house rules, storylines, and other "fleshing out" suggestions -- in addition to both Dungeon and Dragon magazines. EN World is STILL my first stop of any internet session.

2) Morrus has every right to lash out here, IMO. I sent him an email supporting his decision. The money-chasing that the industry as a whole has become involved in has sapped this gamer's desire to buy much new product. When Hasbro(ken) bought WotC, I feared the repercussions for the RPG industry. Instead of companies that are friendly to the gamers, they appear to be designating their customers not as friends, but rather as faces on dollar bills. It's disturbingly similar to how a used car salesman treats you -- polite, maybe, but leaving you with a "greasy" feeling.

3)
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffB
No excitement 'cos it's basically the S.O.S. The D20 Glut has hit, and unlike the first 2 years of 3E/D20, people are not clamoring to buy every book they can get their hands on....because of finances (so many books), and like Russ said in his rant, we have all the products we will ever need. When you have 50 companies producing the same types of books, it gets old real quick.

I agree 100% here.

My fear of Dragon magazine's recent change -- and of the bean-counters in the d20 industry at large -- is that we'll be so flooded with the same-old same-old of feats, prestige classes, and spells that Dragon will sound like a clanging gong every time an issue comes out. It will get old, IMO. The 3E compilation Book of Feats by Mongoose -- now more than a year old -- shows how exhaustive a list d20 feats has grown into. It's a tangle that I don't want to see magnified.

I have purchased Troll Lord Games' Gygax-series books recently that have helped me immensely, because they are mostly fluff and not crunch. I have enough crunch from WotC books and Dragon magazine that I'll never have to worry about the "Soggies" from the Cap'n Crunch commercials ever ruining my cereal (sorry for the obscure reference there). I want fluff. Lots of it. My ten years away from the game stunted my imagination. I want sparks to help spur me along. Gary Gygax's books, Living Fantasy, World Builder, and Insidiae, have helped me greatly. Those are the books that should be coming out now in greater quantity: books that propel the mind, causing you to think new ideas in your campaign and in your game. This is where I celebrate Dungeon's new format. The Monte Cook and Campaign Workbook articles rock. Both in-game and out-of-game topics are covered, but they all work towards making a better game.

I guess my points are:
+I like EN World the way it is. Go Morrus & Co. Go!
+I don't like WotC the way it is anymore.
+I detest Hasbro(ken) and its business theory, beliefs, and practices.
+I will skip 4E, like 2E, if it is released half-heartedly and/or within the next 5 years.
+More fluff. I want more fluff.