Dragon 361 Editorial

[Alzrius]

Huh. I don't recall Dragon Magazine shutting down and calling it quits for several months when 2nd Edition was announced. 3.0 either. Or 3.5 for that matter. The magazine kept right on supporting the current version, and giving sneak peaks at the new.

QFT. Even a month before 3E came out, Dragon had great 2E content, and I find that some of the coolest 2E stuff in Dragon was after 3E was announced ("The Secret Library of Vecna").

It's true that, from a sales and marketing standpoint, the purpose of these previews is to basically convince us to buy subscriptions to DID Insider, and that there's no thought given to the marketability of the free previews after the new edition comes out. That, however, doesn't seem to do justice to Dragon. Dragon is supposed to give us stuff we can use, not try to create anticipation for things that are coming down the pike (and yes, the magazine did serve to promote new products in the past, but it almost always did so with a crunchy tie-in article). I can use new monsters or PrCs right now in my game - and even after 4E comes out, I can use them then if I'm still running 3.5E, or just want to convert it. I can't use teaser articles about 4E; either now, or after it's released.

Dragon, as it stands now, has no more utility - it's just WotC's billboard for 4E.

 

[Zaukrie]

here's what he wanted to say, but couldnt:

"sorry, we've leaned our staff down, and they are busy trying to crank out rules just 6 months before they are to be printed, distributed, and in the store. We don't really care about this DDI thing right now, we're too busy. But, really, trust us, when you have to start paying for it, it WILL be worth it, despite the fact we've not given you any reason to believe us, and we are just now interviewing for our lead IT person. Oh, and unlike when we went to 2.0, or 3.0, or 3.5, we just aren't inerested in supporting the thousands of dollars you've already spent with us, so, just grin and bear it."

 

[Vigilance]

QFT. Even a month before 3E came out, Dragon had great 2E content, and I find that some of the coolest 2E stuff in Dragon was after 3E was announced ("The Secret Library of Vecna").

Except for right now, it's FREE.

So you're getting FREE 3.5 adventures in e-Dungeon, and FREE fluff articles, along with 4e previews in e-Dragon, and you're complaining.

Nice.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

here's what he wanted to say, but couldnt:

"sorry, we've leaned our staff down, and they are busy trying to crank out rules just 6 months before they are to be printed, distributed, and in the store. We don't really care about this DDI thing right now, we're too busy. But, really, trust us, when you have to start paying for it, it WILL be worth it, despite the fact we've not given you any reason to believe us, and we are just now interviewing for our lead IT person. Oh, and unlike when we went to 2.0, or 3.0, or 3.5, we just aren't inerested in supporting the thousands of dollars you've already spent with us, so, just grin and bear it."

Much as I WANT to like 4e it feels like this is basically everything WoTC as a company has been saying. Not to piss on all the employees working there as individuals, I've met some of them and they seemed fine as individuals. But for the most part the official message of the company itself has turned me off, the marketing has been horrible. And this is odd considering that I've already houseruled in mechanics similar to what 4e promises to deliver. But the fluff being trotted out and the way its put out. It just seems like the more they say the worse it gets.

I mean are they actively trying to "eat the gun" as a company over 4e?

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Except for right now, it's FREE.

So you're getting FREE 3.5 adventures in e-Dungeon, and FREE fluff articles, along with 4e previews in e-Dragon, and you're complaining.

Nice.

It's free as a way to attract people into subscribing to DDI as a pay-service. Even though WoTC has a dismal track record where RPGs and the net meet. Quite simply put it's free to demonstrate that they CAN do it without screwing up, anyone remember E-tools? They've essentially killed the old print magazine and if they want subscriptions in the new format they'll have to prove it's worth the money. The FREE content is the cost you suck up to show your customers you can actually get it right when you make a change this massive.

 

[Vigilance]

It's free as a way to attract people into subscribing to DDI as a pay-service. Even though WoTC has a dismal track record where RPGs and the net meet. Quite simply put it's free to demonstrate that they CAN do it without screwing up, anyone remember E-tools? They've essentially killed the old print magazine and if they want subscriptions in the new format they'll have to prove it's worth the money. The FREE content is the cost you suck up to show your customers you can actually get it right when you make a change this massive.

And we're still getting free adventures and free fluff articles.

They just made a decision that giving us a lot of crunch wasn't the way to go.

And the previews for 4e.

Sorry, I really don't see how what they're doing is such a horrible, indefensible decision on their part.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

Wow; that editoral left me a bit cold.
I was apathetic about 4E when it was annouced, and I'm still apathetic about it.

But that editorial makes me feel like a Grognard.

Giving new rules that won't have relevance in a few months wasn't good for the game, and wasn't a good use of staff resources.

What about the (possibly sizable) group of people that have no intention of upgrading? There IS still six months to go until 4E launch.

Not only that, this "new incarnation" of Dragon doesn't really reflect well on the D.I., which (IMO) is off to a lackluster start to begin with.

We're not ignoring D&D 3.5; we're devoting precious writing and development time to it. Our 3.5 focus, though, is on adventures -- to keep you playing, and because we feel they're the most useful at this point in the game's life cycle.

Maybe it's just the way this is phrased, but it really leaves me cold for some reason.

You won't see much of a change in the free content (yes, I felt compelled to point out that we're dropping a hefty dime to get this content contracted, commission art, and pay freelance editors and typesetters to get it to you without expecting any compensation) in the next few months.

As some people mentioned, this does sound a bit negative to me. And again, the DI is NOT wowing me. THis is the time when you should be trying to "WOW" people into thinking they can't live without the DI.

And a point I feel compelled to respond to...
Vigilance wrote:

So you're getting FREE 3.5 adventures in e-Dungeon, and FREE fluff articles, along with 4e previews in e-Dragon, and you're complaining. Nice.

All due respect:
If I get into a sneak peek of a movie for free, does that mean I don't have the right to complain/critique it? I think people are just calling it as they see it with regards to eDragon and the DI. Regardles of if it's free or not, doesn't mean that if they give us subpar material, we should just accpet it without comments.

As I said, this is the time they should be WOWING us with the launch of the DI.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

And we're still getting free adventures and free fluff articles.

They just made a decision that giving us a lot of crunch wasn't the way to go.

And the previews for 4e.

Sorry, I really don't see how what they're doing is such a horrible, indefensible decision on their part.

I'm not sure that it's a horrible, indefensible decision on their parts, but if their objective is to get me to buy into the DI during the free trial period, they are failing miserably at it.

 

[Alzrius]

So you're getting FREE 3.5 adventures in e-Dungeon, and FREE fluff articles, along with 4e previews in e-Dragon, and you're complaining.

No one is complaining about the adventures. e-Dungeon seems to be doing just fine. Please be clearer about what you're referring to before you make sarcastic statements.

As for the fluff articles, they were always free. WotC has been posting them on their website long before they nixed the print Dragon, however, they're now hosting those articles under Dragon's banner, which flies in the face of how the magazine was meant to be useful as a crunch resource (or even a fluff resource for the game, instead of previews for the next edition).

I'd rather pay for crunch, than get preview fluff for free, but they've no longer given us that option.

 

[Reynard]

They just made a decision that giving us a lot of crunch wasn't the way to go.... I really don't see how what they're doing is such a horrible, indefensible decision on their part.

It isn't horrible or indefensible -- it is just a bad idea. Six months is a long time. There is plenty of 3.x gaming left to be had. What's more, making people think of e-Dragon as the first, best place to get their D&D fix is good for the future of the magazine and therefore the D&DI and therefore D&D. Simply ignoring a segment of the player/consumer base -- the people that like to use new crunch, even if they homebrew their own setting and adventures -- in hopes that they'll stick around anyway strikes me as both dubious reasoning and more than a little insulting to that player/customer base.

But then, it seems that WotC's attitude has been, since the announcement of 4E, that D&D players and DMs will go along with whatever, simply following the brand without question. I hope they are wrong. I hope everyone who is dissatisfied with the electronic Dragon refuses to subscribe to the D&DI; I hope that everyone who doesn't like the 4E design philosophy simply doesn't buy the new edition; I hope that those that prefer D&D as it is support those companies that continue to produce quality 3.x materials. Whether or not these people are enough to make a dent in WotC's bottom line is irrelevent -- the point is that no company, especially one that produces entertainment, should feel so confident in their brand power that they are willing to wager a portion of their paying customer base without suffering the consequences for doing so.