Dungeon #99 - Is the end near?

[Seule]

Hijinx has the same utility as most mini-games for me: something to run at cons. The perfect one-off game, provide some characters and off you go! It actually seems better than most mini games for that purpose, as I like running silly games at conventions.

--Seule

 

[LGodamus]

some people are saying they can get tons of free adventures of the net, so there is no point in payin for dungeon. For me though, while you can get adventures of the net, 95% of them either have horrible editing, are very low quality, or simply have so many errors they may as well not even be d20. So in effect when I pay for dungeon I pay for convinience.. the convenience of not having to sift through the mountains of garbage on the net , and the convenience of it being dropped on my doorstep in a nice little package with art and in a magazine format that is easy to take to my game....

 

[Lazybones]

I've never run a mini-game and probably never will. Some were interesting to read (e.g. Omega World), but most were just curiosities that I browsed when I was done with the Dungeon content. I admit I thought that the entire concept for the hijinx mini-game was pretty stupid.

I let my subscription expire when I found out about the coming change. I didn't mind getting Poly as a supplemental that took up 20% of the overal mag, but I don't want to get an issue that's 60% Poly. I still feel that overall the product is a decent purchase, but I can't see wasting money on content that I will never really use.

And the subscribers-only "bonus" material is clearly an effective marketing tactic, based on the other comments here, but I can't help but feel a bit cynical at being manipulated into getting that undesired content. Otherwise, I'd just buy the odd-month Dungeon-centric issues; now I'll probably just buy 1 or 2 exceptional issues and forget about the rest.

Unless they separate the magazines (unlikely) or offer a partial subscription offer (every-other month, to get the Dungeon-centric issues only), I think that my days as a Dungeon subscriber are done.

 

[Thomasson]

Also, did you notice that in issue #99 they only printed positive letters, and none remarking on the changeover to the new format? Sure, its their right to print whatever letters they want, but it stikes me as a bit odd since every other issue of Dungeon has always included a mix of constructive criticism and praise in the letters section.

I've been unwilling to comment on a lot of the other complaints I've been reading about Dungeon lately, in this and other threads. The fact is, I've come to accept that we can only do the best we can, and we're never going to please everyone. Never.

However, I find this comment personally offensive. The implication that we would slant our letters to make ourselves look better is insulting. That sort of behavior would be unethical, in my opinion, and the allegation is out of line. You might be unhappy with the magazine; please, feel free to send your comments to us directly if it appeals to you. But please refrain from this sort of bashing. When you make this sort of comment, you're directing it, intentionally or not, at the staff, not the product.

To clear up this little "misunderstanding," here's how we select the letters we print:

Is the topic interesting? If the letter is in regards to a topic that's already been beaten to death in "Prison Mail," we're unlikely to print it. We'll still read the letter and keep track of general opinions, but most folks don't want to read about whether vile content should be in the magazine, for example, month after month after month. Occasionally, we'll see a letter on an old topic with a new view. That's why we printed a new letter on the vile debate in issue #99. But mostly, once people start rehashing old viewpoints, it's time to let the debate out of the magazine.

Is the letter coherent? If we can't understand what point the letter is attempting to communicate, it's likely our readership won't, either.

Does the letter have something to do with a recent issue? These are our favorites, good or bad. If a letter addresses something specific from a recent issue, we'll likely print it if it isn't too long. If it addresses an editorial, it allows us to strike up a dialogue with the reader. That's cool too.

Finally, is it polite? If someone writes us a letter of complaint but drops lots of F-bombs or calls us buttheads repeatedly, we're not going to print it, especially since we typically get enough constructively critical letters to print that don't need these. Also, we don't end up looking like jerks for printing these letters; the authors do. And we don't like to do that to people who probably shot their mouth off in the heat of the moment.

As for issue #99, most of the letters came in on the heels of #97, a very popular issue. The fact is, it was a rare case of not getting any critical comments that month we could print. Implying that we're manipulating our letters to get good press couldn't be further from the truth.

 

[dsfriii]

Changes to Dungeon

The fact is, I've come to accept that we can only do the best we can, and we're never going to please everyone. Never.

And I do not expect you to please everyone. But I think there is a very, very large minority of Dungeon Fans that feel that your product has gone down hill, and your organization really does not seem to be listening to this section of customers. There seems to be an aditude of you company that we will just have to deal with your changes and we should shut-up and deal with it.

Well I as a member of this community has had enough. I have been loyal buy Dungeon (off the rack) for the past couple years and I was looking forward to your organization's take over of the company and to see the magazine improve. I was getting ready to subscribe, but the past couple issues have left me felt like I was robbed by your company.

So I guess I will inform your organization in the best way I can of my displeasure, by voting with my wallet and choosing not to purchase the magazine.

 

[Jody Butt]

The end has come. Issue 99 was the last straw.

Dungeon used to be a great periodical devoted to the Dungeons and Dragons game. Now, we get 60% polyhedron content every other month . . . with crap like Hijinks! Hijinks, for the love of all that is holy! Is this for 10 year old girls, or what?! I wouldn't be caught dead reading this prepubescent garbage in public.

No more Dungeon for me.

 

[bwgwl]

Hijinks, for the love of all that is holy! Is this for 10 year old girls, or what?!

anything that brings more people into gaming, whether they're ten years old, female, or both, seems like a good thing in my book.

 

[Jody Butt]

anything that brings more people into gaming, whether they're ten years old, female, or both, seems like a good thing in my book.

Keep the 10 year old girls over there, and the adults over here. Don't mix them. If I go to the theatre to watch "Requiem for a Dream", I don't want to see "Bambi" instead.

 

[Silver Moon]

Keep the 10 year old girls over there, and the adults over here. Don't mix them. If I go to the theatre to watch "Requiem for a Dream", I don't want to see "Bambi" instead.

Actually, my 10 year old daughter has been helping me with my weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for the past year. She helps me design rooms, create NPC's, develop new magic items, and plot adventures. While she is far too young to actually play in our adult group, and I always give her an age-appropriate version of what happened in the game, I would not make the assumption that this game cannot also be for her. I will probably be starting a group for her and her friends in the very near future.

 

[senodam]

#99 was actually one of my favourite issues- Quadripartite being possibly the second Dungeon adventure to see use in my game since the the dawn of 3e. As for Hijinks, well look at it like this- don't most of us bemoan the lack of nice new ideas in the D20 market? As far as I recall Erik Mona has always promised us originality, and IMO Hijinks was certainly that.

P.s- Hope nobody sees me as being all unpleasant and rude here..I always seem to come off wrong in my posts Peace.