Dungeon Mag #101 - slight ranty.

[ThomasBJJ]

"I want to support my local store and not subscribe. "


I really don't get this qoute from the original post. If the magazine dies because there are not enough subscribers, you wont be buying it from your local store anyways, and neither will anyone else.

If you want the subscriber content, buy a subscription.

 

[Olive]

Please forgive my lack of journalistic skills, which is why I have held back so long relaying these “scoops”

No prolem, cos this is good to know...

They are planning on getting rid of the flip format since its novelty and usefulness are past and it is easier to publish without the flip. The Poly section will be right side up at the back of Dungeon with its own interior cover. They reassured us that it will be a real cover that will be easy to distinguish as such.

Sounds good to me.

Erik believes that while the mini-games are enjoyed and useful it might be time to reduce them to 4 a year instead of 6 so that they can focus more on all the other things (Living Greyhawk, Star Wars, and mini-game and crossover support content. He also understands that Dungeon readers find more use from things that they can tie into D&D more directly. He expects that at least one mini-game a year will be closer to D&D like the Spelljammer game.

This is really good news. I loved the first LGJ in Poly, and have been missing it sorely. Is there any in #101? Cos otherwise it will have been months!

When asked whether Call of Cthulhu material will be covered in Poly Erik replied that he really enjoys CoC personally, it is yet to be determined whether there will be any room in Poly for it since Star Wars really needs more space than it is getting.

Cool, at least there's a chance for CoC.

 

[Plane Sailing]

And my thought for the non-subscribers is real simple - SUBSCRIBE. If you are picking up the majority of the issues anyway you'll save money in the long run and have a more complete collection.

I've not followed the lengthy threads to know whether or not the subscription issue was actually resolved in the UK (and other parts of europe?) but at one point a subscription over here was a positive liability - they got your money, you didn't get anything

Cheers

 

[JoeGKushner]

I'm an on-off subscriber. I have a lot of the original Dungeons from way back when I believe you could only get it through subscription.

Dungeon is a good value is you use it.

Poly I'm not too crazy about. I loved Incursion though. If they could do more stuff like this and Spelljammer, I'd have no problem with it. I find that when it does stuff outside the standard like Gamma World or Mech Crusade, I'm just flipping through it to catch interesting ideas. I like my d20 fantasy based I suppose.

 

[el-remmen]

Personally,I never recovered from when Dungeon went color. . .

I've probably bought less than 6 copies since then.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

"I want to support my local store and not subscribe. "


I really don't get this qoute from the original post. If the magazine dies because there are not enough subscribers, you wont be buying it from your local store anyways, and neither will anyone else.

If you want the subscriber content, buy a subscription.

I fully understand this quote since I feel the same way. The reason I purchase Dragon, Dungeon and every other RPG product from my FLGS instead of subscribing or getting it online is that I want my FLGS to prosper a stay in business. Yes I pay more, but it is worth it to have a place to go and talk about the products as well as brouse through them liesurely before buying them. It also allows me a chance to have a place to buy used materials for all sorts of games.

Do I risk losing Dungeon by not subscribing, possibly but I would rather lose Dungeon than everythig else if my local store has to close instead. Is Dungeon going to fold because I buy it from the newsstand instead of subscribing, probably not. Paizo went to great lengths to say say that Dungeon is doing well and is not about to fold. Johnny's comment that it might was him lashing out in anger not that it was a real possibility.

Now I agree with KenM that I am upset that they have subscriber only content. I can understand wanting to reward subscribers, but they are already recieving the magazine at a substantial discount. While they plan on offering it online for an extra charge I am not particularly happy with this solution. Not everyone has a high speed connection, and a color printer. I would also rather have my content included with the magazine itself rather than some looseleaf printout. Wouldn't it be easier as well to only print one version of the magazine? Its not like the content doesn't already exist and is being printed so cost should realy be minimal and while newsstand purchasers may be a minority of readers is it really a good idea to alienate them. Let the subscribers be rewarded with thier price breaks that we readily accept.

 

[Painfully]

I remember fondly the moment I signed a subscription card at GenCon and took home issue #1. I looked forward to every issue wondering about what new ideas were between those covers. Now, with issue #101, I find myself wondering why Paizo bothers using the name Dungeon to show off just one adventure, and what sense does it make to be held hostage to subscribe so I can get the "subscriber only" items. That kind of marketing is punishing the store shoppers, no matter what Paizo calls it.

Store shoppers are being punished for not subscribing. That kind of marketing, or subscriber "perk," is exactly the kind of thing that gives me very bad vibes about doing business with the people at Paizo. I'd rather be a no sale, than put up with that kind of marketing strategy. Same goes for randomly packed minis, but that's a whole other thread.

I still love Dungeon Magazine, but there isn't much of it left these days, and lately I wonder if it is even worth my interest any more, much less my money. Congratulations, Paizo, for watering down my favorite magazine in to something I can barely acknowledge at my local game store.
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For all the Poly fans, I'm glad you're getting something you like. But, for me, putting the two magazines together is like asking a pair of siblings if they'd like to become permanently attached at the hips. It just feels like nobody can ever win.

If it came down to it, I would be willing to pay $10-14 for an issue of unspoiled Dungeon Magazine, whether every month, or every two months, it makes no difference to me. What does matter is that I be able to start wondering the way I did when I first subscribed to Dungeon, about what new kinds of people and places, monsters and magic, treasures and traps, and adventures I could look forward to within those covers. One adventure an issue isn't suitable for a magazine called Dungeon, and punishing store shoppers with subscriber only perks is very uncool when you're trying to show new gamers what a great magazine they should check out.

If issue #101 is any example, then Paizo can expect to lose a lot of gamers that really want to try to love their magazine, but just cannot hang on after so many discouraging changes.

 

[KenM]

If you want the subscriber content, buy a subscription.

Accually I'm going to get it the same way I got the stuff from issue 99. have my friend that subscribes copy the stuff for me. But this does not change the fact that I should not have to do that to get the same issue that is on the shelf that my friend gets in the mail.

 

[Numion]

They should've done the bundling like this:

Month 1: 100 % Dungeon, 0% Poly
Month 2: 0% Dungeon, 100%
Month 3: 100% Dungeon, 0% Poly etc...



Both Poly fans and Dungeon fans would get just what they want.

 

[Anubis the Doomseer]

Accually I'm going to get it the same way I got the stuff from issue 99. have my friend that subscribes copy the stuff for me. But this does not change the fact that I should not have to do that to get the same issue that is on the shelf that my friend gets in the mail.

So, in effect, you are going to steal content? Alright, but keep in mind that this form of protest will not win you friends, nor does it put you on any sort of moral high ground.

But the case is quite compelling - you save money buying a subscription, you get more content, and you have the added benefit that it comes to your door.

- Ma'at