Do you really think they haven't considered kickstarter? I can't imagine it wouldn't have come up in any of their planning meetings. There must be a reason why they have chosen not to go that route.... if they utilitalized kickstarter for all, but key products they could make sure every such product is profitable and that they're is a large enough market for it.
[MENTION=957]BryonD[/MENTION]: Let's not forget that these guys are gamers too. I'm not sure that saying they don't want to make more books is accurate. I'm sure that they personally would love to make more books. It's just that they're unable to do so, for the reasons you stated. And so they try to put a positive spin on it. Wouldn't you do that too, though? Do we really want to hear them say, "We can't afford to release more books per year than this because it's not profitable"?
[MENTION=6776548]Corpsetaker[/MENTION]: Perhaps he does have a clue, and it's just that your experience is not as common as you seem to think it is. Maybe he's got market research that would put you in the minority. You always seem so eager to see the worst in WotC employees. Try putting yourself in their shoes. Chris and Mike et al are people too. What would you do if you were in their position, in charge of a great game with much gravitas but in a vastly reduced position, forced to rely on ex-colleagues to help you out? Wouldn't you try to put as positive a spin on things as possible too?
I mean that it's a punishment for the characters (since players don't become mortared) whose players aren't interested in diving into the god-lore. I'm not generally of the opinion that PC's need to be punished when their players aren't engaged in the setting. Rather, I need to give players a carrot - something they get for caring.
No, I don't consider it harsh. I think that knowing the basics about one deity is an extremely low bar to entry and one that even a complete newbie should be able to manage without having to be coaxed and rewarded. It's meant to be an important part of the setting. I understand if someone doesn't have the time to read up on the whole pantheon (it's huge), but you don't have to do that. Just know the name of the deity your character follows and what that deity's domains are.You don't think that's a bit harsh? Most of the people in my Tyranny of Dragons campaign are new to D&D as well as the Realms. I've drip-fed them some setting info as we've gone along, but for the most part they haven't really delved that deeply into the details on their own, nor do I really expect them to.
No, I don't consider it harsh. I think that knowing the basics about one deity is an extremely low bar to entry and one that even a complete newbie should be able to manage without having to be coaxed and rewarded.
It's meant to be an important part of the setting. I understand if someone doesn't have the time to read up on the whole pantheon (it's huge), but you don't have to do that. Just know the name of the deity your character follows and what that deity's domains are.
If you can't choose for yourself, you can ask the DM to recommend one, or heck, just close your eyes and point to the page at random. And if even that is too much of a burden somehow, ask if you can defer the decision until it comes up in-game. "My character knows who he follows, but I haven't decided yet" is different from "My character follows no deity at all." And if you object to playing a character who follows a deity at all, then either the Realms are not for you, or you should be prepared to have the character go to the wall of souls.
This would have been complained about even more with people declaring they can't play a priest of 2/3rds of the gods because they weren't deemed important enough to get a writeup. It would also have borne a striking resemblance to how 4th ed handled the gods. Only a few gods were killed or merged (relatively speaking). The majority were simply left undetailed, and yet it was a major complaint.Yeah, another slightly odd choice for a player's guide...for a more player-focused experience, they might've given a list of gods for each domain, and then described maybe 1-3 (depending on page count) in deep detail.
I've never had someone choose god(s) they pay homage to because they had to, but instead because they want to. Those who do get better immersion in the city, aid in times of need and potential plothooks.I need to give players a carrot - something they get for caring. "Because my character will have a bad afterlife" isn't a reason for the player at the table to really care. But, like, "because I'm eligible for this particular perk" might be
This would have been complained about even more with people declaring they can't play a priest of 2/3rds of the gods because they weren't deemed important enough to get a writeup.
It would also have borne a striking resemblance to how 4th ed handled the gods. Only a few gods were killed or merged (relatively speaking). The majority were simply left undetailed, and yet it was a major complaint.
I've never had someone choose god(s) they pay homage to because they had to, but instead because they want to. Those who do get better immersion in the city, aid in times of need and potential plothooks.