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Message: <blockquote data-quote="buzz" data-source="post: 1929082" data-attributes="member: 6777">You know, I don't sweat balance. I'm the DM. If a certain combo is making Bannor more powerful than Balto, well, more orcs are going to attack Bannor. Simple. But, then, I don't play D&D to win, nor do I worry too much about all the numbers adding up. I just care about fun. If a product has an option or mechanic that sounds like it might be fun --and doesn't seem obviously mal-designed in some way-- I'm all for it. I don't feel a need as a DM to make all player choices fit into some prefectly-balanced, well-oiled machine. I want, both as a player and a DM, to see cool stuff happen in the game. If all the participants are happy, it's a success.Still, I admit that I will more readily buy WotC product sight-unseen than I will most other companies, save for a handful like Malhavoc and Green Ronin. Why? It probably has more to do with being a collector and completist than anything else. And, well, I consider WotC to be in that "handful" of quality d20 companies. (You can talk about "d20 companies" all you want, but don't for get that WotC is one, too.)As to Joe's original point... yeah, I get frustrated with those attitudes as well. The OGL was one of the best things that ever happened to D&D, let alone RPGs in general. I think to eschew the very diversity that the OGL enables is kind of counter-productive. I mean, WotC can only employ so many people. Some of the best designers in the d20 industry have never seen their names grace a WotC hardcover. While I will not fault anyone for not actively pursuing d20 product (money and time both being in short reserve for many of us), I do think that specifically eschewing these "alternative" products in the name of "keeping it core" is just plain silly.And, like I said, the pursuit of Perfect Balance is, IMO, a fool's errand. If I want balance, I'll hop on my Mac and fire up Quicken. (And then weep, oh, weep...)</blockquote>

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