Good day, gentlemen. Has anyone noticed a striking change in Dragon magazine?

[Ycore Rixle]

I think Dragon is finally back to being as great as it was in issues 1-120. 114 was my favorite, for those keeping track.

Things I like about Dragon now: Dungeoncraft, strategy articles like the "deadly monster combo" feature from a couple issues ago, prestige classes, feats, optional rules, monsters, spells, items, ecology articles, cartoons, history features like the history of warfare in the current War issue, and the fact that they finally, after a couple of decades, got their computer column done right by presenting RPG rules for CRPGs. Issue 306 was one of my recent favorites.

And that's just off the top of my head. There's not another magazine out there that I could instantly list so many great qualities for. Except maybe Dungeon.

Things I wish Dragon had: maps, poster maps, a "campaign world of the month" column, a "handout of the month" column (treasure maps, puzzle cryptograms, hieroglyph wheels, hidden-picture paintings, etc.), and, last but not least, an Annual.

As for the cover art, well, 114 and 306 are some of my favorites there, too.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Yeah, I've noticed changes...

Things change with time. After a 10 year hiatus, did Zogg really expect that the magazine would not have changed?

I think Paizo's work is superb. Anyone with a computer and a modem ought to be able to learn the who-what-when-and-how of Paizo. In that regard, the notion that Paizo is composed of "blue blood investors" is nonsense of the first order.

All I see in the first post on this thread is a bunch of extreme subjective ranting about how things used to be...

 

[Enceladus]

Micheal Whelan is probably the best sci/fi fantasy artist to ever live.

Ever.

Elmore isn't worthy to clean Michael's paint bucket.

 

[JPL]

Micheal Whelan is probably the best sci/fi fantasy artist to ever live.

Ever.

Elmore isn't worthy to clean Michael's paint bucket.

That Frazetta guy sure can draw a slave girl, I tell you what.

Helped me though an awkward adolesence.

 

[Zogg]

Re: Yeah, I've noticed changes...

All I see in the first post on this thread is a bunch of extreme subjective ranting about how things used to be...

Considering most of what I am referring to is artwork, marketing and general presentation, of course my statements are going to be subjective. You use the word like it's a bad thing.

As for the general idea that we all refer to things in the past as better than the status quo, that is often true. However, when you take Dragon #171 and Dragon #306 and compare and contrast, list what you do like and what you don't like, I would say that's a bit more analytical than nostalgic musings about how "soda tasted better".

I apologize if my post was not thorough enough - I currently don't have a list of exhibits prepared but given the time and interest I may very well do so. Oh, and I've got one of these too....

 

[geezerjoe]

I'll pipe in just for my little bit.

Right now I take Dragon issue by issue. I'm not as happy with the mag as I was at one time ... but more happy with it now than at other times. The quality (for me) just tends to do that ... sometimes what I like, sometimes not. Don't like it now? Give it a year or two. Publishers will follow the majority of their customers.

As for the rest .. rudeness (or not) and such ... I'm unimportant

l8r

Joe2Old

 

[JoeGKushner]

I've enjoyed Dragon since about issue #90. It has gone through some interesting changes. One thing that I've noticed one thing that has pleased me a little. The magazine doesn't quite cater as much to WoTC releases as it used to. I remember that an issue wouldn't go by without some blatant tie in to a WoTC sourcebook or adventure. Heck, even the adventurers WoTC was putting out came out

Now things like Incrusion I thought were pretty cool.

Likes like Open Game Content, I think are pretty cool.

Would I like to see more stuff like this in the future?

Yup.

Will I resubscribe when it comes around again?

Yup.

 

[geezerjoe]

Oh yeah ... I forgot to add ... a personal gripe

I hate the amount of comics right now!!!!!!

There used to be 1-3 full pages of funny comics to read EVERY month ... now we have to wait for April Fools Issue to get comics? Ungh. I loved the orignial little 1/4 page comics. I LOVE Phil and Dixie ... but sometimes it ... misses a bit. (?!?)

Anyway ... eventually they'll come back around, maybe.

even l8r

J2O

 

[Olive]

A couple of things:

I agree tht there are to many PrCs out there, but outside of the silicon sorcery section (which almost everybody agrees is the weakest part lof dragon) there have been hardly any in Dragon!!!

308: one PrC.
309: none.

Second: I like Dragon, I like Dungeon. I like magazines in general, and there's one thing I've noticed about magazines it's that if you buy it every month, then it's going to seem stale after a few months. It's the way it works. People's cries of "there's nothing interesting in Dragon these days" are really saying "I buy Dragon every month, and it's just as good as it always was, but I'm feeling a bit burned out on it". Thats why some people love Poly so much, because it really is a new idea. If you're not interested, then you ain't interested.

So if you're bored of Dragon, it's probably you, not the magazine.

As for the 'ENWorld is to politically correct', well, I've seen other boards, and I don't go to them. If you don't like participating in intelligent conversations with people, with guidelines and agreed upon standards of behaviour, then don't do it! I do like it, and that's why I come here pretty much every day.

 

[ergeheilalt]

I like all types of art. I find the old covers (most of them) to be very well done, although on a different level than the covers of today's dragon. For every 10 people who played back when dragon number 100 or 200 came out, there are 100 people who may have *just* seen the new dragon 305. In over a decade, tastes have changed with the main clientele of Dragon.

So what if the art is different from good ol' dragon 121, I buy magazines based on content. If I see a mag on Space or Robotics as a story deep in the magazine, while the cover depicts zoology or some such, does that mean the magazine isn't worth it?

While you do bring up a point that I find interesting and valid; the means by which you do not ameliorate your topic from the initial post.

Erge