Wyrmshadows
Explorer
The whole issue of a supposed glut is something I cannot get concerned about because as far as I know I have never seen a 3pp hold a gun to anyone's head and force a purchase. If you don't want it, don't buy it. The market will shake out the wheat from the chaff. 3pp who create good products will do well and survive, 3pp who create junk will fail.
IMO, WoTC helped the 3e glut along rather nicely with its constantly released sourcebooks that contained an endless stream of PrCs, feats and spells which IMO were often no better balanced, creative, innovative or imaginative that that produced by 3pp.
In some ways, the real glut was of PrCs and feats and not drow sourcebooks. The constant supply of new and shiney ability packages eventually made the core classes less and less attractive and caused DMs great consternation because the 3e mindset was that somehow if a DM said "no" he wasn't allowing his players the full D&D experience (whatever the hell that was). The glut of feats and PrCs allowed the creation of super-munchkin builds but this glut was driven by the market because players couldn't get enough of things.
3pp were certainly responsible for 3e/3.5e's glut, but WoTC was just as guilty if for different reasons.
Wyrmshadows
IMO, WoTC helped the 3e glut along rather nicely with its constantly released sourcebooks that contained an endless stream of PrCs, feats and spells which IMO were often no better balanced, creative, innovative or imaginative that that produced by 3pp.
In some ways, the real glut was of PrCs and feats and not drow sourcebooks. The constant supply of new and shiney ability packages eventually made the core classes less and less attractive and caused DMs great consternation because the 3e mindset was that somehow if a DM said "no" he wasn't allowing his players the full D&D experience (whatever the hell that was). The glut of feats and PrCs allowed the creation of super-munchkin builds but this glut was driven by the market because players couldn't get enough of things.
3pp were certainly responsible for 3e/3.5e's glut, but WoTC was just as guilty if for different reasons.
Wyrmshadows