Traveon Wyvernspur
First Post
Yep, I totally agree as well. That'd be nice for the work they do to help get more people involved in the hobby.
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Help me get WOTC to release Siege of Gardmore Abbey Publicly
- Thread starter Jools
- Start date
Primitive Screwhead
First Post
I don't go to Cons, don't have time to be a DM for special events.. but would love to have the 'hamlet of Homlett' and 'sieage of...', even if it was offered for sale a year after the event.
I mean, its not like you would lose much by selling a product you have sitting on the shelf?
And maybe that would perk interest for the next convention/game day!
Print on demand would be the way to go, or ebook format {kindle}
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I mean, its not like you would lose much by selling a product you have sitting on the shelf?
And maybe that would perk interest for the next convention/game day!
Print on demand would be the way to go, or ebook format {kindle}
Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk
Okay, Gargoyle, I've got little counter to your arguments. Conceded. I'm afraid I've become resigned to knowing too many people who do think there's no reason to buy anything they can acquire for free, legally or not.
As for work, yeah, it can be. That doesn't mean it can't also be fun.
As for work, yeah, it can be. That doesn't mean it can't also be fun.
I know that a group of us just share a DDI account for the reason that right now content is at an all time low, and until they make available the original character sheet for the online version I really don't use much of the website. I used to visit it daily sometimes, but now 1-2 times a week, Monday and Friday. I have sent WOTC many private messages on things such as having these modules available for download and how 20 slots for the online character builder is an insult- HARD DRIVE are CHEAP!! those files are 120Kb or so. I have roughly 600+ characters on my old version CB on my hard drive. For 70$+ a year they can take just 10% of that and together with all the other members buy lots of hard drives space. Yes I know server hard drives are more expensive I do I.T. work but 20 slots, thats about 2 meg a person. I close with that piracy is a terrible thing but it's going to happen, you can find books released only 2 weeks ago already online in PDF form. Books cost good money to produce even when printed in China, I know WOTC initially had PDF versions of their books available when D&D 4th came out and they are fools for not making them available again as PDFs w/water marks at prices cheaper than the physical books.
Grymnet
Grymnet
Alphastream
Hero
I hear what you are saying, Grymnet. I agree that limitations on cloud storage are a problem. They do tell us they are aware of this, but the change hasn't been made.
I also agree that WotC should be less paranoid around piracy and instead offer old content on pdf. For example, the excellent Dark Sun AD&D sourcebooks are already available through piracy, but offering them as a pdf bundle or series of bundles would likely mean very low cost on their end and bring in some revenue. (I own all the originals, but I would be glad to buy an official pdf version. I would also buy a physical reprint bound in a special way at some ludicrous price). WotC clearly considers online offerings. I keep meeting WotC staff at conventions that say they want to offer this kind of content. And there was a slip-up at the Gen Con new product seminar where they mistakenly mentioned that they had been considering an Eberron pdf bundle. It will happen and is just a question of how long we have to wait.
In terms of DDI content, I don't agree that it is at an all-time low. When I look at this month's Kara-Tur themed content, I see a lot of exciting content. I like the quality of the work the authors I see named have produced in the past. (Disclaimer: I am also an author for Dungeon this month... there goes the quality!).
Sure, we aren't seeing the class features we once saw several times a week, but it was a terrible idea for them to be releasing so much class content back then. There was a time when twice a week I was reading new powers for one of my LFR PCs and then changing that PC. That's untenable. The current pace may seem slow, but it is far better for the balance and longevity of the game. I really feel that the content is at or near an all-time high. And, I certainly feel that DDI is worth the money I pay. I find it to be a tremendously high value.
The simple test is going to the bookshelf and picking a random issue of Dungeon or Dragon and comparing it to a recent month of DDI. When I do that I don't find that there is any drop in content quality. Sure, I might see fewer feats/powers/magic items, but I honestly don't think we need that much more of it (and it is better to have it themed in a release like Heroes of Elemental Chaos than in Dragon). Beyond that, the Compendium, Character Builder, Monster Builder (finally!), and VTT really are an impressive offering.
But, all of this is fairly off-topic from WotC releasing Siege of Gardmore Abbey. I do really think they should provide it as a DDI adventure, and I'll keep bugging them about it. Everyone should!
I also agree that WotC should be less paranoid around piracy and instead offer old content on pdf. For example, the excellent Dark Sun AD&D sourcebooks are already available through piracy, but offering them as a pdf bundle or series of bundles would likely mean very low cost on their end and bring in some revenue. (I own all the originals, but I would be glad to buy an official pdf version. I would also buy a physical reprint bound in a special way at some ludicrous price). WotC clearly considers online offerings. I keep meeting WotC staff at conventions that say they want to offer this kind of content. And there was a slip-up at the Gen Con new product seminar where they mistakenly mentioned that they had been considering an Eberron pdf bundle. It will happen and is just a question of how long we have to wait.
In terms of DDI content, I don't agree that it is at an all-time low. When I look at this month's Kara-Tur themed content, I see a lot of exciting content. I like the quality of the work the authors I see named have produced in the past. (Disclaimer: I am also an author for Dungeon this month... there goes the quality!).
Sure, we aren't seeing the class features we once saw several times a week, but it was a terrible idea for them to be releasing so much class content back then. There was a time when twice a week I was reading new powers for one of my LFR PCs and then changing that PC. That's untenable. The current pace may seem slow, but it is far better for the balance and longevity of the game. I really feel that the content is at or near an all-time high. And, I certainly feel that DDI is worth the money I pay. I find it to be a tremendously high value.
The simple test is going to the bookshelf and picking a random issue of Dungeon or Dragon and comparing it to a recent month of DDI. When I do that I don't find that there is any drop in content quality. Sure, I might see fewer feats/powers/magic items, but I honestly don't think we need that much more of it (and it is better to have it themed in a release like Heroes of Elemental Chaos than in Dragon). Beyond that, the Compendium, Character Builder, Monster Builder (finally!), and VTT really are an impressive offering.
But, all of this is fairly off-topic from WotC releasing Siege of Gardmore Abbey. I do really think they should provide it as a DDI adventure, and I'll keep bugging them about it. Everyone should!
Alphastream
Hero
It was tremendously cool to see it released. It was nice to see the author so excited at its release too. The issue was great, including a bunch of really cool new artwork. This is a fantastic introduction to an even more fantastic adventure (and likely the best 4E adventure published).
Jester David
Hero
My standard comment on this is that if TSR had the same attitude as WotC to convention modules and special, no one would remember the Slavers series, Against the Giants, the Tomb of Horrors, and many, many other classics.
Alphastream
Hero
The early adventures were being written at a time when the RPG community was a lot like a moderately extended small clubhouse. Running adventures for one another was a normal part of things, but selling them was not. Then other companies started to create scenarios... and that's when they turned to publishing those convention scenarios. Those adventures then lived on store shelves for decades.
That isn't a good comparison to today's situation. There are both good and bad reasons for why DnD hasn't turned convention materials into printed ones. On the bad side, there have been times (3-8 year stints, several times), where it seems both TSR and WotC have felt that the RPGA was inferior, a cost, or gave content away (eroding profit/revenue). I think in most cases it has simply been too distracting and required resources they didn't have to figure out the good stuff and bring it up to snuff. For example, the Ashes of Athas stuff is an incredible word count total for the campaign. Reviewing that would have been a lot of work and pulled talent away from other projects. I can understand why it didn't happen, even if it would have been nice to see.
On the plus side, I think the public has been vocal enough about seeing certain work as worthy of publishing (such as Gardmore or Encounters seasons). Wizards has come to support that, though what we are seeing is them publishing the work they have commissioned. They aren't republishing 'RPGA' stuff, such as LFR. I think that may be a reasonable model. Hopefully, they are going to start including this in the design for teams; a gameday or convention one-shot would be planned from the start to later be available as a printed product. This could really create some exciting possibilities... I can imagine some great Gen Con Open adventures that gamers would love to both play at a con and own for home play!
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