D&D 5E How many gamers ACTUALLY play in AL?

[Psikerlord#]

The Expeditions adventures are used to support D&D play in public: in conventions and in stores. Or in gaming clubs that are affiliated with a store.

By making them available in such a fashion, they help support local stores, something Wizards considers extremely important.

Note that you can also now play them online as long as the game is streamed so other players can view it. The Facebook group for online play is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineadventureleague/

Cheers!

Fair enough - but none of those are reasons why you would not also make them available to the public. For shame, WOTC! For shame!

 

[MerricB]

Fair enough - but none of those are reasons why you would not also make them available to the public. For shame, WOTC! For shame!

If they're available to the public, then there isn't a reason to go into the stores.

That said, Wizards have made most of the D&D Encounters seasons of 4E available through DND classics. I'm not aware if the contracts with the authors of the DD AL Expeditions games will allow that (after the Living Greyhawk adventures were retired, no-one actually had the right to republish them. The author maintained copyright, but all the Greyhawk elements were still owned by Wizards!)

Cheers!

 

[Psikerlord#]

If they're available to the public, then there isn't a reason to go into the stores.

That said, Wizards have made most of the D&D Encounters seasons of 4E available through DND classics. I'm not aware if the contracts with the authors of the DD AL Expeditions games will allow that (after the Living Greyhawk adventures were retired, no-one actually had the right to republish them. The author maintained copyright, but all the Greyhawk elements were still owned by Wizards!)

Cheers!

Hmmm people dont go to the stores just to play "exclusive encounters". They go to stores because they havent got a home game, or they want to meet new players. The exclusive content has nothing to do with it. Or that's my guess. If that is wotc's reason, it's a terrible one.

 

[delericho]

I ask this question because I've seen many statements that infer, imply, or outright state that unless something is officially approved for AL play, then no one will use it or see it. The thread about the most recent survey has statements like this.

For me it's the opposite - AL effectively doesn't exist here, so anything that is only available through that program (notably the adventures) effectively doesn't exist either. (But, conversely, I have no reason for caring whether something is "AL legal" or not, for the same reason.)

 

[aramis erak]

No. They're not available generally.

Do you have a local store that supports the AL, though? (Or runs Magic events?) It may be possible to organise something through them.

Cheers!

It's worth noting that the passwords generally wind up on the internet - and they are NOT that hard. And the DDEX series are quite well pirated, too.

Plus, you can ask your FLGS if they will let you know the download password - some stores do.

I wish they'd put them up for legit use outside the league use.

 

[delericho]

Hmmm people dont go to the stores just to play "exclusive encounters".

Some probably do, you know.

They go to stores because they havent got a home game, or they want to meet new players.

Or possibly for an additional game. Or because it's a good place to hang out and play.

Certainly, Games Workshop stores in the UK mostly have table spaces set up where people can play their games, and kids do indeed head down there at the weekend to play the games. And, of course, once they're there GW get the chance to sell them stuff (maybe).

WotC are in the tricky position that they would like to offer something similar, but they don't have any stores of their own. So their best bet is to get independent FLGS involved. Problem is that that means persuading the FLGS to set aside floorspace that could be better used for more product, for miniatures terrain tables, for CCG tables, or for other uses. And so WotC offer them an exclusive - "Play AL, it's great! Only at your FLGS!"

 

[aramis erak]

Hmmm people dont go to the stores just to play "exclusive encounters". They go to stores because they havent got a home game, or they want to meet new players. The exclusive content has nothing to do with it. Or that's my guess. If that is wotc's reason, it's a terrible one.

Of the 7 people who frequent my table on a weekly basis...
At least 5 have a home game they play in. (One's my kid.) EO &G? play in G?'s game, ZZ & GR play in SJ's game, EH plays in my home game. I'm not certain if CB & W play in a home game or not, but they arrive together.
And I run a home game, duh... so, of the 8 at my table, I am aware of 6 who have non-AL play happening.

And then Matt's table. Everyone of Matt's usual 6 has a non-AL game they are involved in. (They mostly were my crew from sept 2014 to feb 2015.
Same for Shannon's usual 5. 3 of whom play with one of Matt's, run by one of Shannon's players.

I don't know about the other two GM's... but their players also don't show up early to ensure seats at their particular table...

We have one kid who shows up once every month... His mom drives him about 120 miles. Not so much for him getting to play, but for him to experience multiple different GM's, so that his own GMing gets better. (And he picks a different table each time. Great player... for his age...) Actually, they arrange to make the monthly shopping run on game night so he can play - so it's not JUST to play, but it adds a 4 hour block to the 2.5 hour each way drive.

And every group

So, at least in Anchorage... we have about 1 person per 10,000 people in the city showing up for AL play. And most of those are coming for something other than just the opportunity to play at all.

 

[Psikerlord#]

huh, well per'aps I be wrong!

STILL, I say give us dem encounters adventures, wotc! Put them on a 6 month delay or whatever to maintain exclusivity, but get them to us eventually.

 

[delericho]

We have one kid who shows up once every month... His mom drives him about 120 miles. Not so much for him getting to play, but for him to experience multiple different GM's, so that his own GMing gets better. (And he picks a different table each time. Great player... for his age...)

That's... impressive. Is the Mom a (former?) gamer, or is it the kid who's keen to experience different GMs?

 

[CapnZapp]

I understand that AL players want official material.

I hope they in return understand how that want is incompatible with WotC's strategy for 5e, i.e. a massive decrease in official material, options and alternatives, compared to previous editions and Pathfinder.