How Would YOU Like a Publisher to Handle this Situation?

[defendi]

All right. I wanted the consumer's take on this. If this should be in Publisher's and Press Releases, I apologize, but I'm not used to seeing stuff like this there.

So Final Redoubt Press has release 4 products in our Echoes of Heaven setting. Each comes with an adventure that's one part in an adventure path. I release each of these for four game systems (RM, HARP, OGL, HERO). I'd been holding off on converting to 4e because I hadn't decided how to handle the old GSL's conversion clause.

Well now that's irrelevant. I can release product willy nilly, if I want. I just have to produce it first.

So, I'm gearing up to release product 5 in the next few months. It's fairly pivotal because it contains all the info on the world's religions. It also contains the Act Two Twist of the entire Adventure Path. I COULD release it for 4e at that time, but it would almost certainly come out before I can back fill product 1 (the campaign setting) for 4e.

So, if you were a customer of mine (and especially if you are), what would you prefer? I can release part 5 with the other systems in PDF, and then release 6 and 7, etc., when those come out, meanwhile backfilling the products before for 4e.

Or I can hold off and back fill them all in order.

The first plan has the advantage of allowing people who are playing the adventure path and want to convert to 4e to do so mid story, but there will be an annoying gap in the product line for the foreseeable future, and that might make customers angry.

The second has the advantage that customers can more intuitively see what's going on, but they have to wait for info like the full church write ups, long after they can see the same stuff out for 3.x.

So if you were or are one of my customers, how would YOU prefer I handle this?

Robert J Defendi
Final Redoubt Press

 

[CubeKnight]

Myself, I'd like it if it were in order. Also, a poll would've been a good way to keep track of this

 

[catsclaw227]

I've bought your Echoes of Heaven products and I'd like to see you go back and convert first, then release the new stuff.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

I too would say, that if you want to introduce 4e patrons to your products, it is better to start at the beginning and then work to the middle.

I even wonder if a "special 4e release" would be ideal...by that I mean releasing an "uber 4e chunk" of everything up until now to get people on par...perhaps at a slight "package" discount...or full price if bought individually...and springboard people to the most current events (assuming there is a chunk remaining to come and that "getting people hooked" would be a worthy investment for the remaining stuff.)

 

[defendi]

Yeah, a poll would have been a good way to go.

Thanks for the notes so far. The one comment I'd like to make is I can't put the product line on hold while I back fill. Many of my most loyal customers play the other systems, so I have to keep their products coming.

That said, keep your comments coming. I didn't expect these answers, so I'm glad I asked.

 

[Umbran]

Well, it seems to me that for a 4e D&D customer, product 5 is not worth nearly as much without products 1 through 4. If the adventures were a large part of my reason for buying, I'd not buy 5 until I knew that 1-4 were available in my preferred ruleset.

 

[Voadam]

I'm a customer, I've bought each of them for OGL and still play OGL.

My vote is for whatever keeps the new ones in the series coming out.

If I'd switched over to 4e it would depend on whether I was already running the campaign and switched rules mid point. If so I'd want you to go with five now and backfill as you can but keep me up to date as the new stuff comes out instead of making me choose between buying in another game system now for the fluff and eventually buying it a second time for the rules or holding off on buying until 4e comes out and risk my campaign getting past where you are at in conversions. If I hadn't already been in it and wanted it in 4e I'd want you to start from one and do them in order as that is how I'd expect to use them. If I was a 4e player new to the series entirely I'd want one first even though other systems are getting number five.

 

[DMJBone]

Or I can hold off and back fill them all in order.

This.