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How Would you Rate Wizards of the Coast Overall?
- Thread starter Paul_Klein
- Start date
TalonComics
First Post
Here's something you should ask yourself when deciding how WotC is doing?
How are they bringing in brand new players into the world of RPGs?
This, to me, by far is one the most important questions Wizards should be asking themselves. If gaming as a hobby is to compete with all of the other entertainment out there then Wizards needs to expose it to potential new players. They've done some things in the past that has helped but not lately.
Ads in video game magazines. Ads in Rolling Stone or Maxim. Ads in teen magazines even Seventeen.
Hell, if Wizards wants to run a contest they should run "Write a one page set up for how we can bring new players to D&D." It would be just like the contest they're running now except actually help the industry grow.
~Derek
How are they bringing in brand new players into the world of RPGs?
This, to me, by far is one the most important questions Wizards should be asking themselves. If gaming as a hobby is to compete with all of the other entertainment out there then Wizards needs to expose it to potential new players. They've done some things in the past that has helped but not lately.
Ads in video game magazines. Ads in Rolling Stone or Maxim. Ads in teen magazines even Seventeen.
Hell, if Wizards wants to run a contest they should run "Write a one page set up for how we can bring new players to D&D." It would be just like the contest they're running now except actually help the industry grow.
~Derek
Paul_Klein
Explorer
One thing that I want to add is about their customer to employee relations.
Most of my experience is from their Star Wars RPG, and let me say that the "main" guys in charge of running Star Wars that are in-house (JD Wiker, Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, Steve Miller) have done an AMAZINGLY great job of listening to player feedback and implementing it into the game. Hence, the Revised Rulebook. Players clamored for a techie class - they gave it to us (even Bill S. said that they didn't want to do it really, they felt it wasn’t needed, but since customers wanted it badly, they gave it to us - isn't that amazing?). Players wanted a new starship/vehicle combat system - we got it (and its great). Players wanted armor to grant DR instead of Defense - we got it. There are also many, many other things.
And when players have questions about the nitty-gritty stuff (stuff that pops up ALL the time, like, AT-AT Walker's DR is too low, Star Destroyers should be faster based on what we see in the movies .. things like that), the Star Wars Team (mostly JD, but I don’t mean to knock the other guys) will come on the message boards and explain to us why they feel they have it correct. Even if the players still don't agree, they care enough to take time out and explain to us "why", and that really helps when trying to “agree to disagree”.
That is the reason I (like Psion) have such high hopes for the Star Wars d20 RPG. It is run by a troupe of professionals who care for the game almost as much as they care what we think about it.
Most of my experience is from their Star Wars RPG, and let me say that the "main" guys in charge of running Star Wars that are in-house (JD Wiker, Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, Steve Miller) have done an AMAZINGLY great job of listening to player feedback and implementing it into the game. Hence, the Revised Rulebook. Players clamored for a techie class - they gave it to us (even Bill S. said that they didn't want to do it really, they felt it wasn’t needed, but since customers wanted it badly, they gave it to us - isn't that amazing?). Players wanted a new starship/vehicle combat system - we got it (and its great). Players wanted armor to grant DR instead of Defense - we got it. There are also many, many other things.
And when players have questions about the nitty-gritty stuff (stuff that pops up ALL the time, like, AT-AT Walker's DR is too low, Star Destroyers should be faster based on what we see in the movies .. things like that), the Star Wars Team (mostly JD, but I don’t mean to knock the other guys) will come on the message boards and explain to us why they feel they have it correct. Even if the players still don't agree, they care enough to take time out and explain to us "why", and that really helps when trying to “agree to disagree”.
That is the reason I (like Psion) have such high hopes for the Star Wars d20 RPG. It is run by a troupe of professionals who care for the game almost as much as they care what we think about it.
Warchild said:
Me too. They get a lot of credit for their sane approach to IPR (intellectual property rights - real or claimed) after the horrors of TSR. Extra credit for the OGL. They were incredibly smart to realise that modules, sourcebooks etc are all in the end marketing exercises for one product - the PHB. I know that I returned to D&D after years away because of 3e and the new approach, and that several people have bought the PHB only because I introduced them to D&D - ie I'm marketing the PHB for WotC, just like they intended GMs like me to do.
Also, the core books are good, although even there is a slight decline - 9.5 the PHB, 9 for the DMG, 8 for the MM - too many strange 'senseless' or weird new monsters, too many classics omitted - death knights, quaggoths, etc, and no sample encounter tables. However given the initial $20/£12 price of the core books they were still excellent value for money.
Following on from that though I have not been at all impressed by the quality of follow-up material. When Upper_Krust advises me against buying Deities & Demigods, you know something's wrong!
So in all, I gave them a '7'. Let's hope they improve again, but if they don't at least I can get material OGC. Unless they re-hire the rabid TSR in-house lawyers I'll always have a soft spot for WoTC...
Alcamtar
Explorer
S'mon said:
Oops, I had overlooked that. I agree completely. I'd be willing to raise them a point on this basis alone!
I've been looking at new hew Hero 5th lately, but Hero Games web policy now seems draconian after the precedent set by WOTC. SJG is a little better but still not really open.
Gospog
First Post
I rated a 9.
The whole "D20 thing" has made gaming a lot more fun for our entire group.
Now if we want to try a new game/and or new genre, it doesn't always mean learning a new system.
We've even been talking about starting a campaign off at a higher level (10+) because we wouldn't need to learn a new rules system just to learn a new game.
So, WoTC did a really good thing. In my eyes, they earned thier 9, and they continue to earn it every time we play D20 CoC, Wierd Wars, Star Wars, Shadow Chasers, and Pulp Heroes. (oh, and that game with the dragons)
The whole "D20 thing" has made gaming a lot more fun for our entire group.
Now if we want to try a new game/and or new genre, it doesn't always mean learning a new system.
We've even been talking about starting a campaign off at a higher level (10+) because we wouldn't need to learn a new rules system just to learn a new game.
So, WoTC did a really good thing. In my eyes, they earned thier 9, and they continue to earn it every time we play D20 CoC, Wierd Wars, Star Wars, Shadow Chasers, and Pulp Heroes. (oh, and that game with the dragons)
