I write workhorse products . . . Should I?

[Maggan]

Thankyou

I sat there for a few minutes thinking, "Tack, WTF is tack?"

Incidentally, "tack" means "thank you" in swedish.

If I were you, and I'm not, but if I were, I'd breed workhorses most of the time, because they are useful and I believe they play an important role in the development of the d20 system. One day, people will look at D&D/d20 and say "hey let's add a lot of workhorses here, because they really add to the game!".

Like magic items, armor and maybe even paper.

Less likely to happen is people going "it is imperative that we add the crimson cheese people from the Cheesy Plane". Even if it is really good.

But then, if I were you, and I'm not saying I am, I'd write at least ONE off the wall thing every year. One thing that puts a light on what you consider fun and cool and imaginative and creative.

That's what I would do if I were you.

Cheers!

/M

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

One thing I've tried to do since I started writing PDFs was to keep an open, honest line of communitcation with those that buy and use my stuff. From messageboard posts to the conversational tone I try to use in my PDFs I want to remain available to those that have questions or suggestions. I think that open style has helped others to better see where I'm coming from.

And this is the flipside of the 'What does it take for a company to lose your business' thread. I bought my first Ronin Arts PDF because I was in a rush to prep for a game and I remembered something that fit the bill based on something Phil had posted here. The fact that he does post here and participates in the community keeps me going back as much as the quality of the product. When I'm looking for something specific, I go to Ronin Arts first if its something I think is in their bailiwick. And if I buy something that I end up not liking very much, I figure 'Hey, it was only a couple bucks and everything else has been good, this is probably a fluke'.

 

[philreed]

Incidentally, "tack" means "thank you" in swedish.

Well tack, then.

 

[Janx]

I think workhorse products is what Ryan Dancey was talking about in another recent thread about "other things for D&D"

Since Ronin Arts is doing well by tackling the workhorse product line, I'd say keep doing it. When you don't get results you like, either stop doing it or stop doing it in that way.

Janx

 

[Roudi]

I wish I had had the chance to chime in earlier.

Phil,

No one - no customer, no reviewer, no peer, no boss, and no other person - should dictate the kind of work you want to create. I understand that for you, Ronin Arts is a business, and that means taking some consideration for your audience, but I also sense that a great deal of what you do is done because you geniunely like it. If that is so, then you just keep doing what you're doing however you like doing it. Workhorse products are valuable to a lot of people, even to myself. If they are what you want to keep doing, then don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Now, in response to this...

If you're referring to the reviews of "Future: 13 Mecha Devices", I thought it was rather unfair of the reviewers to knock your product down simply because it filled in stuff that was necessary but not in D20 Future.

Read the review again. I praised the PDF for containing devices that ought to have been in d20 Future in the first place. As it says, the product got two stars for having such nearly-essential equipment. However, reviews are things of personal opinions. When I purchase a PDF, I prefer to see some ideas that are things I've never thought of before. It's just something that I expect from all PDFs I buy. 13 Mecha Devices simply didn't offer anything original to me. It was certainly a very good workhorse product. Whenever 13 More Mecha Devices is added to the ENWorld Product Database, you will see that it will earn a much better review because it DOES add new innovations (right on the first page, in fact, with Armless and Six-Legged Mecha). In short, I did not knock down 13 Mecha Devices for being a workhorse product. I praised it for that fact. The reason I gave it a 2/5 grade was because I want something more than just a workhorse product out of every product I buy; that's just me.

 

[philreed]

I understand that for you, Ronin Arts is a business, and that means taking some consideration for your audience, but I also sense that a great deal of what you do is done because you geniunely like it.

Absolutely correct. I'm lucky that a lot of what I enjoy writing fits in with others' wants and needs. If I don't have any interest in a project, or start something and quickly discover that I'm not having fun, nothing comes of it. I have several files on my computer that are between 5 words and 5,000 words that are pretty much abandoned. I sometimes go back to those files -- for inspiration or when inspiration hits -- but for the most part they sit silent and dead.

 

[Kelleris]

Read the review again. I praised the PDF for containing devices that ought to have been in d20 Future in the first place. As it says, the product got two stars for having such nearly-essential equipment. However, reviews are things of personal opinions. When I purchase a PDF, I prefer to see some ideas that are things I've never thought of before. It's just something that I expect from all PDFs I buy. 13 Mecha Devices simply didn't offer anything original to me. It was certainly a very good workhorse product. Whenever 13 More Mecha Devices is added to the ENWorld Product Database, you will see that it will earn a much better review because it DOES add new innovations (right on the first page, in fact, with Armless and Six-Legged Mecha). In short, I did not knock down 13 Mecha Devices for being a workhorse product. I praised it for that fact. The reason I gave it a 2/5 grade was because I want something more than just a workhorse product out of every product I buy; that's just me.

Oh, I read the review again before posting my comment in response to kigmatzomat. I still think it's unfair of you to give only two stars, based on the comments in your review and the other two. But where would we be if people couldn't have different opinions about reviews, of all things?

I hope nobody takes my commentary too personally, as it's merely a difference of opinion. I perhaps should have posted a comment for the review itself, but my reaction to those two reviews was juust something I felt I should mention here.