If you were head of WotC what would you do?

[tauton_ikhnos]

I would rethink the company's approach to OGC

What they're doing now works, I think, but there are some specific refinements I believe would be good:

1. Every book would have some OGC in it. Not a lot, however. But basic, new rules that are introduced in the books should be. For example, in Complete Divine, I would have made Relics OGC.

2. "Core" books, like Complete Warrior or Complete Divine, would have maybe 30-40% OGC. Books like the PH, DMG and MM would be mostly OGC, of course.

3. Strip the SRD down to its most basic elements (core rules, basic classes, spells, environment, etc.). It's nice, but having some books be OGC, and some books not OGC, except unless it's in the SRD, is too complicated. Let others do the grunt work of putting together a comprehensive SRD, and focus the hardest working intern in gaming on something else, like maintaining the online relationship between WotC and their customers. A basic SRD, plus actual OGC licenses in the books, would do more for less work, and less duplication of work. It would also halve the errata, and benefit smaller publishers (for essentially no cost to WotC).

 

[CRGreathouse]

Hmm... a good topic.

I think I would start by getting (through the RPGA, perhaps, or from survey-type cards inside some products) a panel of D&D players, which I would use to test the popularity of unusual products. I would also use them to compile a list of products most in need of revision: do people want a new ELH or a better D&Dg?

I would encourage innovative ideas from inside (and outside, subject to lawyers' input and waivers) which would be tested by the panel before design.

Serious review of the cost/benefit of various artists would be undergone (undoubtedly at considerable expense) to determine the extent to which they drive sales and which are worthwhile at their prices. (This could lead to an increase or decrease in art expenses.)

I would hire a new final-review editor, who would read through a product just before it is sent to the printer and remove mistakes. There's real benefit to editing material you haven't seen before; you're less likely to miss obvious mistakes.

I would focus on expanding the base audience to decrease pre-unit printing expenses. This would likely start with a 'basic set' introduction to the game, more complex than the Adventure Game but less complex than the core rulebooks. Its focus would be compatibility with the core rules, and it would target ages ~13-17 (where the adventure game targets perhaps 8-15). These would have full-page ads for the core books.

I would also make a line of expensive ($49.95), art-heavy books similar to the original plans for the Draconomicon. These would be released roughly every 6 months and would target the high-end/price-insensitive gamers. This would defray some of the expenses above.

 

[Vaxalon]

I'd hire some Dutchman to set fire to Lord Snowdon.

 

[Dark Jezter]

If I were the head of WotC, I know what the first thing I'd do would be...

Kidding! Kidding! Please put away the pitchforks and torches.

 

[steelgrave]

hahaha well after reading most of this thread, I think it's a good thing most of you aren't running WoTC. No offense but there was very little business sense here.

Ok so if it was me running things:

1) To fix the fundamental flaws going forward in the books (such as Complete Divine's mistakes, PGtF mistakes etc..), after the editors have done their "editing" I'd have someone randomly find 10 people who requested to be "beta" testers of a particular product. Send it to them for final proofing (obviously they wouldn't be paid for this, and they'd have to sign an NDA etc..). I think alot of us can easily spot the ridiculous errors we've seen of late, and most of us would love the chance to do that for a free advanced copy of something right?

2) Greyhawk would get updated to 3.5. As far as how much of the product gets sold would largely depend on some decent market research (meaning if enough people would buy a 3.5 greyhawk book to justify making one, or if it should be a pdf, etc...). I know everyone is somewhat opinionated on greyhawk (and FR, dragonlance etc...), but if there is a large enough customer base out there willing to buy the product, why the hell aren't they making it?

In other words, vastly improve the market research/support of existing lines of products.

3) Update old modules etc... to 3.0 and 3.5 and make them for sale through whatever channel makes sense (similar to 2 above). There's a tremendous amount of IP just sitting around that could be updated and sold for minimal time investment. Granted some people won't want to buy this stuff and update the old stuff themselves, but for $10, I'll buy the thing personally, and I doubt I'm alone.

4) -can any idea of another D&D movie, didn't they learn their lesson the first time?

5) Hire Vin Diesel as a spokesman/add him to the board or something to get him more involved. Regardless of what some of us think of his acting ability and what have you, the guy is popular and loves the game. Anything that gives it more exposure is a good thing.

6) Start planning for version 4.0. Yes this may be an unpopular idea now, but considering it could take 5+ years to put it together anyway it makes sense to at least start internally talking about it. It really is rather funny that the reason 2.0 came out was because the original AD&D was so fragmented in so many books and it annoyed everyone. Now look at what it's like (same thing all over again).

7) The leatherbound PHB is a great idea, and as a collector's item many people will buy one. I'd make limited editions of all 3 main 3.5 books, as well as release versions of 1.0 in limited form. Yes it'll make a little money, but they'd also be pretty cool to have.

8) Come up with some version of an online game that would run the D20 rules and sort of be a combination of everquest and Neverwinter nights. This would take a hell of alot of work and time and money, but I think the end result if done properly would really be something, and could make a fortune.

Just some ideas I thought of off the top of my head. Most would probably not be feasible, but i think they're at least worth looking into...

 

[Aaron2]

1) I'd make Erol Otus the King of the Known Universe, or at least Art Manager. I'd get rid of dungeonpunk and move to a more comic-y style ala-Hackmaster.

2) Redo all the good 1e modules for 3.5e.

3) Get rid of d20 Modern and replace it with a generic multi-genre d20 book ala-Hero System. Kinda like Grim Tales.

4) Make a Basic D&D boxed set with a trimmed-down rulebook that is still 100% compatible with normal D&D.

5) Make a hardbound Greyhawk book. Make it OGC and then pretend it never existed.

6) Find some way to kill Elminster.

7) I'd make an SRD generator. Go to the web page, click on all the optional rules you want to use (forex Armor as DR, Wound/Vital, Action Points, Basic/Advanced classes) and a custom SRD is generated for you will all the rule specified already included and all the monster/class stats updated. Selecting a time period and setting will update the skill and equipment lists, etc.


Aaron

 

[barsoomcore]

All shall love me and despair!

I love you. I'm despairing, I promise.

My ideas:

Cut your losses and make your life simple. There's just never going to be much money in RPGs. Don't spend any more than you have to. Simplify the SRD. Release OGC in books. Sell off as many campaign settings as possible -- if you can't get good money for them then give them away (their value is in making D&D more popular -- if they aren't profitable let the fans publish them for free and STOP losing money).

Make some money on Magic IP, for cying out loud -- preferably by selling it so you don't have to carry the expense of creating the materials.

Sell lots of Player's Handbooks.

Get the movie rights back. Spend anything to get the movie rights back -- if they don't have them back already. A good D&D movie could be a money truck. Even a bad D&D movie could be a money truck. It enhances the D&D trademark which is really where the money's at.

If the novels are grossly profitable, keep selling 'em. If not, spin that out to the people you sold the campaign settings to. Again, the D&D trademark -- keep it valuable, keep it profitable, keep it famous.

Sell lots of Player's Handbooks.

Release a new version of D&D once the OGC rules in the marketplace have gotten so much better it's warranted -- or as soon as your market data says it'll be sufficiently profitable.

Continue to license the D&D trademark to video game designers. Trademark value, trademark value, trademark value.

Sell lots of Player's Handbooks.

 

[Mr. Kaze]

What it really comes down to is "What do I wish WotC were doing differently?" and the answer goes something like this:

- Don't publish ugly art in color. (Dark Hunter in Complete Warrior?)
- Don't publish classes/feats/monsters/etc that have been published before.
- Don't publish classes/feats/monsters/etc that have names that have been published before.
- Don't publish classes/feats/monsters/etc without explaining the campaign setting that it was playtested and determined to be reasonably safe for consumption in -- meaning that everything needs to be playtested, yes. (All publishers should do this as a favor to DMs everywhere.)
- Don't publish anything that has embarassing mistakes like "See page XX" in it. (Shugenja in Complete Divine?)
- Don't publish novels about canonized iconic NPCs in the default campaign setting (which may be Eberron 'cuz it's fresh and clean and built under the current rules instead of recycled as best as people who loved it under the old rules were able to). The characters in my game will never meet any of the NPCs involved anyway, so don't step on my creative toes.
- Flat-out sell off any underdeveloped properties or give them more funding for better productization.
- And remember, productization may take the form of a stock adventure that fits perfectly in a given campaign setting. (Would I use Oriental Adventures more if it had an adventure as interesting as City of the Spider Queen? Well yeah.)

::Kaze (would also like a more coherent, cohesive magic system. Slayers D20 looks like it was going in the right direction...)

 

[barsoomcore]

What it really comes down to is "What do I wish WotC were doing differently?"

Well, that wasn't my approach. I was trying to provide a list of things I think would maximise D&D's profitability for WotC.

What I WISH they would do is GIVE AWAY EVERYTHING!!!! FREE BOOKS FOR EVERYONE! YAY! AND PUPPIES TOO!

 

[JeffB]

Edit: Deleted double post