Interesting statement from a WizO on the D&D forum:

[Cthulhudrew]

and don't forget to mention when Hasbro took over WotC.

same chatter.

Not that I think a card game based on D&D would be a bad idea- in addition to the RPG, that is. I remember speculating on the Mystara mailing list back when WotC took over about a possible Magic-like Mystara CCG, and the cool cards that could be made as a result.

Of course, that Spellfire game by TSR never went anywhere at all, as I recall, so evidently I'm the only one that might be remotely interested.

 

[JVisgaitis]

People have been saying this since at least 2004. Three years later, I have to say I don't think the argument works any more.

Well, I never said it in 2004. When I look at a product catalog with Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, Expedition to Castle Greyhawk, Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, Drow of the Underdark, and Monster Manual V, I see a company running out of ideas.

Honestly, what can they do that they haven't done before? Monster Manual 6, Book of Fiends 3, and The Really Really Complete Books? There isn't much room to expand.

 

[JVisgaitis]

Oh, I forgot to mention the various Compendiums. Why collect something in a Compendium if you plan on adding new material later?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, I never said it in 2004. When I look at a product catalog with Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, Expedition to Castle Greyhawk, Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, Drow of the Underdark, and Monster Manual V, I see a company running out of ideas.

Honestly, what can they do that they haven't done before? Monster Manual 6, Book of Fiends 3, and The Really Really Complete Books? There isn't much room to expand.

Won't 4E be more of a financial decision, rather than an artistic one? If MM6 doesn't sell as well as MM3 and the Complete Guy With a Robe And a Stick doesn't sell as well as Complete Arcane, then I think it'll be an issue. But it sure seems to me like all those books continue to sell quite well.

And even when Eberron eventually falls off (and I agree that it feels like we're closing in on the end of that line for now), WotC has more finalist settings they can launch. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if THAT was the big announcement at the Convention Formerly Known as Winter Fantasy.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Oh, I forgot to mention the various Compendiums. Why collect something in a Compendium if you plan on adding new material later?

Monster Manual II collected all the new Adventure Path monsters published to date. WotC kept on cranking out monsters and monster compilations. I can easily imagine a world with Spell Compendium II and Magic Item Compendium IV. (I never thought I'd see a world where Monster Manual V was on the publication schedule, but here we are.)

 

[Iku Rex]

Since he said 'without shelling out any more hard-earned cash', you can pretty safely assume that he's referring to the 3.0 books plus the revision data (which I suppose could refer to the SRD, but more than likely refers to the update packets they have online), and so the statement is true (since the experience rules are in the 3.0 books).

The experience rules were changed in 3.5. In 3.5 you get individual XP based on your character level, while in 3.0 everyone got XP based on average party level.

(They also changed the rules for monster PC XP, but hardly anyone used the DMG rules for that anyway.)

The online update booklet only covers a few the many 3.0 books published, it is incomplete, and in many cases it merely says "this has changed" without explaining exactly how.

WotC even said, at the time, that they were collecting opinions and playtest data as they were writing 3.5. It wasn't quiet.

Like I said 3.5 was planned before the 3.0 books were even printed. Yet there was no official call for feedback or any sort of major playtesting effort. Of course they claimed to have "listened to the fans". And I'm sure many of the changes were "playtested" in the home campaigns of the 3.5 designers as house rules. But they never revealed that they were working on a new version until they were more-or-less done.

 

[diaglo]

Not that I think a card game based on D&D would be a bad idea- in addition to the RPG, that is. I remember speculating on the Mystara mailing list back when WotC took over about a possible Magic-like Mystara CCG, and the cool cards that could be made as a result.

Of course, that Spellfire game by TSR never went anywhere at all, as I recall, so evidently I'm the only one that might be remotely interested.

least we forget...

tsr did trading cards too.
and dice pool games.

diaglo "has more Dragon Dice than he cares to admit" Ooi

 

[Umbran]

Oh, I forgot to mention the various Compendiums. Why collect something in a Compendium if you plan on adding new material later?

Well, ask a recording artist who isn't dead why they allow "best of" albums. Ask why comic books come in trade paperback collections. Ask why TV series put out DVDs season by season, ratehr than wait until the series is over.

Because, in general, for many people it is good enough to take things in large-enough chunks. Having everything "up to this point" is still useful.

 

[JVisgaitis]

Because, in general, for many people it is good enough to take things in large-enough chunks. Having everything "up to this point" is still useful.

I'm not arguing with you, but in those industries those are pretty much set up as a buy in product to get more sales. If I heard how awesome House M.D. is, yeah I might pick up Season 1 on DVD. Same thing with a recording artist and to a certain extent comics. If I'm buying D&D for the first time, the Spell Compendium isn't a buy in for me. Its an end of the line and a collected product for people who are already into what its collecting.

 

[Umbran]

If I'm buying D&D for the first time, the Spell Compendium isn't a buy in for me. Its an end of the line and a collected product for people who are already into what its collecting.

I am not sure your characterization is accurate. Or, perhaps it is that I don't see the cases as different...

Back in the 1980s, I used to collect comic books. I don't collect today, haven't bought a copy off the newsstand in years. But I do have some authors and stories I want to read - for those, I go to the trade paperback compilations.

For music, I may have a CD or two from a given artist. To get other tracks, I have two basic options - I can go about buying every CD they made, or I can take a shorter route, and buy a "best of" collection. It doesn't have everything, but if it is well-edited, it has much of what I'm looking for.

I don't collect every WotC book. A compilation would give me access to the bits I want, without having to go through the tedious and expensive business of getting the individual volumes - much like what I want for comics or music.