D&D General Interview with D&D VP Jess Lanzillo on Comicbook.com

[Ruin Explorer]

Preferring that people pay a subscription and play online does not in any way mean they will stop printing books.

????

I literally said they wouldn't stop printing books.

Why are you bringing that up?

As far as microtransactions, so what? Some people have more dice than they can ever use. Others have a miniature addiction, even going so far as buying a 3D printer which, trust me, was not a "micro" transaction by any measure. Still others spend thousands of dollars on dwarven forge terrain. It's up to people to decide how much they want to spend on what amounts to bling.

"So what?" I assume you don't play videogames significantly? Especially not microtransaction-heavy ones? Games that were or could have been good quite regularly get warped out of shape by selling microtransactions gradually becoming the focus of the product.

Also, depending on exactly how the product works, it may or may not be "bling". I don't know WotC's current plan, but initial stated plan included selling 3D terrain elements and map parts and so on as microtransactions, and unless WotC put in an extremely robust tool for creating your own 3D terrain elements, that would certainly go beyond "bling". We shall see there, but having no concern at all strikes me as a tad naive.

A lot of factors and influences come into play when writing rules, and I've certainly disliked some of the rules in every edition of the game. The influence of a VTT is just one of many and a minor influence at that.

It is just one influence, I agree. Whether it will remain a "minor" influence is another question.

 

[WisdomOfWombats]

Honestly, my key take away: at least one person at WotC is thinking about crossing D&D with Interview with the Vampire I'd be all for it. It would create an interesting dynamic between WoD and D&D...

 

[Imaro]

if buying it on DDB makes it available in Roll20, FG and Foundry, but buying it on one of those doesn’t do the same, that sounds like a strong incentive to buy on DDB, not sure I would call that helping their competition…

When you are late to the game with a product where familiarity causes consumers to become entrenched you need to offer better to get them into your ecosystem. The goal isn't to just get people on DDB it's to get them to use the new VTT they are investing considerable money and resources creating.

 

[Imaro]

because it benefits WotC

You keep saying this without knowing what the goal is for WotC...

no, that does not get you anywhere near most of the subclasses, feats and other stuff, let alone any supplements or adventures

As far as I can tell these things are all offered aacross the various platforms.

 

[mamba]

When you are late to the game with a product where familiarity causes consumers to become entrenched you need to offer better to get them into your ecosystem. The goal isn't to just get people on DDB it's to get them to use the new VTT they are investing considerable money and resources creating.

sure, but that wasn’t the question, was it…

 

[mamba]

You keep saying this without knowing what the goal is for WotC...

I have a pretty good idea about that

As far as I can tell these things are all offered aacross the various platforms.

and it is not because of the OGL, so maybe you should educate yourself a little about how this actually works, they are all licensing it from WotC

 

[Oofta]

????

I literally said they wouldn't stop printing books.

Why are you bringing that up?


"So what?" I assume you don't play videogames significantly? Especially not microtransaction-heavy ones? Games that were or could have been good quite regularly get warped out of shape by selling microtransactions gradually becoming the focus of the product.

Also, depending on exactly how the product works, it may or may not be "bling". I don't know WotC's current plan, but initial stated plan included selling 3D terrain elements and map parts and so on as microtransactions, and unless WotC put in an extremely robust tool for creating your own 3D terrain elements, that would certainly go beyond "bling". We shall see there, but having no concern at all strikes me as a tad naive.


It is just one influence, I agree. Whether it will remain a "minor" influence is another question.

I have no issue with cosmetic microtransactions. If you want a sparkly shiny PC avatar go for it. In my own games people can design a mini in heroforge and send me the stl and I'll print and paint if for them. A custom mini in the VTT is no different. You will never gain extra abilities, levels or items via microtransaction which is the only thing that could possibly cause any disruption to the game.

People keep saying "microtransaction" in the metaphorical spooky voice like it's going to end the game as we know it and I just don't see it.

 

[Imaro]

sure, but that wasn’t the question, was it…

No but it's a counterpoint to your answer... that's what discussion is.

 

[Imaro]

I have a pretty good idea about that

Do you work for WotC? Do you have insider knowleddge? If not you have exactly what everyone else has in this thread... a guess.

and it is not because of the OGL, so maybe you should educate yourself a little about how this actually works, they are all licensing it from WotC

I didn't say it was. I asked wasn't the OGL enough when it came to licensing their game... you interjected things that don't consist of the actual system into the discussion... to which I pointed out they also had access to these things as well...

 

[mamba]

No but it's a counterpoint to your answer... that's what discussion is.

not really a counterpoint, more a separate topic that has nothing to do with your question or my answer to it.

Of course they want people using their VTT, that does not mean they do not want people on DDB too, this is not an either or, and the benefits of offering DDB content on other platforms remains the same, it strengthens DDB and has no impact on their VTT