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Is it WotC’s responsibility to bring people to the hobby?
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<blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 5981944" data-attributes="member: 45197"><p>Hiya.</p><p> </p><p>Responsability? *shrug* Maybe a bit, but as others have said, they should focus on their game first.</p><p> </p><p>Their biggest downfall? Thinking that more options/rulebooks will give them new players. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite12" alt="o_O" title="Er... what? o_O" loading="lazy" data-shortname="o_O" /> IMHO, one of the *biggest* things that rocketed AD&D 1e into popularity was the amount of modules produced and a dedicated magazine to RPGs (with AD&D an 'obvious focus'; re: Dragon Magazine).</p><p> </p><p>Adventure modules gave the DM something to buy and run. It allowed players to collectively talk to other players about their characters exploits in those 'same' situations. Non-RPGers would hear these and become interested because it sounds like a story or movie and ask questions; possibly asking to give it a shot. Two or three players talking about rules minutia has onlookers thinking <em>O-o-o-kaaay....I have no idea what those geeks are talking about...</em> as it doesn't sound like a story or movie, or interesting in any non-rpg'er way. Also, each DM ran it differently because the modules in those days focused on a basic story to roughly outline the premiss for the module locations...random encounter tables, some maps with *lots* of simply-detailed rooms/area. The last few pages may see a couple of new monsters, magic items and perhaps a spell or two. Due to that widely-roughed-out scope, an adventure could take up anywhere from 10 to 20 hours, all the way up to 30, 50, or 100 hours of actual play time...and all in the space of 28 to 34 pages.</p><p> </p><p>But I digress. The bottom line...WotC needs to get away from trying to make money based on selling "hardcover rules supplements" and get back to shooting to "break even or make a couple bucks with adventures".</p><p> </p><p>Alas, I don't think they *can* do that now that they are owned by Hasbro. Thus...they're screwed. Paizo's Pathfinder has, IMHO, started to suck by seemingly focusing on the WotC model of "splatbooks first, modules second".</p><p> </p><p>*How* can WotC possibly succeed with the module/adventurs? Get back to basics...writing a few plots and a background for an adventure takes little time for most DM's in my experience (and is typically revised or mangled to fit into individual campaigns anyway). However, drawing 3 dungeon levels with 20 rooms each, filling them with interesting stuff, and figuring out a couple fun wandering monster/encounter charts...*that* takes time. *That* is where DM's need help...not in plot/story. The DM can do plot/story additions on his own in order to suit his campaign needs. Oh, and get the hell away from "expert cartography artists" spending days and days making a map all colorful, 3d-ish and pretty. Seriously. I don't care how pretty the colors are. When I describe a "30' x 40' room with a 10' diameter fountain in the middle", what the players draw is four connecting lines and a circle in the middle on their graph paper. "Pro" cartographers are, IMHO, a total waste of time and money (sorry to all the pro cartographers out there...really...). Same goes for inside color-art. Stop the madness! Greyscale or b/w interior art is all you need. Next. Black and white, non-glossy pages. In other words...go look at 1e/BECMI modules. Do it that way.</p><p> </p><p> Anyway...I'm rambling now. So...adventure modules, adventur modules and adventure modules. A 'splat book' that covers multiple things maybe once per year. Reduce the $$$ spent on art and cartography. Hell, if they really want to try it, start a seperate line for 5e modules called "Bare-Bones Adventures" that are done in basically the same way 1e modules were done...along with their 'fancy schmancy' full-color-glossy-page ones and see which sell better. I dare 'em... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p> </p><p>^_^</p><p> </p><p>Paul L. Ming</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pming, post: 5981944, member: 45197"] Hiya. Responsability? *shrug* Maybe a bit, but as others have said, they should focus on their game first. Their biggest downfall? Thinking that more options/rulebooks will give them new players. o_O IMHO, one of the *biggest* things that rocketed AD&D 1e into popularity was the amount of modules produced and a dedicated magazine to RPGs (with AD&D an 'obvious focus'; re: Dragon Magazine). Adventure modules gave the DM something to buy and run. It allowed players to collectively talk to other players about their characters exploits in those 'same' situations. Non-RPGers would hear these and become interested because it sounds like a story or movie and ask questions; possibly asking to give it a shot. Two or three players talking about rules minutia has onlookers thinking [i]O-o-o-kaaay....I have no idea what those geeks are talking about...[/i] as it doesn't sound like a story or movie, or interesting in any non-rpg'er way. Also, each DM ran it differently because the modules in those days focused on a basic story to roughly outline the premiss for the module locations...random encounter tables, some maps with *lots* of simply-detailed rooms/area. The last few pages may see a couple of new monsters, magic items and perhaps a spell or two. Due to that widely-roughed-out scope, an adventure could take up anywhere from 10 to 20 hours, all the way up to 30, 50, or 100 hours of actual play time...and all in the space of 28 to 34 pages. But I digress. The bottom line...WotC needs to get away from trying to make money based on selling "hardcover rules supplements" and get back to shooting to "break even or make a couple bucks with adventures". Alas, I don't think they *can* do that now that they are owned by Hasbro. Thus...they're screwed. Paizo's Pathfinder has, IMHO, started to suck by seemingly focusing on the WotC model of "splatbooks first, modules second". *How* can WotC possibly succeed with the module/adventurs? Get back to basics...writing a few plots and a background for an adventure takes little time for most DM's in my experience (and is typically revised or mangled to fit into individual campaigns anyway). However, drawing 3 dungeon levels with 20 rooms each, filling them with interesting stuff, and figuring out a couple fun wandering monster/encounter charts...*that* takes time. *That* is where DM's need help...not in plot/story. The DM can do plot/story additions on his own in order to suit his campaign needs. Oh, and get the hell away from "expert cartography artists" spending days and days making a map all colorful, 3d-ish and pretty. Seriously. I don't care how pretty the colors are. When I describe a "30' x 40' room with a 10' diameter fountain in the middle", what the players draw is four connecting lines and a circle in the middle on their graph paper. "Pro" cartographers are, IMHO, a total waste of time and money (sorry to all the pro cartographers out there...really...). Same goes for inside color-art. Stop the madness! Greyscale or b/w interior art is all you need. Next. Black and white, non-glossy pages. In other words...go look at 1e/BECMI modules. Do it that way. Anyway...I'm rambling now. So...adventure modules, adventur modules and adventure modules. A 'splat book' that covers multiple things maybe once per year. Reduce the $$$ spent on art and cartography. Hell, if they really want to try it, start a seperate line for 5e modules called "Bare-Bones Adventures" that are done in basically the same way 1e modules were done...along with their 'fancy schmancy' full-color-glossy-page ones and see which sell better. I dare 'em... ;) ^_^ Paul L. Ming [/QUOTE]
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