D&D General Kobold Press Going Down a Dark Road

[Micah Sweet]

Sorry, but how do you know that? Have they said they'd love to put out psionics rules, but don't because no one wants them? And even if that were true, why on Earth would they put out rules that no one wants?

A number of people liked every playtest version of psionics they released in Unearthed Arcana. But none of them met the magic threshold of popularity WotC was demanding, so they decided to release nothing instead.

That's how I know.

 

[Reef]

A number of people liked every playtest version of psionics they released in Unearthed Arcana. But none of them met the magic threshold of popularity WotC was demanding, so they decided to release nothing instead.

That's how I know.

Well, then my point stands. If not enough people liked the psionic rules, then it would be wasted effort to include them. You might not agree with their magic threshold number, but they have to draw the line somewhere and focus their work-hours on what will make the most people happy. Doing so doesn't make them a money-grubbing evil corp. It just makes them a wise one.

And if there is a large enough demand for psionics, that seems to be a perfect opportunity for a third party publisher to put out rules for it.

 

[Particle_Man]

If Paizo had put out “Printed 3.5 core books are going away so people will need to use a new version” back when they were putting out the Pathfinder 1e Core Rules in print and wotc was publishing 4th edition in print (though I think still selling digital versions of 3.5 books), would that not be the same thing as what Kobold Press is saying?

 

[Bolares]

A number of people liked (...)

A LOW number of people liked*

 

[Micah Sweet]

Well, then my point stands. If not enough people liked the psionic rules, then it would be wasted effort to include them. You might not agree with their magic threshold number, but they have to draw the line somewhere and focus their work-hours on what will make the most people happy. Doing so doesn't make them a money-grubbing evil corp. It just makes them a wise one.

And if there is a large enough demand for psionics, that seems to be a perfect opportunity for a third party publisher to put out rules for it.

My thought was, WotC puts out psionic rules years ago, people grumble but eventually get used to them, allowing WotC to release Dark Sun prior to social media gaining the ability to scare companies away from releasing anything controversial. Way too late now, of course.

 

[Bolares]

Well, then my point stands. If not enough people liked the psionic rules, then it would be wasted effort to include them. You might not agree with their magic threshold number, but they have to draw the line somewhere and focus their work-hours on what will make the most people happy. Doing so doesn't make them a money-grubbing evil corp. It just makes them a wise one.

And if there is a large enough demand for psionics, that seems to be a perfect opportunity for a third party publisher to put out rules for it.

Not only that, but they didn't stop pursuing psionics, they tested psionics as subclasses and then they were highly praised, so they were published.

 

[Reef]

My thought was, WotC puts out psionic rules years ago, people grumble but eventually get used to them, allowing WotC to release Dark Sun prior to social media gaining the ability to scare companies away from releasing anything controversial. Way too late now, of course.

So, they should have put out rules that made people grumble? Just so they could get used to them? That seems like poor product planning to me. And to do so just so they could shoehorn in settings before they were forced to be ‘woke’? Is that the arguement?

Why would they want to sit through months (or years of people grumbling), when they could just put out non-grumbly books?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

There are definitely times I wish they would just decide on their own. For example, there would be rules for psionics if they did this.

there is a bit of truth to this... and customers don't really know what they want. That if a chief took a poll they would end up making burgers, but everyone will pay top dollar for there file minion

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Sorry, but how do you know that? Have they said they'd love to put out psionics rules, but don't because no one wants them?

more or less yes... there was an interview around the time of tasha's where they said they thought we wanted psionics as it's own class but the mystic failed so hard they threw there hands up and made the subclasses... that is not a word for word.

And even if that were true, why on Earth would they put out rules that no one wants? Like they are trying to make us eat our vegetables?*

*Bad metaphor...I love my vegetables

actually a good metaphor customers don't always know what they want

 

[mamba]

Yes something can be good for WotC bottom line and not good for some or even all of us

yes, but chances are that thing does not get an 80% approval rating in the playtest

Yes sometimes we are each in the minority

sure, but most of us do not whine about it in 10 posts every day. We accept it or we ignore it / houserule it

but no, we can't know even with a HUGE pool of playtesters even with the largest survey ever even with wotc being the most trusted and transparitn company ever (and lets be honest that last part is a joke) if any or all of the changes will work long term.

if we do not know that one way or the other, then why bother discussing it…

Most discussions are not about whether it works in the first place, maybe for that reason, so not sure how this is relevant