D&D 5E Light release schedule: More harm than good?

[Sunseeker]

I've been thinking recently about how much I miss the Dragon and Dungeon magazines. :/ My rpg budget is about $0, and even I feel like the schedule is a bit sparse. I'd like to be able to look forward to something, but since I'm not buying Princess of the Apocalypse, there's apparently nothing. Even the online schedule is lackadaisical at best. Unearthed Arcane once a month? Has that even come out yet? <sigh>

I don't buy adventures, plain and simple. I never have. So if WOTC is saying "now that we've released the core three, we're not going to release anything except adventures" well I'm sorry Wizards, but I guess I'm not spending any more money on you.

 

[Nellisir]

I don't buy adventures, plain and simple. I never have. So if WOTC is saying "now that we've released the core three, we're not going to release anything except adventures" well I'm sorry Wizards, but I guess I'm not spending any more money on you.

Right. I don't buy big adventures. I rarely buy small adventures. Dungeon was nice because there was a selection, and I could pick and choose whether or not to buy every time it came out.
I do feel like there are a lot of things that got a cursory treatment in the DMG, and I expect we'll see an expansion in the future. Magic items. Environments. Traps. More monsters. So I expect some kind of equipment book, and a Monster Manual 2, and maybe something like the Wilderness & Dungeoneer's Survival Guides, rolled into a single book. But, who knows? :/

 

[HobbitFan]

They have a problem in that they are supporting the game in a very limited way. If you're not doing adventure league stuff or buying their adventure path hardbaks WOTC hasn't done anything for you beyond the core books. That's a serious problem.

They could help matters by sharing some of their plans for how they see their game support working...

 

[Sailor Moon]

I have the three core books so I could easily just buy Paizo's adventures and modify them to fit 5th edition.

 

[DEFCON 1]

They have a problem in that they are supporting the game in a very limited way. If you're not doing adventure league stuff or buying their adventure path hardbaks WOTC hasn't done anything for you beyond the core books. That's a serious problem.

They could help matters by sharing some of their plans for how they see their game support working...

Why is it a serious problem?

I imagine you mean it in one of two ways (and feel free to say specifically what you mean if I'm incorrect.) Either you think with them releasing no product that they don't have any money coming in to cover whatever expense they have and the line's going to go under... or that with no product to buy the players are going to just stop playing the game.

In either case... I don't believe we can at all speculate on the financial situation of the D&D division of WotC to know what level of money they do or do not need to bring in to keep the line active (and indeed ANY speculation is folly and complete guessing at most)... and I personally believe that players do not need to keep spending money on a game to get them to keep playing it. If the game is good, complete, and fun with just three books... most tables will continue to play the game even without other products released to "remind" them to keep playing. So while some players might only be inspired to play a game so long as they can keep spending money on it (and if they can't, then the game goes on the shelf)... I tend to think those players are outliers and that most others will just play the game so long as it's fun to do so regardless of how much "stuff" they have had to buy for it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I have the three core books so I could easily just buy Paizo's adventures and modify them to fit 5th edition.

I think that's exactly the thinking they're trying to cultivate. They built the 5E engine with that thinking in mind... that players could use Paizo's adventures (or indeed any of the older adventures from dndclassics.com, Dungeon Magazine etc.) and do some basic adaptation to fit the 5E game.

This way they can still sell a lot of product for players without them having to spend time, money and manpower to actually develop and design it.

 

[Sailor Moon]

My opinion on the matter is they really aren't focused on the table top aspect of the game. I believe they are banking on the brand itself to generate money that will not be used to enhance the game in any way. I say the money will be used to further the brand through other ways.

I would say they have way too much faith in the value of the brand. This is one of the many reasons why large corporations need to leave niche hobbies alone.

 

[JeffB]

I have not purchased the core books, first time for any edition. I dig the new rules. Alot. But until they produce the kind of adventure support I need, I am not throwing any money their way. I just use the Basic PDFs, and convert if need be.

For my own part, I think the current business model has reinforced the idea I don't feel the need, nor any great enthusiasm to support Wizards or D&D In its current form. There is so much other stuff out there in PF, DCC, the OSR realm. I am not going to wait around in the hope they MIGHT do some things besides Computer games and poorly written railroad adventure paths.


At this point Dungeon World is fas becoming the game of choice. Easier to convert as stats are minimal.

 

[Eric V]

I have the three core books so I could easily just buy Paizo's adventures and modify them to fit 5th edition.

Really? With a family, a full-time job, and other responsibilities, it's far from "easy" for me to do so; certainly not easier than if, say, WotC actually released some adventures.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Really? With a family, a full-time job, and other responsibilities, it's far from "easy" for me to do so; certainly not easier than if, say, WotC actually released some adventures.

Actually you could do it as you run it. If you have time to DM and read the module then you can convert them. None of the modules are built around the mechanics of Pathfinder.