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

[delericho]

If that were the case then no one would ever get anything from a library or a bookstore.

Most novels are neatly standalone, so it doesn't matter too much what you get. Where they are in series, they're neatly listed as "Volume One" to help people to know where to start.

But the Wall of Books remains a thing even so - a few years ago I helped out a mother who wanted to buy a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel for her son and who didn't know where to start.

 

[SkidAce]

It was similar to how OE you really needed Supplement 1 to play the same game as most groups, or AD&D After 1986, you needed UA as well, or AD&D 2 after 1993 you needed the various "Complete ___ handbook" line...

I remember this and agree that's how it felt at the time.

 

[Jester David]

But this is the edition that was made for healthy material. They have a real solid ruleset this time around and so their best strategy is to pull back?

And 3e and 4e weren't?

It wasn't bloat that killed 4th edition, it was the fact that a lot of people just didn't like the rules and it seems like WoTc just will not accept it. They have carried over this belief into the new edition and to be quite frank, it sucks.

Bloat certainly didn't help.

WoTc just cannot seem to get it right as a whole and this time around seems no different. I'm not at all excited about the Princes of the Apoc because I'm not really a fan of career spanning AP's as a whole so there goes another product I won't be buying. So now what's left for me to buy? I'm not interested in their side products because I just don't have the time nor the interest really. I never thought D&D boardgames were a good idea because it brings division with in your own line.

You could buy the minis. You could buy the 3PPs. You could buy PotA and mine it for monsters, encounter ideas, maps, and the like. You could save your money or give it to Doctors Without Borders.

Fact of the matter is fans like you (and me) who have an interest in the game and the disposable income to buy 3-12 new RPG books a year are rare. We're not the majority. Banking on our sales is not a good idea.
Especially since to sustain that amount of product, WotC needs to have much more staff on the D&D team. But they' ep been cutting back forever.
Which is the other, silent reason for the slowdown: WotC has enough people to maybe get out a book or two each year.

 

[SkidAce]

If that were the case then no one would ever get anything from a library or a bookstore. I don't buy that argument as I've only ever heard it used on an internet forum.

Its not binary, its not so much that NO ONE would EVER get anything....its more of a trend, and discouragement for some people.

It does add up, most of the folks looking to start reading fantasy/sci-fi ( I work at Barnes and Noble) don't want to start with the Wheel of Time.

 

[JRedmond]

And 3e and 4e weren't?


Bloat certainly didn't help.


You could buy the minis. You could buy the 3PPs. You could buy PotA and mine it for monsters, encounter ideas, maps, and the like. You could save your money or give it to Doctors Without Borders.

Fact of the matter is fans like you (and me) who have an interest in the game and the disposable income to buy 3-12 new RPG books a year are rare. We're not the majority. Banking on our sales is not a good idea.
Especially since to sustain that amount of product, WotC needs to have much more staff on the D&D team. But they' ep been cutting back forever.
Which is the other, silent reason for the slowdown: WotC has enough people to maybe get out a book or two each year.

You really think buying 3-12 books a year is rare? I'm trying to think of the age landscape, I'm in my 30s and have no issue buying 3-12 books a year. I would think the only age group that may have an issue would be those under 18. It seems to me they are selling a lot of these books. The people that aren't buying are the constant complainers who are never happy.

Also didn't WoTC already say they are going to release one adventure every quarter so at least four books a year?

 

[Jester David]

You really think buying 3-12 books a year is rare? I'm trying to think of the age landscape, I'm in my 30s and have no issue buying 3-12 books a year. I would think the only age group that may have an issue would be those under 18. It seems to me they are selling a lot of these books. The people that aren't buying are the constant complainers who are never happy.

Also didn't WoTC already say they are going to release one adventure every quarter so at least four books a year?

WotC hasn't said how many adventures. Likely 2 a year.

And it's not just money but interest and desire. How much people want to spend on the game, how much product they need, how much content people want to absorb for each game, etc.
I have enough spare cash to buy two books a month. But there's no way I'm that committed to the game. But some people likely are.
The catch being, the majority of players are likely casual. They show up, they play, they forget the RPG exists between sessions. You don't need monthly books for that kind of player.

WotC needs to find a good balance. So they're starting low to see if it boosts sales for their adventures. If that goes well they can release more.

 

[Trickster Spirit]

Most novels are neatly standalone, so it doesn't matter too much what you get. Where they are in series, they're neatly listed as "Volume One" to help people to know where to start.

But the Wall of Books remains a thing even so - a few years ago I helped out a mother who wanted to buy a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel for her son and who didn't know where to start.

Exactly. I'm ashamed to say I haven't read any of the Discworld novels since Making Money for that exact reason. I'd started Unseen Academicals but ended up putting it down a chapter or two in because I realized it'd been several years since I'd read a Discworld book about the UU staff and didn't remember any of the characters except Ridcully and the Librarian. Always intended to go back and re-read the entire series so I could start reading the new books again, but the Wall of Books is intimidating and so alas, I've put it off!

And all this despite knowing the books are all self-contained and I won't really be missing anything by relying on half-remembered recollections of books I read more than a decade ago.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Yeah, when I look at Wheel of Time or other long running series I see that wall of books and reach for a stand alone novel or collection of stories for the most part.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Most novels are neatly standalone, so it doesn't matter too much what you get. Where they are in series, they're neatly listed as "Volume One" to help people to know where to start.

But the Wall of Books remains a thing even so - a few years ago I helped out a mother who wanted to buy a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel for her son and who didn't know where to start.

Not all novels do. A good many Drizzt novels do not, nor did the Dresden Files.

Look at it this way. What do you think is going to draw in that customer? A product that looks to be little supported, or one that looks to be supported a lot?

 

[Sailor Moon]

Yeah, when I look at Wheel of Time or other long running series I see that wall of books and reach for a stand alone novel or collection of stories for the most part.

But they are still successful and sell.

So what's that tell about the "wall of books" theory?