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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Henry" data-source="post: 250990" data-attributes="member: 158">I'm sorry, but for Celebrim, El Ravager, and other expressing this opinion - I don't get it. I also don't buy into it. The crunchy bits style of books such as the ELH do not hamper style of play any more than an automotive manual hampers you from getting in your car and going on vacation. It does not restrict creativity, any more than my creativity was restricted in adapting the Keep on the Borderlands, or the Against the Giants series to my home campaign. The point was that the stories are so light and flexible that they can be dropped into most campaigns with little alteration.There is a reason that books that try to be so pretentious as to tell someone how to run a whole campaign fail: only a very small market feels that they need it. Whether they need it or not is the subject of a different conversation. But the fact is, WotC did a survey, and still continues to gather feedback, of what gamers want. The majority of gamers want crunchy bits, new rules, new prestige classes, new magic items to introduce into their campaign. The majority DOESN'T want suggestions on building their own economic tables and commerce routes, and they DON'T want storytelling that turns people into the gritty dogs we know from real history and not the heroes of fantasy stories and fairy tales from long ago. Celebrim, I beleive it was you who said that you had a good handle on why TSR failed; you may think you know why TSR died in the 90's, but I am willing to wager that Ryan Dancey, with access to private ledgers, company minutes, and communications within the company, has a little better handle on those doings from 1989 to 1996 than you or I. I'm willing to take his word a little advisedly in this matter. Does anyone remember the products released by TSR from 1990 to 1996? Products that were VERY story oriented, very oriented towards showing people how to create their own campaigns - and it failed. Every, single, miserable bit of it. Enter 3E, with a de-emphasis on story, and more on solid and intriguing rules. TSR would have KILLED to have the success that 3E did - but by the early 90's, the executives had lost touch with what sells a gaming product. There are signs that this is beginning to occur again. Not on the same scale mind you, but given Chris Pramas' comments on the Chainmail strategy, I think we may see where some people whithout experience in a field are overriding those that HAVE experience in a field.I learned long ago - If you want to succeed, ask the secrets from someone who succeeded. Don't go to a self-help book. The times in my life I've failed, hindsight showed me that I've failed to follow this strategy.There's room for all of us in this hobby. I enjoy a good plot and ability for development in my games, but that doesn't mean there's no room for a little trouncing the evil guys for the combat-mongers in my group.Epic Level handbook, here I come!</blockquote>

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