Must every issue of Dragon have an overbearing theme?

[thalmin]

Yep. Too bad there aren't any general purpose mags being published.

Most of them didn't make it because they had no focus. Why plop down $4 or $5 on a magazine that every couple issues has one article on one of the games you play? Most people don't play more than just a few rpgs, or maybe play only one. Too broad subjet matter means offering to little per issue to be worthwhile. So the mags had to focus. I don't like it, but that's the way it is.

 

[Jesse Decker]

What makes a theme "overbearing?"

Just so that no one takes this question the wrong way -- we work hard to give D&D players what they want to see, and the answer to this question matters to the editorial staff when we're planning future issues.

 

[Mark]

Psst...

Throw us a bone in this other thread, Jesse, before we speculate it right out of reach...

http://test.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16022

 

[beta-ray]

Flexor said:

You could just not read the threads that seem like they will annoy you, or you could find a new BB to frequent. Those are just two ideas off the top of my head to reduce your frustration with the lack of original content on this BB.

Hahaha! The irony is too thick.. Although it can be said that there are no other magazines to be had... there are actually... and if not there are a lot of internet resources.

I think the "new" Dragon is pretty good actually... If I don't like a theme it is pretty easy to skip.

 

[thalmin]

I, too, like the current themed format of Dragon. Referencing is easier. While the "usefulness" may seem to be less than 2 years ago, remember that when 3E first came out, everything was new and we devoured all the magazine could offer. Now we want more, but all the general stuff has been covered. It's harder to please everyone because we have all gone in different directions with our games. So as customers we want more on high level, low level, FR, new settings, generic settings, city settings, wilderness settings, dungeon settings, underwater settings, etc. All the while the editors must put out a magazine for the new and experienced players and DM's.

Personally, I think they are doing a great job. No, I don't read every article. Some doesn't fit my game. Not everything can fit everyone's game. I use what I can, read what appeals to me, and eagerly await each new issue.

 

[Eternalknight]

I'm not a subscriber. I head down to my local hobby shop every month and have a look at the latest issue of Dragon. More often that not, I buy it. The last issue I picked up here in Australia was 295, with the stronghold theme. My players are getting to a level where they are looking at building a base, so this issue was useful to me. If this issue had only one article, plus a bunch of other unrelated articles, it would not have been nearly as useful. Rather, for my money, I got three or four useful articles, rather than one and a bunch that may or may not have been useful.

What I am trying to say is this. Having the issues have a theme is a good thing. If you are not interested in the issue's theme, skip that issue and save your money. if you are interested, spend the money and enjoy it.

To Jesse and the rest of the Dragon crew, keep up the good work.

 

[KnowTheToe]

I do not believe it is a theme that kills the magazine, but a suppliment based theme. Even though I did not use a lot of info, I enjoyed the race based themes, world based themes and could enjoy organization based themes. I found parts of these themes that inspired an idea or brought back a focus that has long been overlooked in my games.

In the last several issues where you had the focu on building strongholds and then epic levels, there was little to inspire. IMO 20th lvl is already epic, so I skipped those articlals.

If a suppliment is going to be covered I would only like that to take half of the mag and give the rest to another theme, one too small to take a whole magazine. There needs to be more diversity within the themes.

I really enjoyed the energy in the mag when 3e was being released, I like the continual change in the layout and features, it helps the magazine from getting old. Same format makes it easier to skim rather than reading indepth.

Overall I enjoy the mag but I am not sure I will renew my subscription.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I personally think it's necessary for Dragon to have a theme each month.

How many people would buy a magazine where you never know what you're going to get with each issue - perhaps I killed off all the Elves IMC - what good is an Elf issue then? I know not to buy it off the shelf. In fact, this upcoming Drow issue is worthless to me, since there are no Drow IMC. So I'm just not going to buy it, and I'll know not to buy the big freaking Drow on the front.

If there were no theme, there's no general telling of what I would and wouldn't use, and I'd be MUCH less likely to buy the mag.

 

[Tewligan]

What makes a theme "overbearing?"

Just so that no one takes this question the wrong way -- we work hard to give D&D players what they want to see, and the answer to this question matters to the editorial staff when we're planning future issues.

Oh, that's easy - it's overbearing if it's a topic that doesn't interest me, but great if that same amount of coverage is devoted to something that I happen to like. For me, the halfling issue was overbearing - but man, did I like the world building issue!

Okay, that's not very helpful, I suppose. Actually, even if it IS something that interests me, I don't want most of my magazine to be so focused on one topic. Personally, I would like to see maybe three themed articles per issue at the most - and not very large articles at that. I just feel like I've gotten more out of my magazine if it covers a broad range of material (I'm easily fooled like that.)

On the other hand, I understand that Dragon is a house magazine, and tie-in articles to the current release can be expected. Incidentally, I do appreciate that the tie-in stuff is actually new, and not just excerpts from the product (Games Workshop, take note...)

Anyway, what's taking me several paragraphs to say is that I prefer a minimum of theme in my magazine. Is there a chance of the theming being cut back based on reader input? If so, you rock. Actually, even if that doesn't happen, you still rock. It's pretty damn rare that I can't salvage my subscription price's worth of material out of an issue, regardless of theme. Thanks.

 

[Psion]

I too hate themes... or at least, the depth to which the Dragon clefts to them over the last year. A year ago I felt that Dragon was a useful, enjoyable read. I can't say that any more.

I blame it PRIMARILY on themes.

The major problem with themes being presented so strongly is that if the theme doesn't interest you, you are out of luck.

But it is worse than that. It seems to me that even if I like an issue's theme, I am finding large parts of the issue useless. Now to some extent this is to be expect, but sometimes, it seems to me as if they are scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill out the overly-generous "theme" quota.