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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 1718343" data-attributes="member: 3285">Speaking from personal experience with MonkeyGod Enterprises (MGE)...MGE is no longer publishing d20 anything anymore because they published all kinds of d20 modules.  Different levels, different settings, varying levels of quality. I thought they got better as time went on, but then I'm biased.  There's a few problems with publishing modules as a d20 publisher:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1) Modules divide up your market.  Only Dungeon Masters need modules.  Players AND Dungeon Masters need rules.  Modules divide your market by four, five, or six.  That's like chopping up crumbs after the pie's already been eaten -- less money to go around in a niche market.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">2) Modules that are generic don't require any brand loyalty.  Everyone wants modules, but generic modules don't create any connection between the publisher and the purchaser.  MGE never had an established game world and ultimately that hurt them.  Established game worlds (like Arcanis, from Paradigm Concepts) sell adventures because they are, in some sense, chapters set in a universe.  It's likely reading one big novel. That generates loyalty and interest and, most importantly, lift in the purchases of other products.  Like this adventure?  Maybe you want to buy the rulebook for that setting.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">3) Modules do the imagination for a game about imagination.  It's sort of like selling tapes of past sports events.  Part of the excitement of watching a sport is the participation in real time.  Similarly, part of the excitement of role-playing is creation.  Not every DM wants modules and some only want particular parts to incorporate into their campaigns.  Which is certainly understandable, but also makes purchasing trends extremely unpredictable.  Maybe one DM buys a book because it has demons in it and his campaign has a demon invasion going on, but the other doesn't have demons at all in his campaign. On the other hand, a general book of rules will probably have something that somebody (player or DM) is interested in.  Rulebooks cast a wider net.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">4) Distribution is king.  This is an awful, ugly, horrible truth -- great art, fantastic writing, mean absolutely zilcho if the right distribution is missing.  MGE didn't have it.  Since modules have such a small audience, it's critical it hits the maximum number of potential customers as possible.  There's a handful of publishers who can do that.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">5) Dungeon exists.  Dungeon produces, for a much better cost ratio, a lot of very slick, very focused adventures for Dungeons & Dragons.  It's really hard to compete with that.  </li> </ul>I'm sure there's more reasons, but ultimately generic modules for generic D&D (the kind that can be used by any DM for any campaign) require a specific mix of elements, and I think only the largest publishers are able to pull it off.  Everything else is brand-specific products marketed to a loyal group of consumers who have already been "screened" by other products and are thus more willing to buy modules set in that campaign setting.</blockquote>

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