Ok, now i'm REALLY CONFUSED. AKA, do any of you think you know what WotC is doing?

[TheAuldGrump]

And since Paizo would undoubtedly make something based on the worst edition of D&D ever, it would in my opinion be the worst thing that could possibly happen.

They'd make it based on 4th edition? I agree - I don't want to see Paizo doing that!

The Auld Grump

 

[scruffygrognard]

BBM,

BBM? Bad business model? I'm not sure.

I stand by my earlier post. If WotC and Hasbro haven't had the success they were hoping for with 4th edition and move away from publishing a D&D rpg, it would make sense for them to put out D&D-themed boardgames and license out the D&D brand to other companies, so that they can try their luck with a D&D RPG. That way they'd make money off of the brand no matter what.

 

[kitsune9]

Well they sure are shaking things up.

Here's what I think I know (I'd love to be corrected if I'm wrong on anything, so please do, but I'm trying to be accurate):

No more minis.

No more compiled Dungeon and Dragon.

Articles will be "fully" edited for Dungeon and Dragon now, but they may come out at any time...not on a real schedule per se.

Several major support books for 4e are cancelled.

There are three somewhat interactive/interlocking but not completely compatible lines (4e, Essentials, and Red Box)

It is unclear how much support each of these lines will get.

Character Builder is in a major shakeup/SNAFU.

Fortune Cards are a major new offering.

Board games and digital offerings may take an upswing.


Is there anything major about these recent (and in my opinion, drastic) changes that I've missed?

What do you all make of these changes?

Can't really tell unless one is able to see their financials and product line / manufacturing reports. So to me, it just looks like a change of focus, not necessarily a precursor toward closing up shop or anything doomishy.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

...discontinued or not, 4E isn't going anywhere. People who love 4E will continue to play it.

Not if they shut down DDi and the CB. Without those I would no longer want to play 4E.

 

[Knightfall]

I had a strange thought...

Perhaps WotC is considering a Print on Demand option for D&D. People could compile the content they want for their games from DDi and pay to print their own "official" house-ruled books.

That would be wild.

 

[shadzar]

I had a strange thought...

Perhaps WotC is considering a Print on Demand option for D&D. People could compile the content they want for their games from DDi and pay to print their own "official" house-ruled books.

That would be wild.

With printers being a home appliance for several decades now, hasn't that always been an option for DDi?

So maybe you are right, but the burden of printing will be left to those who want it in print, to reduce costs to WotC.

 

[Knightfall]

With printers being a home appliance for several decades now, hasn't that always been an option for DDi?

True. But not everyone can afford the costs of that much printer ink. I know I can't.

So maybe you are right, but the burden of printing will be left to those who want it in print, to reduce costs to WotC.

It's an intersting idea with a lot of possibilities if the functionality can be incorporated into DDi. The software design would be complex and WotC has always had trouble with software design.

Still,

DM's could print their own DDi-based monster books. Or a "Dungeon" adventure book. Or print out a Scales of War adventure path book.

Players could print out DDi-based class or races books. Their own Power books.

And once the software has been improved on, DDi members could share their "designed" books with other DDi members as suggestions for POD options. DDi members could band together to build the perfect player or DM resource and suggest their creations to WotC to become "official" D&D books that are sold to brick and mortar stores.

The sky would be the limit.

The process would be daunting and have a lot of growing pains, however. Yet, I think D&D fans would love the idea. Plus, it would offer the best of both online content and print products.

Imagine being able to print your own Monster Vault boxed set. Or a compiled book of Forgotten Realms, Eberron, or Dark Sun articles into one POD book.

You could choose softcover or hardcover format, or even digest format. You could choose black & white or color. You could customize the art you want in the book from WotC's online art gallery.

You could choose font type and print you're POD books in a style that matches the classic look and feel of old school products from the BECMI or 1e/2e era.

How cool would that be?

 

[shadzar]

True. But not everyone can afford the costs of that much printer ink. I know I can't.

Me neither because of all the wasted ink on silly needless graphic design on the pages.

It's an intersting idea with a lot of possibilities if the functionality can be incorporated into DDi. The software design would be complex and WotC has always had trouble with software design.

Still,

DM's could print their own DDi-based monster books. Or a "Dungeon" adventure book. Or print out a Scales of War adventure path book.

Players could print out DDi-based class or races books. Their own Power books.

And once the software has been improved on, DDi members could share their "designed" books with other DDi members as suggestions for POD options. DDi members could band together to build the perfect player or DM resource and suggest their creations to WotC to become "official" D&D books that are sold to brick and mortar stores.

The sky would be the limit.

The process would be daunting and have a lot of growing pains, however. Yet, I think D&D fans would love the idea. Plus, it would offer the best of both online content and print products.

Imagine being able to print your own Monster Vault boxed set. Or a compiled book of Forgotten Realms, Eberron, or Dark Sun articles into one POD book.

You could choose softcover or hardcover format, or even digest format. You could choose black & white or color. You could customize the art you want in the book from WotC's online art gallery.

You could choose font type and print you're POD books in a style that matches the classic look and feel of old school products from the BECMI or 1e/2e era.

How cool would that be?

Not saying it wouldn't be possible and the possibilities could be GREAT, jsut that the simplest option is the one I provided, and most cost effective. WotC would have nothing to lose in the printing business, if it just let people print their own material. LOTS of money saved for them.

I just dont see D&D ending up on Goolge books list to be dont on Expresso Book Machines anytime in the near future, and with book stores closing (Borders) and reliability of even libraries to keep their printing devices clean and stocked...that enough people would be able to find a place to get them printed...nor online POD providers being given D&D material as could lead to the same problems that ended up with RPGNow and such and the demise of PDF sales of all D&D products....

Since WotC wants D&D 100% in-house (with the exception of their forums/community site thing), I don't think they want to start their own print on demand service, because it costs too much unles you have enough material and sales to make it worth the initial investment.

Kind of why 3D printers aren't in all homes now, because intial costs are too high for long term results to pay for them.

 

[Umbran]

With printers being a home appliance for several decades now, hasn't that always been an option for DDi?

I have to admit I don't know - do they provide a good "printer friendly" view?

If not, then it hasn't really been a good option.

 

[shadzar]

I have to admit I don't know - do they provide a good "printer friendly" view?

If not, then it hasn't really been a good option.

I haven't seen a DDi article in years, but if they are still in locked PDF format, with all the artwork on the border, then there is no such thing as a printer friendly view (cant edit the file to remove the image objects fromt he page to print only the images and text you need), but columns on the WotC site USED TO have a printer friendly view with 2% of the background type graphics and only what was needed of the other imagery and graphics that relate directly to the columns/content.

From what I can see of the table, and this and that of the columns, there is still a LOT of images which would eat trough ink/toner.

Also, never said it was a GOOD option...just that is was an option for those wanted the material printed within.

Of course, if they are still PDFs and the print ability was also locked, then it wasn't an option at all, but that would sort of been a bad idea to do for people without laptops and didnt want to sign in from unknown computers, and just wanted a page of soemthing printed out.

A DDi subscriber would have to tell us unknowing about the state of the articles and such to know if they would be ink wasters or not.