billd91
Not your screen monkey (he/him)
Is that based on your observations here on ENWorld or more broadly? I think it's not unreasonable to see 5th edition be a bit less DIY-ish considering the large numbers of new players testing the waters.
Only the Lonely: Why We Demand Official Product
Is that based on your observations here on ENWorld or more broadly? I think it's not unreasonable to see 5th edition be a bit less DIY-ish considering the large numbers of new players testing the waters.
Beleriphon
Totally Awesome Pirate Brain
On shared experience being mentioned I think its an important point. As the D&D brand grew it expanded to be more than just a game, it became a media generator. So, if we look at comic books people are very attached to Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
I don't think most folks are overly concerned about the mechanics of a setting per se (I'll get to that), but if they are clamouring for an update on Forgotten Realms as an overall gazateer type thing they're looking at it as an update on the setting the same way somebody who last read Batman in 1999 might want to know the current state of DC Comics and Batman in particular as of Detective Comics issue 1007 (or not, I know what's up and I'm feeling heartbroken over recent events).
In a lot of ways people want to have, and continue to have that shared experience. Ever wished a TV show was still on the air so you could talk about the newest absurdities with your friends? Same feeling, but for a D&D setting.
I don't think most folks are overly concerned about the mechanics of a setting per se (I'll get to that), but if they are clamouring for an update on Forgotten Realms as an overall gazateer type thing they're looking at it as an update on the setting the same way somebody who last read Batman in 1999 might want to know the current state of DC Comics and Batman in particular as of Detective Comics issue 1007 (or not, I know what's up and I'm feeling heartbroken over recent events).
In a lot of ways people want to have, and continue to have that shared experience. Ever wished a TV show was still on the air so you could talk about the newest absurdities with your friends? Same feeling, but for a D&D setting.
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lowkey13
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oreofox
Explorer
Credits for the 1st 5 D&D adventures, straight from the books themselves. HotQ/RoT: Kobold Press. PotA: Sasquatch. OotA: Green Ronin. CoS: WotC. They are official WotC products, because they were published by WotC.
Attachments
Yes, my post was a joke. I understood what you were trying to say.
Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
This is just a theory, but I do think the slow-drip of content Wizard's releases, and the level of consistency between their books, seems to be the big source of that opinion.
It's odd, because Wizard's also always states that what they write is just the default version, but that anybody can change it if they want. But that big Eberron debate over gods and the place in the multiverse is that big example of how people debate that stuff.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
I'd go primarily with "quality"/"consistency" and convenience".
And by "quality"/"consistency" I don't mean just the consistent quality of the raw rules text (although also that). I mean the whole experience of owning and reading a Dungeons & Dragons book: art, layout, lovely lovely tables, all of it. Different people attach significance to different physical artifacts of this hobby. Some people obsess over their dice or their miniatures, which I couldn't care less about. But I like books.
As for "convenience", I'd emphasize the value of shared experience. I can talk to my friends, or post a thread here, about what's up with the Samurai or whatever and expect everyone to be on the same page and many people to have actually spent time with the class in question. That conversation is a little more difficult when it's "What's up with the Stormstrike Armiger -- here, let me link you to the $1 pdf I found buried in the DrivethruRPG catalog". It's the same reason it's usually much more rewarding to talk about Star Wars than that obscure 1-season cartoon from your childhood that only you watched.
And by "quality"/"consistency" I don't mean just the consistent quality of the raw rules text (although also that). I mean the whole experience of owning and reading a Dungeons & Dragons book: art, layout, lovely lovely tables, all of it. Different people attach significance to different physical artifacts of this hobby. Some people obsess over their dice or their miniatures, which I couldn't care less about. But I like books.
As for "convenience", I'd emphasize the value of shared experience. I can talk to my friends, or post a thread here, about what's up with the Samurai or whatever and expect everyone to be on the same page and many people to have actually spent time with the class in question. That conversation is a little more difficult when it's "What's up with the Stormstrike Armiger -- here, let me link you to the $1 pdf I found buried in the DrivethruRPG catalog". It's the same reason it's usually much more rewarding to talk about Star Wars than that obscure 1-season cartoon from your childhood that only you watched.
Stormonu
Legend
Can’t speak for others, but this has been my experience.
1) Because Gygax said to buy official D&D only. Don’t laugh. This was straight from the 1E DMG, and in the day (I was merely 15 or so), I took it to heart that “the other guys” didn’t make stuff as good as TSR. Of course, back in those days, I hadn’t seen anything from the “other guys” nor know who was being referred to (judges Guild, Aurduine, etc.). Even in 2E I shied away from 3PP products from the likes of Rolemasters because their product just didn’t seem to have the same quality or polish as “official” D&D. By 3E and the SRD/d20 glut, I had kicked that habit.
2) Most home brew material/3PP is poorly balanced (most especially my own). Years of listening to what other DMs/Players have made up for their own games have made me suspicious of anything that doesn’t come from WotC/TSR. I mostly got over that when the Complete Book of Elves was published in 2E And proved that even “official” products could be trash. Still, I tend to cast a darkly discerning eye on anything that doesn’t have the official 5E imprint on it’s cover - even stuff from Unearthed Arcana is suspect.
3) Reduce Bloat. After the glut of books in 2E and then 3E, I’ve settled down to make peace that the fewer books I use in the game, the easier it is to run said game. I try to restrict my games nowadays to the core rulebook(s) and whatever adventure I’m running. I actively try to discourage players from pulling bits and pieces from beyond that small pool and declaring “official only” let’s me sneakily do that.
1) Because Gygax said to buy official D&D only. Don’t laugh. This was straight from the 1E DMG, and in the day (I was merely 15 or so), I took it to heart that “the other guys” didn’t make stuff as good as TSR. Of course, back in those days, I hadn’t seen anything from the “other guys” nor know who was being referred to (judges Guild, Aurduine, etc.). Even in 2E I shied away from 3PP products from the likes of Rolemasters because their product just didn’t seem to have the same quality or polish as “official” D&D. By 3E and the SRD/d20 glut, I had kicked that habit.
2) Most home brew material/3PP is poorly balanced (most especially my own). Years of listening to what other DMs/Players have made up for their own games have made me suspicious of anything that doesn’t come from WotC/TSR. I mostly got over that when the Complete Book of Elves was published in 2E And proved that even “official” products could be trash. Still, I tend to cast a darkly discerning eye on anything that doesn’t have the official 5E imprint on it’s cover - even stuff from Unearthed Arcana is suspect.
3) Reduce Bloat. After the glut of books in 2E and then 3E, I’ve settled down to make peace that the fewer books I use in the game, the easier it is to run said game. I try to restrict my games nowadays to the core rulebook(s) and whatever adventure I’m running. I actively try to discourage players from pulling bits and pieces from beyond that small pool and declaring “official only” let’s me sneakily do that.
