OUT OF THE ABYSS Trends At 82%

Out of the Abyss released earlier this week (having been available to preferred stores for a couple of week prior to that), and lots of people have bought and devoured it. The ratings are starting to come in, and the adventure is currently hovering around the 82% mark. By contrast, Princes of the Apocalypse has a solid 91.5%, while the two Tyranny of Dragons adventures have 53% and 75%, respectively.

I've updated my D&D Release Schedules page and marked it as available. Next up will be:

• Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (Nov 3, 2015; hardcover setting sourcebook; $39.95) -- "Get everything you need to adventure in the Forgotten Realms on the exciting Sword Coast, home to the cities of Baldur’s Gate, Waterdeep, and Neverwinter! A collaboration between Green Ronin Publishing and the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards of the Coast."
• Unnamed Storyline(s) -- "Allusions to a giants based story influenced by a Shakespearean play"
• Unnamed Storyline(s) -- "Froghemoths & Flail Snails - Oh My! Chris Perkins' New Adventure Sneak Peek"

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[TerraDave]

On Amazon its overall sales rank has been 300-400, which is high for an RPG adventure. But it still has not displaced the 3 core books. D&D also holds the 7 top spots at Fantasy Gaming, I don't think I have seen that before.

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[wedgeski]

It's currently trending as absolutely nothing in the UK as they failed to deliver it to uk stores...

Yes, most irritating.

 

[delericho]

Look at the date on that review. Did they even read the adventure before they reviewed it?

That's a potential weakness with any reviews system of this sort. Consider this: other than by trusting you, how can we be certain that you read the book before posting your review?

Bottom line: people will give products the rating they do for whatever reasons they choose (or even no reason at all - a person could potentially roll a die to determine what rating to give!). So, with a review system of this sort, you're generally best either going with the aggregate of a lot of reviews, or finding a few reviewers you generally agree with and seeing what they have to say about the product.

 

[wedgeski]

That's a potential weakness with any reviews system of this sort. Consider this: other than by trusting you, how can we be certain that you read the book before posting your review?

You can't be certain, but people who are using their review as a soap-box for issues they have had with the preview material, or who are simply parroting the prevailing narrative (positive or negative), tend to stand out. Those who genuinely want to contribute a helpful review to the community deal in as much detail as they can muster.

 

[delericho]

You can't be certain, but people who are using their review as a soap-box for issues they have had with the preview material, or who are simply parroting the prevailing narrative (positive or negative), tend to stand out.

Sure, I get that. However, the post I was responding to was questioning the validity of another review (presumably Laeknir's), asking whether he had actually read the book. That being the case, I don't think it's unreasonable to point out that you could ask the same about many (though, obviously, not all) of the reviews. And, in particular, scourge's own, which confines itself to generalities.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Interesting. Out of the Abyss is the first of the big modules that I really want to run. But I’ve definitely mined Princes of the Apocalypse for content the most.

 

[EthanSental]

To follow up to TerraDave's post, 9 of the top 12 as well and yet we still have to read posts about how 5e isn't selling well 15 months or so after it was rolled out

 

[discosoc]

We're running through it slowly, but I'm honestly just not interested in the Underdark for a long-term campaign. Like Ravenloft, it's more of a place you go for 2 or 3 sessions for a change of pace.

 

[TerraDave]

To follow up to TerraDave's post, 9 of the top 12 as well and yet we still have to read posts about how 5e isn't selling well 15 months or so after it was rolled out

I always use to get lots of push-back just like that. Its died down. You can only deny the obvious for so long, even on the internet.

But of course we will have to wait a few years before we can say the 5E PHB has the endurance of the more popular board games, or the 1E PHB for that matter (which was last printed in 89, as the 2E PHB was also being printed). Their is always a higher hurdle.

 

[Saxon1974]

I like the theme and like sandbox adventures but not so much dm'ing them. If it takes tons of prep work to run what's the point of using a mod? Might as well just be a lore book. I have night below ad&d 2e module which I have not ran but have skimmed and always wanted to run. It looks similar to oota so my guess is you can use lots of each in both. Will probably get it for that alone.