Dragon
IMO Dragon needs less rules crap. The Web is flooded with prestige classes, feats, skills, spells, and whatnot. Dragon, a paper magazine, is the worst possible place for such content since:
1. It can't be updated--once printed, it's done.
2. It's not convenient. Who wants to carry around multiple issues of bulky, fragile magazines just so they can reference cruddy quasi-official rules?
3. Rules geeks/crunch fiends are much better served by buying any of the hundreds of d20 products, or better yet, scouring the Web.
An issue of Dragon should not be a mini-splatbook. If Paizo wants to deal with such junk, they should put their new Webmaster to good use and create web articles, with access restricted to subscribers. Web articles can be instantly updated with errata fixes, 3.5 updates, etc.
Dragon should leave the crunch to the splatbooks. It should focus less on rules for the game, and more on the game itself: game design tips, news, editorials, and features. The best Dragon articles are the articles on world building, dungeon design, and game mastering. The worst are the unbalanced, context-less, ultimately useless crunch fests.
How cool would it be to see an in-depth article on the behind-the-scenes politics, business, and game design issues of 3.5? Or an update on current legislation that might affect games? Or real info on game sales/current state of the industry? Or an overview of what's happening with the main D&D settings? Or an analysis of WotC's strategy with "D&D Miniatures"? Or a feature article and interview with WotC's chief miniature sculptor?
As opposed to yet another batch of garbage feats, wacky weapons, and goofy spells that you'll probably never use.
Hopefully we'll see some changes.
-z
PS: Paizo really, really needs to build a better site. With a searchable article archive. Gamers are web-savvy, Paizo--put Rob to good use and serve your customers!
