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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jester David" data-source="post: 6596025" data-attributes="member: 37579">I wasn't around for that. I've seen a few token appearances but not many. I think it could still work, provided ENWorld is committed to warning or banning people who abuse the WotCers, and people don't try to corner the staff. The more they post the more used to them people will become and the less confrontation people will be, since it feels less like they're only opportunity to vent or express months of feelings. The regular presence of Paizo staff on their boards is typically positive, and there's no fewer jerks and trolls there. I mostly agree. It does seem like they're giving D&D one more chance to not fail before they shutter the RPG. But I think they're trying to divorce the profits of D&D from the RPG rather than holding back on investing in books. They're breaking D&D from the accessory cycle, so that continued sales of the Core Rulebooks and other products provide all the necessary RPG money for the brand with most of the money coming from elsewhere. So that any money made from accessories/expansions is pure bonus cash. I live in Alberta. The majority of our economy is tied to the oil industry. Taxes and exports and such. So when the price of oil goes down, our economy goes into shock and suddenly we don't have enough money for schools or hospitals or infrastructure. The health of the entire province is tied to the one industry whose fluctuations are beyond our control. I see the last couple editions of D&D as similar to that. Everything was riding on the tabletop RPG. 4e especially where they doubled down on regular books selling extra-well (because everything was core) and the regular subscription money of DDI. When books sales dipped for whatever reason (a less popular book being released or things cutting into disposable cash, such as a geeky video game, blockbuster movie season beginning, or a hit rival RPG book being released) the entire brand suffered. Spreading things out means that even if the tabletops suffer one month the video games and minis keep profits afloat. Outsourcing (aka freelancing) isn't uncommon. Most of Paizo's AP volumes are written by freelancers. Having editing, layout, and art handled by other people is odd, but the WotC team did have other books to work on. I can imagine the production stuff returning in-house for future books, even if writing is still mostly done by other studios.</blockquote>

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