Races and Classes cover on Amazon!

[Mercule]

Sorry, forgot that part. Yes, I would have. I have a burning *need* to know what happens as soon as possible, then go back later and fill in the details.

Fair enough. I would assume you're in the minority, though.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Okay, you're either being extremely melodramatic or I'm still not understanding you.

I think you're not understanding me, but that is through no fault of yours. My sentiment and syntax was unintentionally obscure.

Let me try to explain this permeation of a human insult by offering this example:

Think of a "human insult" as something akin to the HSN offering "limited edition" collector's plates at ridiculous prices. Now, it is certainly not just the easily misled person who buys these, but in many cases it is.

Now, imagine that you walk into your local gaming store, and the person working there tells you about his great new product in stock, a limited edition 4e preview collector's plate that he's selling for a very high price. You, being an intelligent person, know that the plate is not limited in edition any more than any other plate, that the price for the plate is very high considering the work that went into it and the cost of other non-RPG plates, and that it will most likely never increase in value. Additionally, you can't eat off the plate due to some purposeful change in it's design.

You also know that in nine months a better and more complete set of plates will be released that you can actually eat off of, and for about the same price as the full set of non-functional plates being offered.

The person behind the counter continues to tell you that you want this plate, and that it's a great plate and it's worth the money. Now, if you feel that the above paragraphs are true, you might feel a little insulted that he thinks you're gullible enough to buy the plate. However, you, as a human, know that this is the human dance of commerce that has been going on for a very long time. So, while you are a little annoyed or insulted, it isn't a big deal to you, because you know that's how marketing works.

That's a human insult.

Others might be more insulted. Maybe because they know the shop owner very well, and they don't like being treated like a rube or a mark, no matter how standardized this selling practice is.

Yet others might really like the plate, and they don't care if it increases in value. It is worth the price to them because their disposable income is higher, or maybe they just really like faux-limited edition collector's plates that can't be eaten off of.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Hello,
Frankly I think it would be silly to compare this to a gaming book. I am comparing it to a graphic novel. For that, this book stacks up pretty well. If the art is as good as I am hoping, it will get a lot more use than a one time read through.
I hope it is not too much of a 4th edition preview. I got the 30 year book for a dollar a while back, and I hope this one will compliment it nicely.

YBMF of course (Your Bird May Fly).

RK

And if WoTC comes out and says that the art in this book is exlcusive to this book, I'm on it. I love designers notes and things like that. Make the Aboslute editions of various DC properties worth having.

Having art that's going to be immediately recycled though? Not so much, especially as it's not going to result in any discount on the latter purchases.

Heck, some games give you bonuses when you pre-order them. If this was something like that...

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Heck, some games give you bonuses when you pre-order them. If this was something like that...

If these books had one-shot adventures with pre-gens so that we could play limited versions of 4e today (knowing full well the details might change) that would have been a great sales pitch and marketing gimmick, making them worth the Amazon.com price at least.

 

[Grimstaff]

Wow, what a thread!

I'm continuously amazed by the capacity of some folks on this board to not only be constantly negative, but to attempt to convince others to partake of their sour grapes as well! There's a difference between posting some thoughtful concerns and just outright temper tantrums. Ah, well, misery loves company, I guess.

Scott, you're a angel to respond to such whiny naysaying!

Edit by admin. Which part of "stop discussing piracy" was unclear? ~ Piratecat

I think the preview books are a good idea, but I'm waiting to see how they're implemented before purchasing. If its chock full of good juicy stuff that will be fun to pore over until the real thing comes out next summer, great. If its filler, well, its probably not for me.

Someone mentioned this book's collectability. I think that will depend alot on what the book contains.

Personally, I would rather have seen a magazine-stock publication priced in the $7.99-9.99 range, I suspect 3 or 4 times as many copies would sell, but maybe that's not the point with this particular item.

 

[Fifth Element]

I think you're not understanding me, but that is through no fault of yours. My sentiment and syntax was unintentionally obscure.
<snip>

That's a pretty tortured example.

You seem to be comparing these preview books to actual gaming products that you would use to run a game. They are not gaming products themselves; they are books about gaming products. You cannot directly compare them to the PHB, DMG, and MM because they are different things entirely.

Some people see the value in them, and they will buy. They will not have been duped.

Some people do not see any value in them, and they will not buy. They will also have not been duped (though many do seem rather smug about it).

Some people just like to read about D&D. These books are for them. Their personal tastes do not make them suckers.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Has anyone else mentioned that this could be a collectible item? How many people bought the 30 years of adventure coffee table book?

Judging by the single copy that sat on the shelf at my FLGS from the time it was published until the time I left the city, several years later, nobody.

Let's say we valued our leisure time at $1 an hour (low balling). Just how many man hours total do you think we spend speculating about 4th edition? What if you weren't allowed to do that anymore? WotC has the right to close shop and reveal everything to us in May 2008. No spoilers, no articles. If someone posts about D&D on a message board with speculation, they are sued. Extreme draconian measures are made. And in the end 4th edition still comes out next year and still rocks.

Only nobody cares because WotC alienated their fan base and failed to market their flagship product, and the company quietly goes under.

 

[Fifth Element]

Judging by the single copy that sat on the shelf at my FLGS from the time it was published until the time I left the city, several years later, nobody.

I envy your logical ability. That copy on my bookshelf must be an illusion.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Some people see the value in them, and they will buy. They will not have been duped.

Some people do not see any value in them, and they will not buy. They will also have not been duped (though many do seem rather smug about it).

Some people just like to read about D&D. These books are for them. Their personal tastes do not make them suckers.

I really don't know what you're arguing about. I've made it very clear that I don't believe that everyone who buys this product, or wants to buy it, is necessarily a sucker.

I've made the example as elementary and simple as possible. If you feel it's torturous, I'm afraid I don't know how to break it down any further to make it more easily digestible for you.

 

[grimslade]

I got all excited about a thread about piracy IN D&D and started reading about piracy OF D&D. Oh well, I will look for scurvy content elsewhere. ;P

I don't know if I will buy the Wizard's Presents books. I am one of fools who still has the Dragon issues with the previews for 2E and 3E that were purchased strictly for the preview articles. I also got some neat content to go with the previews but they were bonuses.
I always understood these books to be concept art and design philosophy articles. I may be wrong, but that's what I have gleaned from blogs, forum posts and the assorted gleemax article. Some other people seem to have questions about the content. There is an opportunity for WotC to answer some questions and Scott will most likely pop in with a few more answers.
I'll go out on a limb and say that these preview books will most likely will have no useful gaming content in them come June. Other than inspiration for house rules if you liked something from an earlier iteration of the rules or dropped story options like the tome as a foci for wizards.
I am leaning towards getting the preview books to see what might have been in 4E. The possibilities of a thousand different variations of 4E. The preview clips on DDI have been keeping my interest and speculation meter pinned to high. I think the WP books will give a needed spark in the winter until DDXP and the sample game of 4E LFR.