Rant About Recent Dungeon Magazines

[Darrin Drader]

Re: suggestion for Paizo messageboards

Paizo should set up messageboards where DMs can share campaign logs, additional created materials, and just talk about the content. Something like Malhavoc and Necromancer does.

I also like the idea of Paizo messageboards. I'm willing to bet you could get a major site like this one or Mortality to host them if Paizo doesn't want to invest resources into them.

 

[Blasphemonkey]

Hear hear!

I would like to add my vote (even though one isn't being officially taken at this time) for some kind of forum for Dungeon Magazine adventures. I have my own thread going, and I have been very interested to hear about what people have said on those adventures, and it's great to have second, third, one hundredth opinions. For instance, for some reason I hadn't really found an interest in the Rana Mor adventure (back in Dungeon 80-something), but from what The Gneech has said (among others) in that thread, I really have to give that one a second look.

Besides being turned on to "what's an awesome adventure to run," I enjoy hearing other's experience (whether they DM'd or played through the adventure) and compare them to how my group fared. I've always enjoyed hearing things like that...it's kind of like an "alternate reality" kind of thing...same dungeon, (pretty much) the same monsters and traps, but how did this group do compared to mine? I just can't get enough of that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, it's a chore to find posts like that.

Essentially, I would frequent a board like that at least once a day. So, Paizo...how about it?

Edit: If you want to find that thread I mentioned above, I posted the link back on the first page of this one.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Give credit where credit is due department

Regardless Iron Chef, I get the feeling you might like Necromancer Games' stuff. They like the gritty 1st edition feel, which means that most of their products are adventures (a little heavy on the hack & Slash most of the time, but not always) and they don't overuse demi-humans. They're also usually generic enough to be dropped into either Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms with little to no effort.

You know, I haven't liked much of anything Necromancer has put out. I bought only one product from them, Tome of Horrors, which I thought was fantastic, although it's seen very little use IMC (Monsternomicon has seen even less use, although it's also a wonderful book). Their modules are too hack-n-slash for my tastes. Did they do "Aberrations"? That one looked very cool.

 

[Iron_Chef]

quote:
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Originally posted by Iron_Chef

Wait! I've got it! Make Poly the subscriber only content! That way, I never have to subscribe or even see the accursed Poly in my Dungeon ever again! Iron-Chef, you're a genius!
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Hmm. I wonder how many newstand purchasers of Poly there are? Paizo needs a readership survey. May not be feasible but I like it.

I like it, too, even if it was my idea.

 

[Kenpo Wolf]

Re: suggestion for Paizo messageboards

Hi Erik,

I have a suggestion... Paizo should set up messageboards where DMs can share campaign logs, additional created materials, and just talk about the content. Something like Malhavoc and Necromancer does.

I would picture something like the following structure:

General (Feedback to the editors)

Dragon
Dungeon
Polyhedron

Dungeon Shackled City Adventure Path
Dungeon adventures issues 1-70
Dungeon adventures issues 71-85
Dungeon adventures issues 85-100

Polyhedron mini-games
(Possibly breaking out the more popular games)

I think that would help improve the sense of community. And as as a DM it's very helpful to be able to participate in a group of DMs who are running the same adventure.

A message board for the three mags would be a great idea. Now in my best Picard voice, "MAKE IT SO"

 

[La Bete]

Originally posted by Brown Jenkin


Hmm. I wonder how many newstand purchasers of Poly there are? Paizo needs a readership survey. May not be feasible but I like it.
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Raises hand.

Bought my first ever dungeon/poly with Shadow of the Spider Moon - have been buying them ever since. Mostly for the mini-games.

 

[Justinian]

Despite coming somewhat late to this thread, I feel like I should state my opinion, since I have stopped buying Dungeon based on some of the issues mentioned.

A) I started buying Dungeon when it was bimonthly and did not include Polyhedron. It covered what I was looking for, and when the inclusion of Polyhedron meant that it would become monthly, I was actually displeased. Polyhedron does nothing for me.

B) Subscriber only content is an insult to gaming stores. I have regularly bought every issue of Dungeon from my local gaming store since I moved near one, since in this way I could support both the store and the magazine. I have a store subscription where they put Dungeon in a box for me to pick up each month. Last month I canceled it. I discussed subscriber only content with the store manager, and he agreed that this will alienate gaming stores. Since Paizo intends to bait people into subscribing, I suspect more stores will stop carrying Dungeon.

A is less important to me than B. I will never buy another issue of Dungeon as long as there is subscriber only content. I will not subscribe to Dungeon either, since I would rather buy a product from my gaming store that doesn't specifically attempt to steal customers from it.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Dungeon's content (other than the invlusion of Polyhedron, above). Some issue I was happy with, and some did little for me. Those are the breaks. In the least helpful issue of Dungeon, I at least found a couple good ideas. I had written a few Critical Threats and was planning on submitting them. Now I will not, and I am encouraging the people that I know to express their opinion of Dungeon's subscriber only content by not subscribing or buying at the newsstand.

In summary, I consider Paizo's policy regarding subscriber content as insulting, misguided, and dangerously lacking in foresight.

Also, I will cancel my Dragon newsstand subscription if subscriber content ever appears.

 

[coyote6]

Re: Re: Give credit where credit is due department

Heh. Atlas... Yup.

Atlas normally puts out horrible d20 content, IMO, so I naturally tried to attribute something as clever as Dynasties & Demagogues to another d20 publisher that started with the letter "A" who actually puts out stuff I like on a frequent basis. My bad.

I think you still have Atlas and AEG confused . . .

 

[billd91]

From a fan of the mini games, most of them that is, I don't like the idea of having only four a year. Another thing is I don't want to see is D&D material, and that includes the Greyhawk stuff, in Polyhedron. That should remain in the Dragon and Dungeon magazines. I had high hopes when the Dung/Poly went monthly but have been greatly disappointed. The straw that broke the camel's back, to use a old saying, is the recent Incursion issue of Poly. You called it a Minigame but all it was was another D&D supplement. And with it being a even numbered issue, 100 if I recall, it should have had at least one Star Wars article which was not the case. At least the latest issue had a great minigame, ILOJ, which I'll definitely be using.

I think what I'm seeing here is disappointment in the lack of a general d20 (or other games) magazine that will cover things non-D&D oriented. I think there is a dearth of professional magazines out there that cater a broad variety of games like Dragon (and Strategic Review) used to be many years ago. I'm not at all certain Polyhedron is the place for it though.
Personally, I would find it odd that an RPGA magazine wouldn't be the main arm of support for RPGA campaigns like Living Greyhawk as you suggest. I think Polyhedron should primarily support RPGA activities including the various Living Whatever campaigns (which includes Living Force, so there's your Star Wars content) and consider minigames and other game support secondarily.

 

[Ranger REG]

Personally, I would find it odd that an RPGA magazine wouldn't be the main arm of support for RPGA campaigns like Living Greyhawk as you suggest. I think Polyhedron should primarily support RPGA activities including the various Living Whatever campaigns (which includes Living Force, so there's your Star Wars content) and consider minigames and other game support secondarily.

I disagree. While I have been waiting for a d20 support periodical from Wizards for over 2 years, I am quite surprised they chose to do it using the Polyhedron label. Later, the label (by definition) makes sense. So it went from an RPGA member newletter magazine to a commercial magazine supporting d20. And to make it sweet, it will provide mini-games using the d20 System.

Mind you, I am no longer a hardcore D&D fan, but a casual d20 gamer. This is the magazine I have been looking for.

As for suggesting it support d20 secondarily, again I oppose to this D&D-favored idea. I do not want another D&D magazine. I do not NEED another D&D magazine.