References to Barbarian playtest vanished?

[Maggan]

I am sad to see that potentially subscription-paying customers have no qualms with this sort of practice.

Why be sad for something that is an extremely common occurence, both in online and print publishing? Content gets pushed all over the place, cancelled, put in another issue, rewritten, things like that.

Things get announced and pulled all over the place, and for me that does not matter the slightest. I don't judge a product by what they promised it would be, I judge it by what it is when I have it in my hands, or on my computer.

Given that, I think your reaction is a good example of at least one potential reason why WotC was/is loathe to release an overview/proper overview of SoW. Now that they have done so, they will be criticised should they deviate from the overview, a la the reaction to them changing the content of Dragon re the barbarian.

So I'm not gonna frown on this, because for me there's nothing to frown on. Some content was moved. Maybe it'll show up in october, maybe it won't. If it doesn't, there's gonna be something else instead, which could be good ... even better ... but then again it could be bad.

C'est la vie and Que sera, sera, to pull some clichés from the backburner.

/M

 

[vagabundo]

Well it seems like most people don't really care if Wizards spontaneously pulls hyped-up articles with no explanation (and with suspicious motives). I'm glad, because I would like to see D&D do well and make a lot of money.

On the other hand, I am sad to see that potentially subscription-paying customers have no qualms with this sort of practice. Honestly, this even will likely have no bearing on my decision to or not to subscribe, but I'd like to see this behavior frowned on enough by the fans that it could prevent it in the future.

~

I will be subscribing and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. The sub for the year is nothing and I'm really liking what has been produced and using a lot of it in my games - for a change.

From the looks of the new TOCs this months mags will be excellent.

It is a shame for people who were looking forward to the barbarian, but I don't feel like we are owed an explanation only good content - well once it is for pay anyway.

 

[Khaalis]

Well it seems like most people don't really care if Wizards spontaneously pulls hyped-up articles with no explanation (and with suspicious motives). I'm glad, because I would like to see D&D do well and make a lot of money.

On the other hand, I am sad to see that potentially subscription-paying customers have no qualms with this sort of practice. Honestly, this even will likely have no bearing on my decision to or not to subscribe, but I'd like to see this behavior frowned on enough by the fans that it could prevent it in the future.
~

The biggest problem I have with this is that WotC is doing you a SERVICE above and beyond the normal and that is incredibly innovative in the industry... they are providing you a view of the magazine as early viewed content rather than making you wait until the month's compiled publish date.

Wow people. They give you a bone and you try to bite the hand off.

As was noted earlier by other posters, the release of articles in a magazine issue (and newspaper, news TV, and various other media) is a highly volatile and often changing process. Its a fact of the industry. Period. This is how it works, not how just WotC works. There is no conspiracy, no malice. It simply is a fact of the processes involved in how the industry works. The software industry isn't a whole lot different for that matter. What a company says are detailed features of software package or program when they are first announcing the product, is often only vaguely still the same as the end result. We don't live in a perfect world. All good intentions aside, the simple fact is that "stuff" comes up to change projects from their original 'announced' path.

Now if you don't like seeing the actual mechanics that go into the publishing industry, I'd suggest you simply stop looking at the preview material and wait for the "Compiled Edition" to be released. I'm highly surprised WotC doesn't already do this in fact. I'm honestly surprised that with the feedback they get, that they don't simply say: "Well if you don't like seeing how the production process evolves, we simply won't release the preview content. We'll release the issue when its ready for its compiled release."

Then we're back to the good old days of how magazines are published. You get the finished product and never see all the little changes and deviations that happened along the production path to the final product. Then you can't get your nose bent out of shape because they "changed" the issue on you, you'll be back in the dark and simply take what comes along when its offered.

 

[Maggan]

You get the finished product and never see all the little changes and deviations that happened along the production path to the final product.

But even then ... things that are announced in an editorial for the very same issue might be missing. Or a blurb mentioning an article might be wrong. It being in print means that we don't see the process as much, but things will still go wrong.

/M

 

[Henry]

Well it seems like most people don't really care if Wizards spontaneously pulls hyped-up articles with no explanation (and with suspicious motives).

Susupicious motives? That makes it sound like they're embezzling money or something! I don't see anything more suspicious than (a) they're holding it for next month, or (b) they needed to do some tweaking, and held it off for a month. I have to admit, it's a good teaser for launching the for-pay. Doesn't matter, really, because the details will be all over the internet once it's released, for pay or not, because people will be posting and dissecting the heck out of it afterwards. The only thing you wouldn't get is a detailed list of all the powers and stuff in one place - you'd get enough to decide if it's worth it.

 

[Drkfathr1]

I got no problems with it.

Wizards could really head off alot of the conspiracy theories and nerd rage with a little communication though.

A simple blurb saying: Sorry guys! It's just not ready yet, but it's coming!

That would take a lot of wind out of the outrage sails.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I got no problems with it.

Wizards could really head off alot of the conspiracy theories and nerd rage with a little communication though.

A simple blurb saying: Sorry guys! It's just not ready yet, but it's coming!

That would take a lot of wind out of the outrage sails.

It would probably be nice if they did this somewhere, but I suppose WotC is too damn big and slow to get such messages out in any reasonable time frame.

I wonder if Scott Rouse is reading these days and is considering options how to handle such situations better. Sometimes a short comment "Sorry, we couldn't fit it into our schedule" or even "Link was broken, now fixed" (entirely different situation, but simialr something that is "stealthily" changed) might be nice.
Fans like transparency, and everytime you don't achieve it, you risk being seen as the "evil faceless corporation".

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Then we're back to the good old days of how magazines are published. You get the finished product and never see all the little changes and deviations that happened along the production path to the final product. Then you can't get your nose bent out of shape because they "changed" the issue on you, you'll be back in the dark and simply take what comes along when its offered.

Sounds good to me. That way it actually feels like a magazine and not just random web postings.

 

[Maggan]

Sometimes a short comment "Sorry, we couldn't fit it into our schedule" or even "Link was broken, now fixed" (entirely different situation, but simialr something that is "stealthily" changed) might be nice.

I doubt that those comments would be taken at face value and head of any high emotions. Each time WotC comments on anything, there are those who are falling over themselves to find ulterior and sinister motives.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; the best thing for WotC would be to never comment on unreleased stuff. Ever.

And then they should just stop commenting their released stuff as well. But who am I kidding. That would be taken as evidence of ulterior and sinister motives as well.

/M

 

[tomlib]

Why be sad for something that is an extremely common occurence, both in online and print publishing? Content gets pushed all over the place, cancelled, put in another issue, rewritten, things like that.

There is absolute truth to this statement but removing a key article at the last moment is not common. Most magazines publish a preview of the next month's issue at the back of the current month so WotC is not unique to publishing issue information early.

I've worked in newspaper publishing, not magazine publishing, so I could be wrong about this but my understanding is that a magazine is pretty well laid out several issues in advance. You should have the articles all but finished and be in the layout process where you might move content from one section to another. Once something is announced it is considered very bad form to cancel it, particularly with no notice or explanation.

I'm not a conspiracy guy and I don't think WotC has ulterior or suspicious motives in changing, cancelling, and putting out poorly edited content. I just don't think they are well organized.

Happy monster slaying,

Tom