RPGNet - What's Up With the d20 Ghetto?

[jaerdaph]

I just noticed that RPGNet has segregated D&D/d20/OGL games into its own forum. Anyone know why they did that?

I occasionally visit RPGNet because they have some good columns and reviews, and on their message boards you can sometimes find some excellent ideas threads.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

The idea behind it has been discussed over there - they're trying to highlight discussion of d20/OGL games so as to make it easier for people interested in those topics to find them.

It hasn't been a popular decision, judging by the reaction, but time will tell - ShannonA has said that he will reverse the separation if it doesn't work out.

 

[trancejeremy]

It's weird that it's happening now, when d20 is basically at its nadir (or as close to it as it can get without 4e being announced).

 

[Piratecat]

I can't necessarily blame them; we have d20 games in their own forum for the same reason. some folks have asked to have a separate forum for non-d20 games, but we prefer them in General.

I'll be interested to see how it works out. My instinct says that they're doing it for the wrong reasons; the best impetus for breaking off a new forum is when the topic has overloaded the existing one.

 

[bento]

It happened with the post explosion over the Paizo-WotC magazine cancellation news.

Rather than wading through all the inconsequential d20 chatter to get to those really important SotC, Exalted, Scion and "sickest gamer I ever played with" posts, the rpg.net mods separated them out.

 

[Beckett]

I'm of mixed feelings. As I understand it, it's been getting a lot of traffic- enough to justify being in its own forum. And it's nice to find d20 threads right there.

But, it's also another forum to look through. And it misses out the insight from the non-D20 players, who might have responded to an interesting post when everything was in one place.

 

[SJE]

I'll be interested to see how it works out. My instinct says that they're doing it for the wrong reasons; the best impetus for breaking off a new forum is when the topic has overloaded the existing one.

In that case there would be a stronger case for an Exalted forum than a d20 one!

SJE

 

[Professor Phobos]

My hope is that it'll be in place a month or two, drum up D20 interest and discussion, then get folded back into the original forum- and that interest and level of discussion will remain intact.

Not that I'm much of a D20 fan, but the forum does seem to be attracting more posts than D20 subjects had previously.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I can't necessarily blame them; we have d20 games in their own forum for the same reason. some folks have asked to have a separate forum for non-d20 games, but we prefer them in General.

I'll be interested to see how it works out. My instinct says that they're doing it for the wrong reasons; the best impetus for breaking off a new forum is when the topic has overloaded the existing one.

And I'd wish ENWorld would stop and move it to General.

Look at the traffic on that forum. It's extremely slow. If discussion of those games was moved to general - I think a LOT more interest in d20/OGL would be created with those posts and it would increase sales and broaden the hobby.

Not a lot perhaps - but I do think it would help. I don't think this forum set-up at ENWorld helps anybody - and it's not going to help on RGP.net either.

I run WotC D&D 3.5. But that does not mean that reading about games like Mutants and Masterminds has no interest for me. And Star Wars is pretty interesting too.

And probably half a dozen other games that stay below the radar as a result of being put in the D20/OGL ghetto. It doesn't help your .pdf sales either - it hurts.

 

[jgbrowning]

And I'd wish ENWorld would stop and move it to General.

That's my opinion as well.

joe b.