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Full Moon Storyteller
Ok I have to laugh at Mearls on that because that is impossible
And yet, all the evidence is that they did it.
Ok I have to laugh at Mearls on that because that is impossible
They were like h4ters and kiwis, that way.You do know the 4venger type group was really really small as an overall % of the D&D fanbase.
And yet, all the evidence is that they did it.
For one, I'd say it's this very strong commitment to supporting the Adventurers League to a degree we've never seen before. The RPGA, back in the day, was very popular, but, you almost never heard about it. Small snippets in Dragon Magazine, the occasional bit on the website and that was it. Now, AL play is front and centre. The major releases are all tied specifically to AL play. They are pushing AL play every chance they get - and that's apparently the strategy for growing the hobby; create a venue for new players to come and try the game in as many places and as often as possible.
Previously, there was a sense that WotC was just releasing books into the wilds and then moving on to the next book. Now we get things like Chris Perkins doing live play at Con's, massive promotion of AL play, this new Epic Play (or whatever it's called) coming at the next Winter Ex. A lot more exploration of social media communication as well. Twitter, Facebook, the Dragon+ phone app. Plus tying all the different gaming venues - video games, board games and TTRPG into one big package.
Previous D&D board games, for example, had nothing to do with the TTRPG. I can't remember ever seeing a release of a video game like Sword Coast Legends directly with a module release. Now, whether it's successful or not is a different issue entirely. But, I'd say they are trying very hard, right now, to broaden the appeal of the game.
I have never really played "official" DnD so I have no idea how much better or worse the current batch is compared to previously.
I have always thought that they always did a good job tieing the board games into the RPG. They had Strahd, Drizzt and Waterdeep which are all hard core DnD branded. And of course we have always had computer games, I can not be the only one to remember Curse of the Azure Bonds game/novel/module for example.
Is it possible you're succumbing to various biases, including confirmation bias and negativity bias?
I honestly don't see how people can run out of entertainment so fast with what's available.
If bloat and endless seas of crunch and numbers and calculus is what you want, there's a game for you already. It's called Pathfinder. You can probably buy a few books, per month, for a few years, to keep you satisfied and your wallet pillaged.