The future of d20M is... splats!

[buzz]

From today's Gamingreport.com:

As far as d20 Modern the strong player base should expect 4 releases a year, all of which will be soft cover and come in at 96pages starting with d20 Past in March of 2005.

http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=14047&mode=thread&order=0

And here I was certain that d20P being 96pp was a misprint. Interesting decision on WotC's part. I'd figured these kinds of short, softcover books just weren't profitable for them any more.

 

[Vigilance]

Im quite positive Wizards never said they would do no more softcovers.

They simply said they were going to focus more on their strengths (the big full-cover HC being a definite thing that they do better than anyone in the business).

Chuck

 

[Desdichado]

I wonder if we can finally get a Dark•Matter d20 splat, then?

 

[Cergorach]

I think the problem with D20 Modern is third party support, there's some good stuff out there, but just not in the amounts of general D20 support. I think that this is WotC it's attempt to show everyone that they are supporting D20 Modern...

 

[Vigilance]

Well, to expect d20 Modern to be AS WELL supported as d20 itself is not something that will or should ever happen.

In the first place one could make the argument that d20 (especially D&D) is *over supported*.

In the second place more people PLAY D&D than d20 Modern.

Chuck

 

[buzz]

They simply said they were going to focus more on their strengths (the big full-cover HC being a definite thing that they do better than anyone in the business).

I guess they have been doing the short 32pp adventures for Eberron.

Is it profitable for them to do these 96pp books for d20M? I mean, I assume so, or they wouldn't be doing them.

Vigilance, I guess it's up to guys like you to provide us with fat hardcovers for d20M...

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Mmm, well, even if I can't get a hardcover D*M book, I'll take a softcover if it's done WELL.

I like support for Modern, I think, more than I've ever liked support for D&D. I think it's because Modern comes out of the box FEELING Modular ... so you can get all the modules and use this one or that one without confusion for where they stop and begin. Support for D&D feels all far too similar ... it's all D&D ... so why shouldn't you USE all of the support material? Why is your DM only letting in certain things, when X seems to be just as "D&D" as Y.

--fje

 

[Vigilance]

Is it profitable for them to do these 96pp books for d20M? I mean, I assume so, or they wouldn't be doing them.

Well if its profitable for RPGObjects to do them I can only imagine it would be profitable for WOTC lol.

The only reason I think they're concentrating on HC a little more now than they used to is because HC tend to sell better than a softcover of equal size and WOTC does them better than anyone else.

Modules are, however, a much different story that sourcebooks.

Chuck

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, to expect d20 Modern to be AS WELL supported as d20 itself is not something that will or should ever happen.

In the first place one could make the argument that d20 (especially D&D) is *over supported*.

In the second place more people PLAY D&D than d20 Modern.

Wasn't there an exclusive publishers' mailing list that WotC (or some outside volunteer) ran in order to get feedback for d20 Modern? I mean, they were trying to design a rulebook that would be more "acceptable" for third-party support than the Player's Handbook.

Of course, later on, many of the developers have dropped it in favor of the Player's Handbook and its much larger audience (hence more $$$). Even Sword & Sorcery Studios/White Wolf and AEG know this is the more profitable avenue. IOW, they got over the awkwardness of providing a nonmedieval fantasy game using medieval fantasy ruleset.

 

[Cergorach]

Well, to expect d20 Modern to be AS WELL supported as d20 itself is not something that will or should ever happen.

In the first place one could make the argument that d20 (especially D&D) is *over supported*.

In the second place more people PLAY D&D than d20 Modern.

That's probably due to the fact that fantasy seems to be more popular in rpg world then sci-fi. D20 fantasy is 'over supported', i see that as a good thing. There's currently something going on that i can only describe as "culling the herd", there's so much stuff out there that it's bound to contain gems, people are finding the gems and the gravel is being discarded (going out of business).

I think that WotC was expecting more of the sci-fi/modern rpgers to start using D20 Modern, but if the main pusher is rather sparse with support i doubt others will pick up where WotC stopped. Especially when it's more profitable (and easier) to service the D20 users (instead of the D20 Modern users).

Personally i found Spycraft more to my liking then D20 Modern (as a rules set), but with more support comming from WotC maybe we'll get some additional interesting stuff (settings) for D20 Modern...