The Gaming Ideal

[paulewaug]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

3.) How long should those sessions be?

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Let's see..
1.) "4-6" altough my preferance as dm is 4 players (Plus the 1 dm)
I like this because I don't want to neglect anyone or have them get boared while somebody else is doing thier thing. Also because the adventures and monsters' CR are arguably set towards the idea of 4 pcs it makes it easy for me.

2.)In a "ideal gaming world" once a week would be nice, in real life I can enjoy omce every other week.

3.)also "4-6" although again I prefer 4 hours of "palyable time" as my group can sometimes get a little "hinky" after too many hours and we tned to play later in the day and we get off topic and goof off a lot, and then there is often a sort of "atand around and talk" kind of dwontime afterwords. But really I would go with a solid 4 hours of gaming would be great!

4.)sorry but I didn't vote, I really am not sure. It toatlly depends on what I am looking for, I like both. Although i do prefer Crunch over Fluff in my gaming products, because as has been said, if I want fluff I can read a book! But I don't want tons of new rules and feats and prcs in everything I get either.

5.) I am not carzy about pdf's, yeah if they are around $5 that is nice but I like to have an actaul book to read most of the time. I am not to concerened about hardcover or softcoer. I guess hard is nice because it holds up well (Theoretically anyhow )
but i would just as well buy a softy and spend less.
If you are looking for specific products I am planning on getting both Arcana Unearthed and Warcraft. Alhtough I I see AU as more useful and Warcraft as more for just for fun.
I don't really care to spend more than $30 on a rulebook-sourcebook. And prefer a price cap of about $12 on modules.
That may not be to reasonable I guess, but I buy lots of stuff and don't really need extra stuff about the authors homebrewed worlds. If I was intrested I would want that as a book all of it's own. Like Monte's Diamnond Throne, I am getting both Au and the setting book, but I like that they are both seperate.

 

[Ry]

In the past couple of days I've asked some questions about the past and current situation for your games. Now I would like to take the time to listen to your goals and desires. The following questions should help any publisher who reads the responses direct some of their production closer toward "The Gaming Ideal"
1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

3 players is best, 2 works, 4 works. 5 can't give enough attention to everyone, so individual conversations start happening. Larger numbers worsen this effect. Roleplaying with one player is _too_ personal, and videogames are more appropriate than that kind of social interaction.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Two to three times a week - no one forgets their in-game information that way.

3.) How long should those sessions be?

Four hours if there's levelling, three if you can avoid levelling. Less frequent gaming should span longer periods (so that the heroes re-learn their ingame information on the setting). My best campaigns ever have been 10 hours long, but I don't live in an ideal world like question 2.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

Read how Monte Cook writes racial description of the faen in Arcana Unearthed. Now do everything in the gaming industry exactly like that. Flavor's more important because, by and large, we already have the tools for the crunch. If you really want to make a new magical sword, fine, but far better to say "This is a holy avenger except it gives the owner improved critical when black dragons are near." Complex NPCs are different - they need spells selected and such - but for god's sake let us download easy-to-use versions. I take a look at the standard condensed statblock and start wondering if I suffer from dyslexia. I figure I ought to roll 6d8 to see what a manticore's Listen skill is.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

I'd choose the book that it looks like I'll have to write myself: A geographically small, self-contained D&D setting that works hard at internal consistency. It would address issues like "Magic and the Economy" not by any new rules, but by having wizards not interact in the standard economy (like in Dragonlance). It would be a hardback, but important NPCs from the setting could be downloaded online in a full-page 2E-Monster Manual style page. Basically it would be a modest setting as well as an adventure. Explaining internal consistency again, let's have the end-villain Black Dragon Zolanderos be able to kill off most of the peasantry in the region. Why hasn't he? Because he's still petrified, and his less powerful cultists haven't un-petrified him yet. I'm sick of appealing to mysterious restraint or higher powers. I just want an internally consistent D&D setting that can serve as an introduction for new players or as a launching pad to other settings.

If I couldn't get that, I'd choose a very large PDF that gave all sorts of different builds of various characters (Dwarven Fighter, Half-Orc Cleric choosing Evil and War domains, Human Thief that focused on Diplomacy, etc, etc, etc) at _every level_. This would include items chosen for purchase. Basically, I wish I had a digital version of standard NPCs at every level, that included reasonable combat/tactics as well as items. I know this is what's supposed to be in the DMG, but you have to be an accountant to figure out what magical items these characters are likely to use, and every fighter burns a feat to use a stupid bastard sword.

Thanks very much for your time and indulgence...

 

[Dalamar]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?[/B

A total (including the DM) of three is too little, but I don't know if a total of five or six would be best

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

One to three times a week, depending on session lenght

3.) How long should those sessions be?

2 to 3 hours if three times a week, 3 to 4 if twice, or a one-nighter

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

Voted 50-50, but depends completely on the flavor and crunch. A monster book, for example, can't fare by just crunch, but needs to detail the monsters somewhat.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

A mega-adventure in Finnish (I can dream, can't it?), softback (to cut the price a bit) costing somewhere around 20€

 

[Rybaer]

1. 4-6

2. Weekly

3. appx 6 hours

4. While I appreciate good flavor, I rarely want to apply all of it to my games. Thus, the more intricately detailed flavor a product has, the more in the way it gets when trying to adapt to my home game. Light but inspiring flavor useful for sparking more ideas works best for me.

5. A book staggeringly, overwhelmingly, chock full of random lists. Examples of lists: personality traits, physical appearance, types of merchant shops, things found in a (swamp, field, forest, cave), items found in a (castle, crypt, house, shop), types of trees, domestic animals, crops, heraldic symbols, mundane and unusual treasure, and so on. Basically, this book of lists would provide instant material that can liven up an encounter or site, or inspire further depth in a previously planned locale.

Either PDF or book would work fine...likely in the $8(PDF)-$15(book) range.

 

[Yair]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?
4-5+DM

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
2-3 times per week

3.) How long should those sessions be?
About 6 hours each.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?
I voted 40% crucnch and 60% flavor. I actually buy things more for their flavor, but if it isn't emeded in crunch I feel the designer didn't do his job.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?
I am actually fairly pleased with my collection as-is.
For a dream product, though... well, a mega-adventure all the way from level 6 to 20, for evil characters, set in the High Forest in the Forgotten Realms (or any woody place), in pdf form, which is of course interesting, well-presented, and well-designed... I'd reckon I'd be willing ot pay as much as 40$ on that, if I was convinced it would make a good advennture... though perhaps publishing it in parts, each about 7$, would be more realistic.
It would just save me all of the thinking...

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

In the past couple of days I've asked some questions about the past and current situation for your games. Now I would like to take the time to listen to your goals and desires. The following questions should help any publisher who reads the responses direct some of their production closer toward "The Gaming Ideal"

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

3.) How long should those sessions be?

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Thanks very much for your time and indulgence...

1) 5-6 players

2) Once or twice a week as a minimum

3) At least 6 hours

4) Can't elaborate much on that - I like a fair amount of crunch that I can directly use in my games but the books should also be evocative and an interesting read. (Lords of Darkness is a prime example of such a book)

5) Well the kind of book I am currently interested in is a book like the upcoming UA - with lots of variant rules for D&D and d20. Price tag - 25-30 dollars. Hardback, full colour and at least 280 pages is my preferred format.

-Zarrock

 

[Sketchpad]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

4-8 players.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

3-4 Times a Week

3.) How long should those sessions be?

Ideally? 5-7 Hours ... actually? They're about 3-4

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

I prefer flair and RPing over rules mongering ...

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

I would like to see more race & alternate class books ... I think that FFG's Path series are some of the best books I've seen, as well as GR's Races of Renown As far as Genres ... d20 needs a good contemporary horror game, something that caters to all horror fans with solid fear rules As far as price: $24.95 would be good ... SC is fine as long as it's worth the moola

Thanks very much for your time and indulgence...

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Best number of players at the table: 4-6, max.

How often should you be able to game: 2 times a week

How long should those sessions be: 6-8 hour sessions.

Crunch v. flavor: 70% crunch, 30% flavor. If I'm going to buy a D&D book, I'm buying it because I don't have enough time to make up my own homebrew stuff. I need crunch (rules) more than I need flavor. I can always add flavor on the fly, but it's harder to add crunch.

What form should off-the shelf books be in, and how much should they reasonably cost? In order of preference, softbacks for $15-20, hardbacks for $20-25, no thanks on the pdf.

 

[Lalato]

Nice bell curve you have going there.

--sam

 

[mhensley]

1 - five

2 - once a week

3 - six hours

4 - I enjoy reading flavor more than reading rules.

5 - A book on adventure designing. The book would be softcover because I wouldn't be taking it to games. The price would depend on how big it is.