D&D 5E The Larger Failure of "Tyranny of Dragons"

[Sacrosanct]

I’m not saying amazon reviews have zero worth, or that there aren’t any decent reviews. I’m simply saying that they have little value when compared to actual professional reviews based on but not limited to:

*fake reviews all over the place
*inexperienced people who don’t have a comparison to review

• people treating it like eBay, where you give 5 stars out of habit unless something was broken because that was the unwritten rule to help each other out
• people assuming 5 stars is default, and you only take away for bad things, rather than realize 3 stars is good, and 5 is outstanding (that’s how we view workplace personal reviews as well, like a 3 is bad or something, when it actually means you’re doing a good job). I mean, HotDQ is what? 4.5? That means it’s a near perfect product. I don’t think anyone really agrees with that, and yet that’s how the reviews are.
• people giving reviews based on factors unrelated to the

That’s why I don’t put much faith or weighting into amazon reviews

Personally, I didn’t think it was awful, but mediocre. I had a good DM which probably helped a lot. Didn’t like the railroadiness (especially scene 1. As a 1st level PC, We ran away from the dragon because we didn’t want to die, which immediately threw a wrench into the system), and getting Hazeron (sp) at a lower level was almost game breaking.

 

[Mirtek]

Firstly, it's Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Hoard = a big pile of treasure. Horde = a big pile of monsters.

However there is a good chance that a horde of monsters will have a hoard of treasure

 

[Sadras]

It's just a bad intro IMHO. And the encounters are also stupid/tpk in chapter 1.

It's not much fun later either when you're literally on the road effectively a railroad.

The ToD storyline is epic in scope. Does it cover everything it should - certainly not and I will agree it is very much a railroad - at least the HotDQ part of it. My personal opinion though is that after so much time and with so many readily available resources the AP has increased in its worth. It really is a marvelous AP if you make it your own.
To bash it now, after all this time, seems a futile exercise and a little lazy.

 

[ccs]

The ToD storyline is epic in scope. Does it cover everything it should - certainly not and I will agree it is very much a railroad - at least the HotDQ part of it. My personal opinion though is that after so much time and with so many readily available resources the AP has increased in its worth. It really is a marvelous AP if you make it your own.
To bash it now, after all this time, seems a futile exercise and a little lazy.

Oh please, people bash modules etc that were printed decades ago. In some cases stuff from before they were born, let alone began playing.

 

[Gadget]

Well, its certainly not 'Forest Oracle' bad, to see the way some here are going on about it. Its clear in hindsite that it was written as the system was being finalized though.

 

[Umbran]

A lot if casuals won't know any better or have anything to compare it with.

And a lot of non-casuals, to be honest, become too finicky, elitist, and willing to make perfect the enemy of good.

 

[Sadras]

Oh please, people bash modules etc that were printed decades ago. In some cases stuff from before they were born, let alone began playing.

Sure they bash modules but is it standard practice to create two threads about it? If they do, pushback is going to be expected.

 

[Zardnaar]

And a lot of non-casuals, to be honest, become too finicky, elitist, and willing to make perfect the enemy of good.

If you're throwing around 5 star reviews Willy nilly that's not elitism. Amazon reviews are completely useless.

There's better adventures, 5 star tends to be near perfect/some of the best adventures ever made.

 

[Zardnaar]

Well, its certainly not 'Forest Oracle' bad, to see the way some here are going on about it. Its clear in hindsite that it was written as the system was being finalized though.

I wouldn't give HotDQ 1 star. I think forest Oracle is a prime example of a one star adventure. HotDQ is something like 2.5/5 or maybe 3/5 something like that. The basic idea of the AP isn't terrible either.

There's a lot worse not just Forest Oracle.

 

[Umbran]

If you're throwing around 5 star reviews Willy nilly that's not elitism.

There's better adventures, 5 star tends to be near perfect/some of the best adventures ever made.

Or, alternatively (and, I think more accurately) folks may be rating in terms of how much fun they had, or expect to have, playing the thing. If they think it'll be a lot of fun, it's worth a 5, no matter that there's some that may be technically better designed.

There's a restaurant near me. They sell burgers. If I take one apart, and look at each piece with a very critical eye, I am sure I could come up with a laundry list of negative aspects to the burger. Tallying a review on this basis will make it look like their food is awful.

Stack the stuff together, and take a few bites, however, and the burger is awesome!

People on messageboards tend to do more of the former, and less of the latter.