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The major changes at WOTC
- Thread starter JacktheRabbit
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Not to make this into an alignment debate, but just having rules to live by does not make you lawful. Lawful is more about putting structures above individuals. A Lawful person would focus on the company, whereas a Chaotic person would focus on the employees.Aaron L said:Well yes, if you break the rules you live by then you aren't Lawful. Neutral Evil, I agree.
Lela
First Post
Ranger REG said:
Can you be guilty by association? I grew up less than 20 miles from where Ted Bundy did (though he is a lot older). I never met the guy, I don't even know where his house was and he moved away a while before he started the killings. But I grew up near him. Of course, I'm not guilty of rape or mass murder.
Why would George Lucas be guilty because he has worked with someone who has had money stollen from them?
William Ronald
Explorer
I too would like someone with a love of gaming to be at WoTC.
However, what is perhaps more important is how the new brass interacts with the people at WoTC. Will they be supportive of new ideas and let the people who know how to make the company perform do so? Will they treat people with respect and try to ensure that products meet the demands of gamers?
For now, I think we have to give the new people a chance to show who they are. Hopefully, the changes will benefit the company and gaming.
I do find the allegations of fraud to be very depressing. Especially in light of WoTC encouraging people to submit proposals for a new D&D setting.
Fortunately, D20 is alive and well.
However, what is perhaps more important is how the new brass interacts with the people at WoTC. Will they be supportive of new ideas and let the people who know how to make the company perform do so? Will they treat people with respect and try to ensure that products meet the demands of gamers?
For now, I think we have to give the new people a chance to show who they are. Hopefully, the changes will benefit the company and gaming.
I do find the allegations of fraud to be very depressing. Especially in light of WoTC encouraging people to submit proposals for a new D&D setting.
Fortunately, D20 is alive and well.
Ghostwind
First Post
There will be speculation for months to come about whether the appropriations (aka embezzlements) made could have changed the outcome of the series of layoffs at Wotc over the past two years. Honestly, that is an answer that will never be known.
As for whether it is wise to have a non-gamer at the helm of a gaming company, the answer lies in his willingness to surround himself with the right people and listen to what they have to say. If he listens to his staff and not just the stockholders, then I have no doubt that Wotc will continue to improve the quality of their products. Gamers make up the bulk of the employees at Wotc until you get to the highest levels of management. I would be more worried if the head of R&D or the Brand Manager wasn't a gamer than I am about a CEO. CEOs, in my experience, really have very little effect on the day-to-day operations of a company unless that person is a control freak and micromanages everything. For the most part, they are merely telling the crew where to steer the ship and everyone else is doing all the work and getting none of the glory.
By the way, for those who complain about how expensive books are, you need to realize that pricing decisions are not made by anyone who would read these boards (just as Sean said). Slamming the writers who don't get paid squat and work their butts off only infuriates them and makes you sound like a whining brat. If you don't want to pay the money, then don't buy the book. It's that simple. Better yet, look at your gaming needs, decide what books you absolutely need and only buy those. In my experience, I've found the ones who complain the loudest about prices are the ones trying to buy every publication as it comes out at full retail price or the ones that expect every prodict to be sold for next to nothing or given away free.
For the record, Sean and Nik, your comments were on the money despite what others may think. But then, neither of you have been shy about being up front with your thoughts - which is usually a good thing.
As for whether it is wise to have a non-gamer at the helm of a gaming company, the answer lies in his willingness to surround himself with the right people and listen to what they have to say. If he listens to his staff and not just the stockholders, then I have no doubt that Wotc will continue to improve the quality of their products. Gamers make up the bulk of the employees at Wotc until you get to the highest levels of management. I would be more worried if the head of R&D or the Brand Manager wasn't a gamer than I am about a CEO. CEOs, in my experience, really have very little effect on the day-to-day operations of a company unless that person is a control freak and micromanages everything. For the most part, they are merely telling the crew where to steer the ship and everyone else is doing all the work and getting none of the glory.
By the way, for those who complain about how expensive books are, you need to realize that pricing decisions are not made by anyone who would read these boards (just as Sean said). Slamming the writers who don't get paid squat and work their butts off only infuriates them and makes you sound like a whining brat. If you don't want to pay the money, then don't buy the book. It's that simple. Better yet, look at your gaming needs, decide what books you absolutely need and only buy those. In my experience, I've found the ones who complain the loudest about prices are the ones trying to buy every publication as it comes out at full retail price or the ones that expect every prodict to be sold for next to nothing or given away free.
For the record, Sean and Nik, your comments were on the money despite what others may think. But then, neither of you have been shy about being up front with your thoughts - which is usually a good thing.
Lela
First Post
I think the main money issue is that the PHB, DMG, and MM all sold for about $20. And they were good quality hardback in color. They easily lasted a long time.
Next come all the suppliments. These are $30, paperback, and black and white. Not only that, but they seem to always need some major errata, as much as the entire PHB, and it's only a quarter of the size. They don't follow the same format (are the spells in the front, back or middle?) and almost require the web suppliment (TaB anyone?).
When you compare the books, you can see why people are upset about the cost of the new ones and, really, who can blame them? It just seems as if they could just make their money after dropping all the other features, but the price is also uped.
Don't get me wrong, I can understand the other side of this too but it is an issue with all us poor gamers.
It's also another reason why all the new (and sometimes uneeded) projects that go on at WotC scare us on occation.
Next come all the suppliments. These are $30, paperback, and black and white. Not only that, but they seem to always need some major errata, as much as the entire PHB, and it's only a quarter of the size. They don't follow the same format (are the spells in the front, back or middle?) and almost require the web suppliment (TaB anyone?).
When you compare the books, you can see why people are upset about the cost of the new ones and, really, who can blame them? It just seems as if they could just make their money after dropping all the other features, but the price is also uped.
Don't get me wrong, I can understand the other side of this too but it is an issue with all us poor gamers.
It's also another reason why all the new (and sometimes uneeded) projects that go on at WotC scare us on occation.
Henry
Autoexreginated
Unless the person in question was funneling millions, I doubt seriously that the bottom line would have been affected very much. It might have saved - what? 5 or 10 jobs out of hundreds?
And as I said before, you do both yourself and others a disservice to assume that all corporations are faceless conglomerations of executives who exist to get rich off of the sweat of others. Many people sure have funny ideas of just what high-level executives are responsible for. In good, effectively managed companies, the execs don't sit on their ***es all day and do nothing - they are out daily in the trenches, finding out from their employees if anything can be done to help their jobs, and to be mroe effective. They are the acting face-men and women for the company, and negotiate with everyone from vendors to utilities, and do a damned hard job of keeping things rolling when someone forgets a shipment, or didn't order sufficent materials, or has mismanaged something into the ground. These people are also the ones who take the heat when something goes wrong.
Some people on these boards must have been working at some sorry-*** companies to have the negative attitude about corporations that exist. The above has been by and large standard procedure at the companies I have worked at. There will always be bed individuals anywhere, but my experiences with the various companies and corporations I have worked with have been overall positive.
And as I said before, you do both yourself and others a disservice to assume that all corporations are faceless conglomerations of executives who exist to get rich off of the sweat of others. Many people sure have funny ideas of just what high-level executives are responsible for. In good, effectively managed companies, the execs don't sit on their ***es all day and do nothing - they are out daily in the trenches, finding out from their employees if anything can be done to help their jobs, and to be mroe effective. They are the acting face-men and women for the company, and negotiate with everyone from vendors to utilities, and do a damned hard job of keeping things rolling when someone forgets a shipment, or didn't order sufficent materials, or has mismanaged something into the ground. These people are also the ones who take the heat when something goes wrong.
Some people on these boards must have been working at some sorry-*** companies to have the negative attitude about corporations that exist. The above has been by and large standard procedure at the companies I have worked at. There will always be bed individuals anywhere, but my experiences with the various companies and corporations I have worked with have been overall positive.
I can't find fault in book size or color content, but Lela does have a point about them being more errata-prone. They could definitely stand a much more rigorous examination before being sent out the door.
For all of the hard work of the original design crew, 3E is suffering the same syndrome as those that came before: Stellar core books followed by supplements of questionable quality. I wish very greatly that whomever eventually takes over at WotC tightens up the quality assurance department.
For all of the hard work of the original design crew, 3E is suffering the same syndrome as those that came before: Stellar core books followed by supplements of questionable quality. I wish very greatly that whomever eventually takes over at WotC tightens up the quality assurance department.
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