Third Party: If So, Then What?

[JoeGKushner]

No. Those occasions were largely the result of growth and the need more more and better.

As Morrus said, this time it is about revenue drying up.

And I'm just throwing the arguement out here.

How many times can you go to the well?

In the past, En World has been fortunate, very fortunate, to have some fantastic donations. Huge numbers. What's the likelyhood of those donations coming again in the same numbers, especially as the general economy in America continues to tank for the average worker? I can't say with any certainty of course but I would think not as high.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Wonder if 4E was designed from the beginning such that novice players can easily design their own adventures and move into the DM chair very easily. If such a scenario passes muster, WotC adventure modules could very well be made superfluous and/or are used as "proof of concept" examples as a guide for less experienced DMs. This may be suggestive from the last Worldwide D&D Game Day event for DMG2, in the exercises of designing encounters.

Where this leaves 3PP adventure modules, is anybody's guess.

To me, this is one of the reasons I'd probably never go back to 3rd edition. 4e is just easier for me to GM.

Stat blocks are smaller, monsters have specific roles, characters have specific roles, etc...

It's not that I couldn't GM something that requires more prep time, it's just if I did, it would be Hero, not D&D.

 

[Mark]

3. I don't know that this place was objectively D&D central. WotC's forums certainly beat ENWorld out in terms of volume.

This is where you and some others are missing the point. I don't think anyone believes that EN World is D&D central, but rather that EN World is D&D focused, and by default currently D&D4E focused. The problem is that it doesn't feed the kitty. Objectively, that requires a rethink of what the focus of EN World needs to be to survive at some level, if at all.

No forum is good enough to pay for the privilege. Why pay for ENWorld when you can go to WotC or RPGnet for free? I have no issue with asking for donations, or supporting a place that you believe in. Making the place require payment to use is another story.

I disagree and have been a supporter of EN World since the beginning. It's going through a rough patch but I am guessing that it will turn things around and likeminded people will be here longterm, supporting the community and having fun.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

This is where you and some others are missing the point. I don't think anyone believes that EN World is D&D central, but rather that EN World is D&D focused, and by default currently D&D4E focused. The problem is that it doesn't feed the kitty. Objectively, that requires a rethink of what the focus of EN World needs to be to survive at some level, if at all.

So the question would be if there was a way to feed the 4E kitty(or do you mean 4E feeding the ENWorld kitty?), or if moving focus away at this point from 4E could support the site?

I disagree and have been a supporter of EN World since the beginning. It's going through a rough patch but I am guessing that it will turn things around and likeminded people will be here longterm, supporting the community and having fun.

The problem with that is that requiring payment for access kills the future recruitment of new members. Being loyal enough to donate to the upkeep of a forum takes time.

 

[Mark]

So the question would be if there was a way to feed the 4E kitty(or do you mean 4E feeding the ENWorld kitty?), or if moving focus away at this point from 4E could support the site?

I have read this three times and cannot seem to divine what you are saying.

The problem with that is that requiring payment for access kills the future recruitment of new members. Being loyal enough to donate to the upkeep of a forum takes time.

There are a lot of scenarios one could claim cannot work but all we have to go on is what we know has worked in the past and what we see is apparently not working right now. Naturally, you can prove me wrong and make me eat my words by signing up yourself and 743 of your closest friends but judging by your posts I am guessing you have neither the inclination to sign up nor that many friends.

 

[darjr]

I think paying for access is a bad idea.

I think that the general forum should be made more so and that the pathfinder forum should be folded back into the main.

I also think that there are plenty of folks who love D&D in it's many forms and don't really have a place other than ENWorld. Where does a guy who loves 4e and 1e go? The WotC forums are very 4e specific. RPGNet is as well. Dragons foot is decidedly not 3e or higher.

 

[Mark]

I think paying for access is a bad idea.

Not worse than no EN World at all, IMO.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

I have read this three times and cannot seem to divine what you are saying.

Ok, I'll try to clarify:

I was wondering if one of the following three things were true or even possible

1. ENWorld needs to better serve 4E fans for them to support ENWorld in greater numbers.
2. 4E fans need to support ENWorld more to help ENWorld survive
3. ENWorld needs to move focus away from 4E, and get the support it needs from non-4E fans.

There are a lot of scenarios one could claim cannot work but all we have to go on is what we know has worked in the past and what we see is not apprently working right now. Naturally, you can prove me wrong and make me eat my words by signing up yourself and 743 of your closest friends but judging by your posts I am guessing you have neither the inclination to sign up nor that many friends.

I'm more of a transient poster who appears now and again than a regular. I go to other places, and I post more at WotC and theRPGsite than I post here, and spend more time reading posts at RPGnet than here though I rarely post there. I don't really support any of them financially.

 

[Mark]

2. 4E fans need to support ENWorld more to help ENWorld survive.

This seems to be the situation or . . .

3. ENWorld needs to move focus away from 4E, and get the support it needs from non-4E fans.

. . . this is a possible alternative.

I'm more of a transient poster who appears now and again than a regular.

1000+ posts in less than two years is way above average.

 

[darjr]

Not worse than no EN World at all, IMO.

Well yes. I do think that the first will lead to the second.