To James Jacobs: A Growing Problem with Dungeon Magazine

[James Jacobs]

The conversion notes are unforgivably behind. There are reasons WHY they're not caught up, but that doesn't change the fact that they're not up. I know they're not up, and I'm trying to get them online as soon as possible. But keep in mind that writing them, editing them, laying out the file, and posting it are four steps done by four people whose schedules never conicde nicely enough for it all to happen on the same day, or for that matter, the same week or even the same month.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

Why do the conversion notes take so long to edit? There's no layout involved anymore, they're just text documents pasted into pdf.

I can understand a few weeks after you get them from the writers, but we always end up waiting month after month after month. Is this really something that takes you more than half an hour to look at? I can't imagine the editing being THAT bad. I probably take more time editing my posts on EN World than I would need to edit the conversion notes.

I think the time you take waiting to publish them does a lot more damage on the "value" than the amount of effort you probably spend on editing the notes. At this point I would be happy with the rough drafts early rather than all i's dotted and t's crossed a day late.

I just want to point out that you've asked this same round of questions of James and his crew on the Paizo boards. You certainly weren't happy with the answers you got there. Do you really feel that you'll get more satisfactory answers by just asking them all over again here? James has been "bend over backward" pleasant and civil in answering every question you've dogged him with re: conversion notes. Please give this particular round of questions a rest.

 

[takasi]

I just want to point out that you've asked this same round of questions of James and his crew on the Paizo boards. You certainly weren't happy with the answers you got there. Do you really feel that you'll get more satisfactory answers by just asking them all over again here? James has been "bend over backward" pleasant and civil in answering every question you've dogged him with re: conversion notes. Please give this particular round of questions a rest.

The method has changed since last we spoke.

The conversion notes are now text only pdfs. There is no layout process necessary to do this. Yes, yes, people are going to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about, but those same people have probably never looked at the notes. They are just TEXT. I would love to see the draft vs the final copy, because the text that's actually presented does not look like it needs very much work at all to do. If anyone else disagrees, based solely on the text of the notes alone by all means please prove me wrong.

 

[GwydapLlew]

So...back to the OT... I'm all for including non-core spells in NPC spellblocks (and tactics) if it makes for an interesting adventure - and if the extra pagecount doesn't detract from the rest of the magazine.

 

[Nightfall]

James,

Aw come on! You can trust us! I mean it's not like we're trying to take Dragon away from you.

Seriously I am curious, what would it take to do all that stuff you mentioned to outsource to little ole us? I mean you know us! (Well sort of.) We're trust worthy! (I think...)

*considers shooting a certain annoying poster...but decides against it*

 

[00Machado]

I'm all for spell variety making magic seem interesting, so it's not mundane. If this really became a problem in my games though, I could always change the described spell effect while keeping or slightly altering the mechanics.

I think that would work in most cases, with an occasional spell substitution from a sourcebook I have on hand to round out the rest.

 

[jmucchiello]

I wonder if any publisher has thought of putting out extra/supplemental/additional content out on the web via a Wiki environment? This would allow their audience to update, edit, and add to the materials being handed out. It certainly removes quite a bit of the editorial process (and cost), because it would be assumed that this additional material is in a very raw form and waiting for fanbase contribution. Who knows?... it may lead to content that can be put into actual book/magazine form, all gleaned from freely contributed works.

I would, if I were a publisher, maintain strict oversight over an endeavor like this, but it really sounds like a no-brainer to me.

I've thought about it. And the legalities surrounding it are a nightmare. If I put up a wiki with open editing, how do I know someone won't supplement my content with content from some other existing (open or closed) source? If it comes down to a lawsuit my little clickthrough license forming a contract between me and somw guy at some random ip address is not going to protect my interests.

No, thanks. I'll sign contracts on paper with my authors and include indemnity clauses against their potential plagerism.

 

[Nightfall]

Mach,

Yeah well some people (not me necessarily) might be curious on which spells might substitute best for something else that usually works fine "normally."

 

[Monkey King]

The snarky side of me wants to say that very very few d20 publishers have ever used material from other companies anyway, so why start now.

Hey, so not true! The Open Design projects all use material from a wide range of companies, both the major d20 houses and the smaller PDF publishers. We even have a monster wrangler who helps keep the creatures and their licenses sorted out.

It's messy (especially as some publishers don't exactly follow the spirit of the license), but I think it's worth it to design adventures that use the strongest elements from the whole field. Good material *should* be picked up, worked into new projects, and brought to a wider audience.

 

[Hussar]

Hey, so not true! The Open Design projects all use material from a wide range of companies, both the major d20 houses and the smaller PDF publishers. We even have a monster wrangler who helps keep the creatures and their licenses sorted out.

It's messy (especially as some publishers don't exactly follow the spirit of the license), but I think it's worth it to design adventures that use the strongest elements from the whole field. Good material *should* be picked up, worked into new projects, and brought to a wider audience.

I think that this has become true more recently than before. Again, that's my fairly uninformed opinion, so, take it for what it is. It seems that with the death of a number of players in the d20 market, those remaining seem to be more willing to play ball with eachother.

I mean, back in the day, we had what, six different d20 naval supplements, all entirely independent of eachother? Just as an example. Now, I see that a lot of the companies, particularly ones that are producing adventures, seem to be working together better.