WotC Unpopular Opinion: WotC is the Bethesda of RPG Companies

[Tonguez]

This is NOT a dig. I love Fallout and The Elder Scrolls.

That said, more and more I see WotC putting out buggy, slightly underwhelming material and then encouraging the fan community to patch it, expand on it and tweak it. The awesome experiences we have with D&D are actually as much the result of that fan/indie effort as they are WotC output.

I always thought that was a feature rather than a bug, the company gives minamalist tools to allows DMs to tweak to their own preference.

It’s not a crpg or a board game it’s a creative dialogue between GM and players with WotC providing impetus and inspiration

 

[Reynard]

I always thought that was a feature rather than a bug, the company gives minamalist tools to allows DMs to tweak to their own preference.

It’s not a crpg or a board game it’s a creative dialogue between GM and players with WotC providing impetus and inspiration

I explicitly said it was a feature. Of course many commenters have assumed it was an attack, despite my first sentence saying it wasn't.

But my point still stands: WorC is happy to push out stuff that isn't necessarily perfect because they know the is an existing community out there that will "perfect" it for them.

 

[Zardnaar]

Disagree with OP.
You might not like 5E but it's not as bug infested as Bethesda stuff.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Bethesda has never actually encouraged fans to "fix" the games. Their attitude seems to have been that the creation kit was for making new content for their games, not for "fixing" or "tweaking". For a long time console gamers had no access to mods whatsoever, but Bethesda games were still super popular.

I also see no evidence that WotC is deliberately producing sub-standard work for D&D with the idea that fans will "fix" it. Note that there's no consensus among the players about what if anything needs fixing in 5E, let alone how to fix it. There's no "standard" house rules or anything. House rules an homebrew content is all about tweaking the game to taste rather than "fixing".

In conclusion, the OP is wrong about absolutely everything.

 

[Lanefan]

I also see no evidence that WotC is deliberately producing sub-standard work for D&D with the idea that fans will "fix" it. Note that there's no consensus among the players about what if anything needs fixing in 5E, let alone how to fix it. There's no "standard" house rules or anything. House rules an homebrew content is all about tweaking the game to taste rather than "fixing".

"Tweaking the game to taste" and "fixing" are almost always the same thing in the eyes of the person(s) doing it.

In 5e, the element that seems to generate the greatest amount of fixes is resting and recovery; sure not all of the various fixes are going to be the same but the fact that people felt they had to be done at all might indicate there's a bug in there somewhere......

 

[Krachek]

I think I saw a puddy tat!

Edited for language.

 

[Bitbrain]

Disagree with OP.
You might not like 5E but it's not as bug infested as Bethesda stuff.

Shouts from the mountain:

“AND ALL GOD’S CHILDREN SAID ‘AMEN’”!

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

"Tweaking the game to taste" and "fixing" are almost always the same thing in the eyes of the person(s) doing it.

You really think so? My impression is that most tweakers are fully aware that their tweaks aren't for everyone, but are about adapting the game to their playstyle.

 

[Reynard]

Disagree with OP.
You might not like 5E but it's not as bug infested as Bethesda stuff.

Who said anything about not liking 5E?

Also, as I stated in my OP, I like Bethesda. So folks bringing their disdain for Bethesda into it are kind of missing the point.

 

[Lanefan]

You really think so? My impression is that most tweakers are fully aware that their tweaks aren't for everyone, but are about adapting the game to their playstyle.

No-one said anything about anything being "for everyone". They're fixing the game so, with any luck, it works the way they want it to.

That said, sometimes a fix made by one person does turn out to be better than the original design.....