D&D 5E Wanting more content doesn't always equate to wanting tons of splat options so please stop.

[Morrus]

You already know the answer to that. I don't buy third party stuff anymore. I'm not going to play battleship with third party products and hope I get a random "hit".

As I said, you've my deepest sympathies. It does sound pretty tough. I bet trying new foods is an emotional workout!

 

[hawkeyefan]

The problem with the internet sometimes is that people assume their counter argument has done it's job and the discussion is over. I have seen a lot of counter arguments but they just seem to branch off into other arguments because they tend to raise more questions than they do answers. I don't have to dismiss arguments, if I think they are wrong then I will flat out say it. I don't resort to immature snipe remarks that some on here seem to do. "OH GOD NOT ANOTHER CORPSETAKER THREAD!"

There are a few here who think the way to win an argument is to shout over them and come up with snide remarks. Others try to win them with deception and not telling of the "whole" story. Dancing around the CoC is what some people here love to do to try and win an argument.

Well, I don't think anyone can "win the argument" since preference regarding the release of material is a matter of opinion. And when it comes to discussing which approach...slow release schedule or quicker release schedule...all we can do is speculate. I do think that the evidence we have...which I acknowledge is not fully conclusive...certainly supports the success of the slower release schedule. It's too early to know for sure, however.

I also think that WotC has supported the game in a variety of ways other than splat release. Including material in the DMG about how to create custom content, and the creation of an online marketplace for such material in the DMsGuild, is an enourmous amount of support. Some folks don't like that support, for whatever reason....and that's fine. I think many of the arguments against that material to be pretty flimsy, but there are some valid points that I've seen made. But when this part of the conversation comes up, we generally are talking about a matter of preference....the fact is that WotC has released support for the game.

I think a lot of folks who want more material have already drawn their conclusion..."more material will be better"...and then they try to make the facts for that conclusion.

It's called discouragement. People who have left the game are increasingly unlikely to return to the game and buy a general content release if it's just going to be another 2-3 years before they get more. Similarly, those on the edge are also going to he hesitant to spend money for the same reasons.

I think maybe that sounds more like your view than it does an actual trend, no? Are there that many people who've left the game that would be enticed back by a splatbook or setting book...but only if it was the first of many?

And if this was a trend of some sort and created some sort of demographic that WotC should pursue, should it not be balanced against their current approach and growth? So, if they currently sell X amount of hardcover copies of the latest adventure path, then they would have to be sure that they'd also sell X amount or more of a splat or setting book.

And on top of that, you're saying they would then have to continue to do so at a rapid pace? If anything, this is an argument against going down that rabbit hole at all.

You already know the answer to that. I don't buy third party stuff anymore. I'm not going to play battleship with third party products and hope I get a random "hit".

So how do you vet official WotC products? Just by thumbing through them at the store? Not by word of mouth, or any other form of feedback?

 

[Maxperson]

As I said, you've my deepest sympathies. It does sound pretty tough. I bet trying new foods is an emotional workout!

You seem to have a burr stuck somewhere with regards to me, ever since I inadvertently implied that third party products didn't have professionals. I already apologized for that, so why this hostility? A smiley face doesn't mask it by the way.

 

[Jester David]

Exactly! Things are looking pretty bad when they can not even keep the novel line running with three experienced novelists.

Well, three novelists don't make a novel line. That's a pretty sad number of novels. Plus, two of the authors (and their most famous characters) aren't well liked.
They need more authors, but aren't in a great position to find new blood. The last time they tried to expand the number of novels, the best they could do is bringing in people who used to write for D&D 20 years ago.

The novels situation is tricky. There's a lot going on there. For starters, Realms novels are basically Young Adult fiction, and always have been. But there's a heck of a lot more competition in the YA field. And a heck of a lot more mature, grown up fantasy fiction. Staying competitive on book shelves is much harder now.
Plus the Realms have a HUGE back catalogue of novels. They can make a decent amount of money just keeping classics in print.

Licensing it out to another publisher makes it significantly easier to get new writers. And good writers. Which has always been the issue with the D&D novels. And the other company is likely much more proficient in novel soliciting, distribution, and the like.

But as long as they keep tweeting their twits then that is success.

You mock, but there's something nice about having the people in charge be approachable. You can ask them anything, and not in a "mail in a question and hope it is answered" sort of way. And as people interact with them and talk about #dnd it makes the game visible.

 

[Maxperson]

And on top of that, you're saying they would then have to continue to do so at a rapid pace? If anything, this is an argument against going down that rabbit hole at all.

I didn't say they would have to. I said the longer the wait, the more likely that becomes.

So how do you vet official WotC products? Just by thumbing through them at the store? Not by word of mouth, or any other form of feedback?

I spend a good amount of time looking at them in the store, or at a game if a friend already has it. The word of mouth from people I know is helpful.

 

[Morrus]

You seem to have a burr stuck somewhere with regards to me, ever since I inadvertently implied that third party products didn't have professionals. I already apologized for that, so why this hostility? A smiley face doesn't mask it by the way.

Hostility? Not at all. It's sympathy. You seem to struggle with things that most of us deal with with ease. I can't help you with those things, but I can certainly express solidarity and support for what you're going through.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I didn't say they would have to. I said the longer the wait, the more likely that becomes.

How so?

I spend a good amount of time looking at them in the store, or at a game if a friend already has it. The word of mouth from people I know is helpful.

And you don't think that there is any online equivalent of that? I mean, you don't find online resources you trust at all?

Plus, sometimes I'm utterly surprised by something on each of my friends likes or dislikes, so they aren't always reliable. They can be surprisingly inconsistent.

 

[cmad1977]

And as usual, the inordinate amount of time that people spend in threads like this one could be used to actually produce content that would fit perfectly into their own game.

But yeah...
need more content from WoTC I guess.


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[Maxperson]

How so?

Lack of confidence that any more will be coming in any reasonable time frame.

And you don't think that there is any online equivalent of that? I mean, you don't find online resources you trust at all?

Not that I've found. Official reviewers have been hit and miss with me, so they aren't reliable. Sites that allow user review are not reliable for the reasons already stated.

Plus, sometimes I'm utterly surprised by something on each of my friends likes or dislikes, so they aren't always reliable. They can be surprisingly inconsistent.

This I can agree with, but I know which friends those are

The ones I do consistently agree with are reliable. They don't have to be 100%. I still end up looking over the books before buying, though. I just bounce thoughts off of the reliable ones to help with my final judgment.

 

[Maxperson]

And as usual, the inordinate amount of time that people spend in threads like this one could be used to actually produce content that would fit perfectly into their own game.

But yeah...
need more content from WoTC I guess.

I hit this place in spurts. I can't create content like that. It's one thing to spend a few minutes here and there responding to posts. It's another to try and spend a few minutes here and there to come up with long, coherent content. The latter just doesn't work for me. If you can do it, more power to you.