WotC Which releases do you own?

[Retreater]

I've purchased many more official WotC books than I have in editions past. Most of it has to do with personal reasons for myself - having more discretionary income, finding cheaper prices on Amazon (instead of supporting my FLGS - something I need to re-examine when my local shops reopen because I'm feeling some guilt at this), having more storage space in my house. The other aspect is that there's less 3PP material to spend money on. I bought a lot of Goodman Games, Necromancer, etc., back in the 3.x era.
A few of my most recent impulse buys (Eberron, Saltmarsh, Avernus, Dungeon of the Mad Mage) I probably wouldn't have picked up in earlier times for the reasons above.

 

[prabe]

The line is somewhere, and 2019 was pushing it. They released 4 major products in 2018, and I bought 4. They released 7 major products in 2019, and I bought 4.

I only recently starting picking up the setting-books, because it was dawning on me (I'm slow sometimes but I can be taught) that WotC weren't going to be releasing a player-option book anytime soon, and if I wanted non-UA versions of some of the player-option things I liked I needed to get them from setting-books. I was buying even less than you, until that--and I'm still not buying adventure-books.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Correlation does not equal causation.

Yes, but correlation does show some connection. The Devs have even said that they make better sails when they sell less, iirc.

 

[Parmandur]

I only recently starting picking up the setting-books, because it was dawning on me (I'm slow sometimes but I can be taught) that WotC weren't going to be releasing a player-option book anytime soon, and if I wanted non-UA versions of some of the player-option things I liked I needed to get them from setting-books. I was buying even less than you, until that--and I'm still not buying adventure-books.

Really, the Ravnica model makes player crunch books and monster books obsolete for me. It gives me e everything I want in a tidy Smorgasbord.

 

[darjr]

No, I think having too little vs having to many is a fine line. And once you cross it there is no return.

Hmmm

actually I should state I was meaning crunch, but now I think books apply.

 

[Maxperson]

Yes, but correlation does show some connection. The Devs have even said that they make better sails when they sell less, iirc.

It shows that the 5e releases are connected to 5e, yes. It does not show that the release schedule is connected to why 5e has been as successful as it is.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It shows that the 5e releases are connected to 5e, yes. It does not show that the release schedule is connected to why 5e has been as successful as it is.

If you're saying correlation doesn't equal causation, how can you say that it comes from 5e? There are certainly many factors into why the books are selling well.

 

[Parmandur]

It shows that the 5e releases are connected to 5e, yes. It does not show that the release schedule is connected to why 5e has been as successful as it is.

Frankly, we don't have the marketing data. WotC does. And Stewart et Al have said that the release schedule is based on their marketing data, to maximize enfranchisement. Their statements correspond to what I can see in action, so the burden of proof is in those who would doubt the release strategy, for me.

 

[prabe]

Really, the Ravnica model makes player crunch books and monster books obsolete for me. It gives me e everything I want in a tidy Smorgasbord.

Eh. I find the setting stuff ... unhelpful, and I was kinda surprised that for a setting based on M:tG there were so few spells (none, IIRC). I'll drop the occasional monster in, and I'll use the one subclass I wanted from Ravnica. I'm not entirely sure I'm getting my money's worth from the book, but that doesn't mean it's wrong for someone else to find it as complete as you do. Horses, meet courses.

 

[Maxperson]

No, I think having too little vs having to many is a fine line. And once you cross it there is no return.

What is too many? 63? I think so. 53? 43? 33? 23?

And I don't think the line is as fine as you think it is. 3e didn't start to collapse after it got it's first 10 or 20 books. It didn't really start to get super cumbersome until 30 or 40. Then they started having to stretch for ideas to release and the releases become more unbalanced.