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Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Malic" data-source="post: 1887285" data-attributes="member: 23799">HiAt the moment I still buy Dragon, but I've reluctantly decided to stop with the December edition. Reluctantly because I have nearly every one since 3E.I haven't always loved everything in the mag, but there's always been enough that engaged the imagination, and the non ideal stuff didn't bother me. But since the recent revamp, it just doesn't inspire me at all anymore. The layout seems duller, somehow. The cover and header, the internal layout, even the colours. More importantly, suddenly the articles that don't interest me take up a much larger percentage of the magazine. Minatures gaming, book reviews, computer games, lots more ads (it feels like), fiction. The thing that disappoints me most is the 'Class Acts'. I haven't seen anything in any of these I can use. I think they're just too short and too unrelated to each other. They're either really basic and obvious or they introduce a whole new field - like the flaws - which is hard to use because it only applies to one character. The new crunch in these one page articles doesn't have enough 'fluff' explaining how it could relate to a world or game. So that's ten pages 'gone' for me.The DM-related articles, especially the setting creation ones, really interested me, but I'm never going to get to use a module, so Dungeon just isn't value for me (though I did pick up a couple after the revamp before coming to this conclusion).I do like the ecology articles. I also liked the themed issues, with several aspects covered to allow the theme to be adopted with some depth. I know many people didn't like them if the theme didn't appeal, but to me the much more restricted treatment even in the 'theme' issues (like horror) limits their usefulness.I miss Phil&Dixie, and there seems to be far fewer cartoons now (though that may be because they are grouped together now) which also makes the mag seem less fun.I don't mind feats and prestige classes as long as they have enough 'fluff' with them to show how they could fill a specific niche with some flavour. Even knowing I'll never use at least 99% of them, pointing out a new niche or a different take on an old one does get the imagination going.Still, I know the changes have been made for a good reason, to make the magazine as general as possible and have something for as many different kinds of gamer as possible. Unfortunately that means there is much less stuff for me. (shrug) But you get that.</blockquote>

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