Why are modules no longer popular

[Olive]

i don't like mods. i always miss stuff in the reading., and i never feel confident enough about them to run them. i can't ad lib like i need to with my home brew stuff.

but the impression i got (and this is just an impression as i've never bought mods) was that WotC/TSR used to use mods to advance a kinda meta plot every once in a while...

i'd probably buy planar mods from WotC if they made them.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Adventure modules are my favorite gaming material. I've probably spent more on modules than on all my other gaming material combined.

That said, it is apparently not very profitable to produce modules, which is why we don't see quite so many in proportion to sourcebooks. Module quality also varies pretty widely. I've never seen "I can't use it" as a good excuse, though -- I find it to be significantly less work to adapt a module, or portions thereof, to a campaign than to churn out my own adventure completely from scratch.

Thank goodness for Dungeon, so I can get my adventure fix on a regular basis. Now it only they'd detach it from Poly ...

 

[uv23]

I'm personally a big fan of published modules. Finding free stuff online just ins't the same, and franly - as with much of what you find on the net - most of it is crap. Not to say that some published ones are not also crap.

I guess I'm extra strange in that sometimes I buy a module even if I have no intention of actually playing through it. I simply enjoy the read and almost have a solo daydream type adventure of my own through it.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Level is in the eye of the beholder as it were...

Just off the top of my head, the first AD&D module I ever played, Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (S4) had a blue dragon in it. Given that you'd expect at least a young adult, that's CR 10. Levels for that module are 6-10, and 10 back then wasn't 10 now. That adventure could easily be bumped of a few levels (12-16 anyone?) without even needed to bump up the creatures.

 

[Lauguz]

In addition to some of the excellent points brought up in thsi thread regarding market saturation I've read elsewhere over the years that modules don't make money because mostly just DMs buy them. In the 3E model of 4 players and a DM, if only the DM buys the module that's only 20% of the audience. Core rulebooks and setting supplements are potentially bought by everyone in a given gaming group.

This is, however just a model. Of course not just DMs buy modules, and not everyone in every gaming group owns a copy of every core book and supplement. However the core truth remains: fewer people buy (and use) modules then other gaming products.

I don't like the fact that WotC doesn't produce modules, but I understand it from a business perspective.

-Rosenet

 

[TeeSeeJay]

In addition to some of the excellent points brought up in thsi thread regarding market saturation I've read elsewhere over the years that modules don't make money because mostly just DMs buy them. In the 3E model of 4 players and a DM, if only the DM buys the module that's only 20% of the audience. Core rulebooks and setting supplements are potentially bought by everyone in a given gaming group.

This is, however just a model. Of course not just DMs buy modules, and not everyone in every gaming group owns a copy of every core book and supplement. However the core truth remains: fewer people buy (and use) modules then other gaming products.

I don't like the fact that WotC doesn't produce modules, but I understand it from a business perspective.

-Rosenet

What/when was the last WoTC module?

Don't forget they're still doing the free mini-modules on the website.

I was under the impression that modules have never been "popular." They've always been the stepson, haven't they?

As for modules pushing a metaplot, TSR did most of that in novels, occasionally having a module tie-in. Modules were also often used to support a new setting, boxed set, etc.

Yes, they've broken that mold. Otherwise, we'd have the Psionics module, the Vile module, the Planes module, etc., and we don't. The new Adventure Path is in Dungeon. There's no Savage Species tie-in module, and there probably won't be an unapproachable east tie-in, either. Too bad, really.

Like someone up above, I like reading modules -- as a choose-your-own adventure -- even if I never end up running them. Course, I read a lot more than I play, anyway.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and the whole concept of the "tie-in" module almost requires that the setting/product and the module are released at the same time. I don't think they've got the manpower for that these days.

 

[Mercule]

I've always run a home-brew. Probably always will. Modules just don't fit my mold.

The only exception to this was when 3E first came out. With all the hype on re-balancing, I decided I'd try it the WotC way before making my house rules. Made it through the first four in the series. Not bad, over all, but I can tell you that running a module is as much of a skill as designing your own is -- I'll stick with what I know.

On the other hand, I've got a buddy who does nothing but modules. He's pretty good at them, too.

 

[MerricB]

What/when was the last WoTC module?

City of the Spider Queen was the most recent module released, to my knowledge.

WotC haven't stopped making modules altogether - instead they produce "prestige" modules - I think the number is meant to be between two to four a year, although their plans may have changed recently.

Cheers!

 

[Droogie]

I gotta have modules and Dungeon Mag. I just don't have the time or the inclination to make all my adventures from scratch.

And its too bad modules don't sell well, since there are so many d20 games out there that could use some.

I'd like to see a short series of modules for D20 Modern similar to the D&D series, just to give newcomers to that game a taste.

Will Dungeon Mag be publishing any adventures for other games? Will we see an adventure for CoC d20 or WoT or Star Wars in there anytime soon? Urgggg.. think of the possibilities.

Having an RPG with no adventures, even little ones to just get you started, is like having a Gameboy with no cartridges.

 

[rounser]

Unless it's my imagination, big modules tend to sell better. Publishers who attempt to sell 320 page modules rather than 32 page ones would probably do quite well, but tradition dictates that all such modules have to be megadungeons as opposed to campaigns varied enough not to get boring.