Why are modules no longer popular

[spacecrime.com]

If I may echo others a bit, it's not that modules are unpopular. We sell a fair number of them, and folks do seem to like them.

On the other hand, they don't sell as well as supplements that both players and GMs can use, and given their lower price point there's less profit per unit. Add to this the fact that it's just as hard to write and sell a great module as it is to write and sell a great any-other-book, and you've got some good reasons to focus your energies elsewhere.

I do think there's an interesting movement towards longer, multi-adventure campaign books. I'm just finishing up one for Atlas at the moment, and I like the format a lot -- it lets you do all the things that are fun about short adventures, while giving you enough room to really explore a setting or a story or a special set of rules.

cheers,

 

[Aaron L]

I have never played in a published adventure. Or run one.

 

[Vaxalon]

.... White Wolf and GURSPS publish, to the best of my knowledge, no adventures, and relatively little crunch too, for that matter. .....

You're wrong.

White Wolf publishes adventures, though they're rare compared to their other products. They suffer the same lack of popularity that other products have.

GURPS doesn't publish complete adventures, but they publish LOTS of crunch.

 

[Desdichado]

You're wrong.

White Wolf publishes adventures, though they're rare compared to their other products. They suffer the same lack of popularity that other products have.

GURPS doesn't publish complete adventures, but they publish LOTS of crunch.

I think I'm not. Show me the White Wolf adventures. Name three! Seriously, I can't think of a one, especially that's been published in the last five or six years when I've been more involved with WW. I don't know what you mean by adventures suffering from the same lack of popularity that other products have, their non-adventure splatbooks, which feature very little crunch and a lot of fluff.

And the GURPS books are a matter of interpretation. Sure, they include some crunch, but most of the ones I've looked at feature more the actual setting information than real crunch.

 

[Greybar]

Rounser -

Summation of below for those skimming: A module should be a means of turning my money into saved hours of my time.

I think you've clicked on exactly what it is for me. I like my own campaign world, and my resistance to buying adventures largely comes from that.

I own two adventures for 3E -
* The Crucible of Freya : bought 90% to support the (then just-born) d20 side market and 10% out of actual curiousity. Never used, not likely.
* Siege of Durgam's Folly : I hope my players aren't reading this, but this is a beautiful adventure. Adapting it won't be too hard, since it has similar ideas to something that already existed (if largely unseen) in my game.

I liked the look of Locus - Jalston's preview, and will have to go back and look again since I presume it's been published now. The Stones of Genavue (sp?) also looked to have a similar utility. Perhaps that's the key word. I want Utility.

p.s.
Joshua - The Last Supper trilogy of Giovanni adventures. There's three in one go!

John

 

[Vaxalon]

And the GURPS books are a matter of interpretation. Sure, they include some crunch, but most of the ones I've looked at feature more the actual setting information than real crunch.

Well, I don't know about the WW, I can't name any specifically because I haven't been involved during the time period you mention, but EVERY GURPS book I have ever seen has had advantages, disadvantages, and skills, at the very least, and very often contain new rules systems to deal with special aspects of the setting.

Edited formatting

 

[King_Stannis]

Generally I use the "Drow" test when whiddling down potential 3e adventures to buy. If I see "Drow" anywhere on the back cover description or flipping through, I put the module down as fast as I can.

Actually, though, I don't know what I'd do without published adventures. With a wife, 2 kids, full time job, etc, it's hard to find time to make full blown adventures. And let's face it, D&D is still - at it's wonderful heart - an open-door, smash monster, grab treasure game. I trust others to take care of that aspect (mostly). The NPCs, politics, etc are what I concentrate on. It's served me well throughout the years, as I've become a master at adapting "canned" modules and working them into my Birthright campaign pretty seamlessly.

 

[jester47]

rounser and I seem to be in the same vein.

Aaron.

 

[Desdichado]

Like I said, GURPS is a matter of interpretation. Almost all of their myriad setting books contain some "crunch" but have a lot of other stuff as well. I'm a little out of touch with WW since 3e launched, but prior to that I couldn't have found an adventure in their entire catalogue.

 

[herald]

"White Wolf" Adventures.

1) Giovanni Chronicals
2) Dark Colony
3) Chaos Factor
4) Diablery in Mexico
5) Diablery: England
6) Red moon Rising

I'd name more, but I'm away from my collection.