Why don't you buy modules?

[Treebore]

Modules.
Do you buy them?
Why or why not?
Do you want them to be small and softbound or
do you think large, hardbounds, containing several adventures, is the way to go?

Do you know one of the reasons you don't see many modules is that LGS's don't order them because they don't have enough profit margin to be worth stocking?

Answer these questions to help publishers get a feel for the consumer end of the market. So far they have only heard distributors and LGS's say we don't want them because they don't make us enough profit. Tell them what at least the ENworld consumer thinks.

Edit: the poll is multiple choice, i am not trying to be scientific here.

 

[Desdichado]

I've bought a few -- I own a few Dungeon magazines, the Freeport modules (including the new mega-module), the Witchfire trilogy, and a coupla others.

However, I don't use them much. I raid them for maps and ideas, but almost never run them as is. Therefore, my incentive to spend much more money or time on them than I already have is minimal. I can raid books and movies for ideas just as easily, and probably get more latent enjoyment from them than I do from a module.

 

[Crothian]

My players and I are not fans of dungion crawls.

 

[Treebore]

I've bought a few -- I own a few Dungeon magazines, the Freeport modules (including the new mega-module), the Witchfire trilogy, and a coupla others.

However, I don't use them much. I raid them for maps and ideas, but almost never run them as is. Therefore, my incentive to spend much more money or time on them than I already have is minimal. I can raid books and movies for ideas just as easily, and probably get more latent enjoyment from them than I do from a module.

So what can be done to make modules more appealing to you?

 

[Wippit Guud]

I'll give the simple answer - I'm broke. I used to buy them, but increasing costs of books (and the lack of income increases) forces me to pick and choose what I buy and don't buy. So I have to spend the money on the rules books, and choose to create my own adventure material.

 

[NeuroZombie]

I like modules so long as they easily fit into whatever campaign world I am using at the moment. I hate modules that you MUST use the world it was created for or you have to spend so much time modifying the module that you might as well have written your adventure yourself. I tend to like modules that fill a small level range, such as 1-3, 4-6, etc... and that has components that add to the "campaign" feel, i.e. location details, multiple styles of encounters, great NPC's, etc...

 

[Buttercup]

I love modules. I've got around a hundred of 'em. Hardbound, softbound, pdf, I love 'em all. Oh, and how could I forget Dungeon Magazine?

I really don't have enough free time to do everything from scratch, so I use modules to kit-bash adventures for my players. Now and then, I find one I like so much that I'm able to run it pretty much as-is. In another session or two, as soon as the party actually gets to Quail Valley, I'll be running Vault of Larin Karr.

 

[Treebore]

My players and I are not fans of dungion crawls.

What can be done to make you and your players a fan. Obviously, not all modules are dungeon crawls, so could you clarify that?

 

[Arnwyn]

I buy them - and it doesn't matter what format: softbound and small, big hardcover mini-campaigns and/or compilations, and magazine format. I'll happily buy 'em.

Normally, though, for the purposes of quality control, I'll only buy from certain companies... but this doesn't say much, because my "certain company" list has most companies on it! (It may be more accurate to say that I don't buy from a couple of companies, but happily buy adventures everywhere else.)

 

[Treebore]

What can be done to make you and your players a fan. Obviously, not all modules are dungeon crawls, so could you clarify that?

Please give your opinion about if LGS's and distributors are serving gamers best interests/needs by refusing to order/carry small softbound modules. BTW, this is the case, according to several companies who do modules. They are being forced to produce large softbound or hardbound product to even get it "out there".