WotC Why WotC SHOULD Make A New Setting

[Paul Farquhar]

WOTC should make new settings because

There are setting ideas that are too niche that 3rd parties cannot afford to gamble and try to do a decent job with a decent expenditure of resources.

Literally some ideas are good but too risky without the financial and marketing power behind the maker.

It doesn’t take much resources to create a D&D setting, I’ve created several myself. All WotC can add is more fancy-and-completely-unnecessary artwork.

WotC has a moral obligation to its shareholders not to play Russian roulette with their pensions, not an obligation to make stuff lazy gamers can’t be bothered to make for themselves.

 

[Minigiant]

It doesn’t take much resources to create a D&D setting, I’ve created several myself. All WotC can add is more fancy-and-completely-unnecessary artwork.

It doesnt take much to "create" a setting.

It takes a lot of resources to create the parts of a setting.

• The non-AI art
• The monster statblocks
• The PC options
• The Magic and Magic items
• The setting gimmicks' lore
• The setting gimmicks' mechanic
• The sample adventure
• The parts with the deeper lore

And most important

The marketing that sells the product and exposes it to others who will

1. Give ideas to lore
2. Create art
3. Design more mechanical bits and blocks
4. Help convince DMs and players to run b it

WotC has a moral obligation to its shareholders not to play Russian roulette with their pensions, not an obligation to make stuff lazy gamers can’t be bothered to make for themselves

Financial obligation

WOTC has the money to gamble and risk making a hit or a bust.

Thats the point, they have the money to survive a flop AND the money to invest to turn a risk into a money printer.

Quite frankly, most big 3PP now take easy safe routes. Often by going traditional wth a mild twist, using an established IP, or not focusing on the uniquess of the setting. They cant afford to go big and flop.

 

[Parmandur]

Why would you market to 1 million people when you can market to 10 million?!

3PP covers the niche markets, that suits the 3PP and that suits WotC.

And then they hire the third party talent.

 

[Tigris]

It doesn’t take much resources to create a D&D setting, I’ve created several myself. All WotC can add is more fancy-and-completely-unnecessary artwork.

Artwork is not unnecessary, I would say for many people its the important part in settings because it can set the mood etc. not even speaking about maps (and monster art)


Also professional layout, editing, etc.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Artwork is basically the thing which makes or breaks a setting for the average buyer. Very few people glance at a giant text wall and want to investigate. But a cool picture can start people reading.

 

[Remathilis]

Artwork is basically the thing which makes or breaks a setting for the average buyer. Very few people glance at a giant text wall and want to investigate. But a cool picture can start people reading.

Absolutely. The people who think a modern RPG should be printed like a 70s zine is mind boggling...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The people who think a modern RPG should be printed like a 70s zine is mind boggling...

Do many people actually want that, though? I think the people doing PDF products like that -- like my first one on DriveThruRPG -- are doing it because they don't know where to get more art, not as an aesthetic choice.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Absolutely. The people who think a modern RPG should be printed like a 70s zine is mind boggling...

Will they buy it though? That's the question.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Artwork is basically the thing which makes or breaks a setting for the average buyer. Very few people glance at a giant text wall and want to investigate. But a cool picture can start people reading.

while i don't disagree with this i do think the amount of art can go over what's needed to entice, inform and inspire at which point it can just end up eating valuable pagespace.

 

[Tigris]

while i don't disagree with this i do think the amount of art can go over what's needed to entice, inform and inspire at which point it can just end up eating valuable pagespace.

Hmm I am just thinking about myself, how much text do I need in a setting?

• Monster/NPC stat blocks
• "names" of monsters and locations (and maybe important NPCs)
• Maybe mechanics for (sub)classes and or items

But what else as text is needed?

• Location description can be better done with images.
• History of a place can be shown comic like with no text or verry little text.
• NPC description can also be shown as an image (with their most important items etc.)