Wilderness Dragon magizine ROCKS!!!

Holy Bovine said:


Actually I've always thought Dragon (as compared to other 'similar' magazines mainly computer games) was rather low priced even compared to computer mags without the CDs they love throwing at us now (Free if you pay 9.99 instead of 6.99 :rolleyes: ).

It's a pretty good price. Especially considering that they're trying to encourage subscription, which is even cheaper. Personally, I LIKE many of the ads. I don't buy the magazine for them, but I like to see the products that are coming out.

That said the ads are getting pretty thick on the ground so to speak and I haven't never really understood why Dragon reviews computer games at all.

See, here's the thing: THEY'RE NOT REVIEWS. I might like them if they were. No, they're lousy Feats based on some weird perception of the games in question, with little or no flavor text to explain their justification. A total waste of space, IMHO, especially as they don't really seem to match those games, anyhow.
 
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LcKedovan said:
Not to mention the issue isn't a "Supplement to Masters of the Wild" as was mentioned, it's just this month's issue, so it has a Wilderness theme, doesn't mean that's all it is :)
I was under the impression that every classbook that has come out has had a dedicated issue of Dragon to further enhance those classes. (The "Fighters Rock" issue, the "Clerics Smite Evil" issue, etc)
Is that no longer going on?

And I'm surprised noone has come up with any defense against my criticisms, considering how many people mentioned they like Dragon, and that issue in particular?

The $$ thing kinda is strange to me.
Since when does it require $5.99 an issue to get any gaming stuff?
That's like one-third the price of a classbook, or even the core rulebooks.
No one sees that as a bit extreme? (not comparing to other gaming magazines and concluding that they're cheap - I would never think of getting a computer gaming magazine that's that expensive)
Maybe I'm just not the demographic that Wizards is even TRYING to justify the cost to.
 

Why do you feel that people need to justify their like for the magazine to you Reapersaurus?

Maybe no one answered because much of your complaint was felt as negative only by you?

I don't know, I bought it, but did not look through it yet so cannot answer yet.

However, for #7 (it was answered by someone else), the theme is not ALWAYS throughout the ENTIRE magazine.

As for $5.99, it's subjective. Maybe it's too much for you, but when an issue is good, it is really worth it. *shrug* It's not REQUIRED that anyone buy it.
 

reapersaurus said:
A few observations/opinions:
1) I thought the Computer game pages were a waste of space. They didn't even say what platform the game(s) were for! (ignore that if they are available for every gaming platform)


That isn't the point of that recurring section. They use computer games as inspiration for suggestions for the table top game. Given the format of the article, not only is there no need to tell you what platform the computer game is for, it would be a useless waste of space.

2) I also noticed the incredible amount of ADS!
I was actually shocked near the beginning of the mag, as I thumbed thru TWENTY-EIGHT pages and only got the Table of Contents, a weak editorial or 2, mailbag and previews, and a comic strip.


Boo hoo. I had a subscription to Dragon for most of the eighties. Every few months, someone would write in the Dragon talking about how, in recent issues, there were many more ads than there were than previous issues. And guess what? Those assertions were for the most part hogwash, since if you went back and looked through the earlier magazines there were just as many ads.

The few times that there actuially was a modest increase in the number of ads, there was usually a larger increase in page count. And it was always pointed out (and it is just as true now), that ads make the magazine cheaper for you to buy.

3) I am quite surprised that this magazine sells for $5.99 an issue.


I'm not. It is a full color 130 page magazine with a decent binding. I'd expect it to be fairly high on the cost side for a magazine you buy at retail off the rack.

In addition, newstand prices are always high, much higher than subscription prices. I have a subscription, and the price is quite modest.

4) As for the contents, other than the Saurials and the spells, I was very disappointed.
They seem to making a distinct attempt to power down any feats, spells, monsters, PrC's, and magic items.


So? Are you saying they should make a concerted effort to power up the feats, monsters, PrCs and magic items they put in the magazine? I'd prefer they err on the side of caution in that regard, it makes a DMs job much easier.

Personally I liked the prestige classes, the magic items, the Edo article and the monster-plants. I also liked the blood golem. Most of the other articles had interesting or useful stuff in them to a lesser degree.

5) That CR 20 plant, unless I missed it, could be blown apart by a mage just simply casting fireballs at it.


Um, which CR 20 plant? There wasn't one in the article in my copy of Dragon.

The quasi-artifact magic itmes seemed to be MORE expensive than if you made them yourself, and they were quite weak on the power scale.


They seem to use the standard magic item construction rules from the DMG. They may seem more expensive if you don't account for the increase in cost the results from stacking multiple powers in a single item.

[b[6) The class combinations was a complete waste of time, and the PrC's were extremely niche and fairly unuseable. I particularly thought it interesting that the Fiend Binder had nothing to do with orcs, flavor wise. And mechanic-wise, why would an orcish PrC 'require' CHA?
[/b]

Because the prestige class is rare? In any event, there is no Charisma requirement for the class anyway so you seem to be just making things up there. You have to be able to cast spells, but nothing about the class states they have to be Charisma dirven, none of the class abilities depend upon Charisma. Some class skills are Charisma based, but so what? Some of the class skills for the Tribal Protector are Charisma based, and no one seems to think that is odd.

As for why an orc based class? Why not? Who else is going to be retaining fiendish creatures as animal companions in most campaigns?

7) Also, why a OA, Japan-like sity (Edo) in the wilderness issue?


Edo isn't "Japan-like", it is Tokyo. In any event, you were expecting wilderness or something instead of a city? I'll note that not every article in a magazine ties into the theme of that issue.
 

Well, Storm Raven, that WAS more of what i was looking for, although you tend to go overboard for my tastes...

_I_ believe there IS a purpose to saying what platform the game is for, since maybe the article would spur interest in the game - media people usually LOVE synergies like that.

And i wasn't comparing the # of ads to 80's levels, or historically.
It was an objective opinion that there simply ARE too many of them for my tastes.
And god knows how much the mag would cost WITHOUT the ads! :eek: LOL
$19.95?? :rolleyes:

Personally, I haven't seen any great deals for subscriptions... what do you pay an issue with your subscription?

There IS a CR 20 plant. It's with the CR 3 plant-people it can supposedly use for "protection".

If you look at the first magic item (the limited +4 shield that can cast Wall of Stone or somesuch) it seems horrendously overpriced for such a weak item.
And those are supposed to instill awe in that neato backstory? ;)

And actually, the Fiend Binder's class abilities do depend on CHA.
As i remember, two of them did, and they were the abilities which helped it dominate the beasties so he could even be called a 'fiend-binder'.
It just didn't seem like a good idea to hit an orc where he's most weak when creating a PrC supposedly especially for them.

But thanks for someone having an opinion on the issue! :)
beta-ray - people don;t need to justify the issue at all to me.
I'm just trying to see what people actually see in this issue that made them create a thread particularly praising it.
 

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