WotC, 3PP and quality level

[Mark]

Three that I like from Atlas Games Penumbra line are the Campaign Styles books: Dynasties & Demagogues, Crime & Punishment and Love & War.

 

[Greg K]

Three that I like from Atlas Games Penumbra line are the Campaign Styles books: Dynasties & Demagogues, Crime & Punishment and Love & War.

Those would be the books that I heard about

 

[Ranger REG]

...but instead of having the word "Complete" in front of the title, they will have the number "2" behind it.

That's probably the only good thing to come out of the new edition. The end of "Complete" splatbook titles.

 

[Crothian]

I like the complte books. Those books got more use at our table then anything else.

 

[Ranger REG]

I like the complte books. Those books got more use at our table then anything else.

It's not the content, it's the title.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I'm not sure if the 'quality level' varied so very much from WotC to 3pp. Well OK, in some cases, yes. But that went both ways.

The OGL still allows (as it has since its release) for total freedom of ideas and execution. WotC cannot match that, of course. No one organisation ever could, even if they had the liberty to take things in certain directions (which Wizards doesn't). And neither can the pitifully small amount of gamblers on the (rather more restrictive) GSL, obviously.

Depends what you're after, basically.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Ladies and gentlemen:

If we can discuss the variance in quality between WotC and 3PP material civilly, this thread will survive. In the meantime, there is no need to mention various editions of D&D in the process.

Thanks,
Dinkeldog
Moderator

 

[MichaelSomething]

I think a safe assumption is that WOTC stuff is better then a good deal of the 3PP stuff.

There are some companies that produce stuff as good as or better then WOTC.

 

[Crothian]

After years and years of heavy study and intense research on this (I bought and read a lot of books and played with much of it) I came to the conclusion that the best 3PP has to offer is about as good as the best Wizards has. But the worst Wizards has is way better then the worst the 3PP has.

But none of that really matters in determining the quality of products we will get in 4e. My advice is to wait and see what people publish and then wait till other people get it and review it or talk about it. There is little need to get a book as soon as it is released and this goes for Wizards books as well as the 3PP.

 

[catsclaw227]

I believe that Greg K and gdmcbride might have forgotten about a few of the Atlas Games books, no?

You are right... I totally forgot to add in Crime & Punishment, Dynasties & Demagogues. Also, the Seven [Cities, Strongholds, Sacred Ground, etc] series was really good too. They also had some good adventures. Yea... I am surprised I forgot about them too.