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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Malmuria" data-source="post: 8870392" data-attributes="member: 7030755">At the same time, it's not really to wotc's credit that the game can be played freely.  It's always been up to TSR/WOTC to figure out how to get "recurrent spending" for a game that is mostly based in the imagination of players.  That is, the fact that the game is cheap/free is a problem to be solved for the companies in charge, especially now that wotc is under pressure to keeping growing revenue.  It's good to be clear about that dynamic: wotc is trying to sell you stuff that you might want but don't need to play the game.I would also make a distinction between the game 1) as a hobby and 2) as consumer entertainment.  As a hobby, what makes the game go is the activity and energy of the players.  Certainly you need a rulebook, but beyond that participating in the hobby is not about what you buy but about what you do.  The hobby, in this sense, is more what happens at the table and less what is in a given book.  If knitting is your hobby, you need yarn and supplies, but the sweater you make is, for better or worse, your own creation and not that of the yarn company.As consumer entertainment, dnd is also cheap compared to, say, going out to the movies a lot.  But the thing about seeing a movie is that it is a passive experience.  You contribute nothing to making the movie happen other than the price of the ticket.I think the 'why buy books you already own' sentiment comes from people who see dnd as more of a hobby than as entertainment.  If my hobby is basketball, and I already have a hoop, I don't need to go out and get a new one.  The hobby is not me getting a new hoop or new basketballs, the hobby is me going out and playing.  By contrast, if your interest is in watching professional basketball, then you must buy tickets or tv subscriptions to be entertained.</blockquote>

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