WotC has a milking machine now (Draconomicon I)

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Milking machine? So dragons really WILL have boobies....

Milking Machines don't have Boobies. And Dragons aren't machines either.
The closest to a Milking Machine we might get is a Warforged with Boobies!

 

[Kwalish Kid]

While in 3E WotC milked the cash cow still by hand (hard and tirelessly working hands) they seem to have upgraded to a high powered automatic milking machine now. At least thats the only explanation I have fore splitting up the Draconomicon into 2 or more books.

The entire RPG industry is geared around this behaviour. This is the economic reality of North American business, at least those businesses without enough clout to get extra profit making power from government regulation.

If you would like to see the creators of intellectual property pursue other behaviour, then find out about and support alternate means of rewarding intellectual property.

Otherwise, you should review these products on their merits. As there is almost no information on this book, completing such a task is impossible.

 

[Grymar]

The 3rd edition Draconomicon was a very good book with a good mix of art, fluff and crunch although you might argue that the sample dragons were unnecessary and could have been replaced with more content.

I'm not going to comment on the money grab theory until I see the book, but I will say that the sample dragons are the one part of Draconomicon that I use. I've probably pulled four of them out over the past year or so. Meanwhile I've barely read much of the rest of the book.

 

[WhatGravitas]

We had a Fiendish Codex I and II.

I don't mind a Draconomicon I and II, if that makes chromatics and metallics as distinguished as devils and demons, especially with the shift of emphasis away from alignments.

Cheers, LT.

 

[fedelas]

I've liked more a single draconomicon than a series but if the limit are two books i'm okay. In fact i evaluate dragon as powerful and exceptional, so in my campaigns the numbers of encounter with them are very few, three or four at the best, so i don't think that in my case the book don't value 40 dollars ( if i like it however i'll probably buy it).

 

[Ashardalon]

And when you look into the news there are already people asking for a Draconomicon III Gem Dragons.

People are asking for a lot of things. Like a Fiendish Codex III about yugoloths. Or Heroes of Intrigue. Doesn't mean Wizards will put out that book. The simple truth is that Wizards will only release a book if they feel it is viable, and Gem Dragons have been treated as stepmotherly, or even more so, as daemons. If there is to be a Draconomicon III, it is more likely to be a catch-all book. The Draconomicon series is not a milking machine. The Core series are.

And if people are actually asking for such a book, doesn't that counter the "dragon-fatigue" you mentioned? Of course it doesn't. Both opinions exist, but my experience tells that those who dislike something are more likely to post about it than those who like something. Amount of "I do/don't like this" posts really isn't that good a measure to gauge popularity or lack thereof.

 

[Drkfathr1]

I'm not thrilled about the prospect of multiple volumes of the same subject, especially at $40 a pop, but its really easy to just say: Meh, I can pass this time. No biggie.

 

[dmccoy1693]

One thing I'd like to see covered (either in this book or elsewhere in the series) is KOBOLDS! Maybe Draconomicon III Kobolds.

 

[cerberus2112]

Could the split into 2 volumes possibly be because chromatic and metallic dragons are split up between the Monster Manual I & II? Nah, that's just crazy talk!

 

[TheArcane]

Well, suppose I want a book about dragons. In 3E I could get Draconomicon and be happy. Now I'll have to either pick a type of dragon, or pay twice more. Even if the books have more content together than the 3E counterpart, agree with me that it's a much less attractive option for the budget-minded.
And please don't compare it to the demon/devil 3E books. Grouping them into a single "fiends" category is not like grouping chromatic and metallic dragons together. There's plenty to explore and expand on demons and devils separately, but how many differences could chromatic and metallic dragons, as subtypes, possibly have? (Unless WOTC are planning surprises there, of course...)