WoTC products, going downhill?
- Thread starter WarlockLord
- Start date
Really, some recent stuff has been excellent (SW Saga most recently), especially if you define recent as 'within the last year' and so can include PHB2 and the Spell Compendium. I don't have much enthusiasm about the non-Eberron D&D stuff coming up, but I could be surprised.
WhatGravitas
Explorer
Slightly uphill. The lasts months brought us stuff like the Magic Item Compendium, Book of Nine Swords and other goodies - now compare to stuff like the first batch of 'Complete's.
AnonymousOne
First Post
PHB2, MIC, Bo9S, Complete Scoundrel were all magnificent.
Overall I've been quite pleased with the 'Complete X' series. Maybe I'm just weird, but I think they are doing rather well. I've found a lot of the material to be useful for both my own and other people's characters. If nothing else they give you options and while those options can seem overwhelming at times (why I come here all the time looking for ideas and advice), I have to say I like having those options available to me.
Overall I've been quite pleased with the 'Complete X' series. Maybe I'm just weird, but I think they are doing rather well. I've found a lot of the material to be useful for both my own and other people's characters. If nothing else they give you options and while those options can seem overwhelming at times (why I come here all the time looking for ideas and advice), I have to say I like having those options available to me.
More downward from what I have seen lately.
Expedition to ? ... were poor for the most part with Ravenloft simply OK. More because of nostalgia than anything else.
I was underwhelmed with Saga, and a number of the splatbooks as well. There have been a hit or 2 (Bo9S and ... uhm ... ? nevermind) and a few "all right" (Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium, Complete Champ) but on the whole I would say a downward trend.
Expedition to ? ... were poor for the most part with Ravenloft simply OK. More because of nostalgia than anything else.
I was underwhelmed with Saga, and a number of the splatbooks as well. There have been a hit or 2 (Bo9S and ... uhm ... ? nevermind) and a few "all right" (Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium, Complete Champ) but on the whole I would say a downward trend.
Gothmog
First Post
Mostly downhill, with the exception of Star Wars Saga Edition- its MUCH better than its predecessors, and if d20 continues to be streamlined in this direction, I might start running d20-based stuff again. I've played a little SW Saga, and it plays pretty well, although I still prefer using Savage Worlds for Star Wars.
As for the D&D side, its been a spiral of mediocre products IMO. I don't buy the Eberron stuff, so I can't speak for that, but the rules-based stuff has been lackluster. PHB2, and the second set of completes added more bloat to an already bloated system, not to mention the power level for every subsequent book seems to be escalating. Having options is a good thing, but too many options that get in the way of the game is a bad thing. Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium were good ideas and solid products, but most of the content of the books were taken from previous sources. And then there is the outright crap- like Expedition to Undermountain- a product that seems unfinished, and the new adventures like Barrow of the Forgotten King which are absolutely linear overpriced dungeon crawls with almost no plot to them. So I've pretty much quit buying WotC stuff- I don't need more rules, and the themes of their new books just don't interest me (like the Book of Nine Swords). On the plus side, its freed up a lot more money for Warhammer FRP2, Savage Worlds stuff, nWoD, and my Warmachine/Hordes interests.
As for the D&D side, its been a spiral of mediocre products IMO. I don't buy the Eberron stuff, so I can't speak for that, but the rules-based stuff has been lackluster. PHB2, and the second set of completes added more bloat to an already bloated system, not to mention the power level for every subsequent book seems to be escalating. Having options is a good thing, but too many options that get in the way of the game is a bad thing. Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium were good ideas and solid products, but most of the content of the books were taken from previous sources. And then there is the outright crap- like Expedition to Undermountain- a product that seems unfinished, and the new adventures like Barrow of the Forgotten King which are absolutely linear overpriced dungeon crawls with almost no plot to them. So I've pretty much quit buying WotC stuff- I don't need more rules, and the themes of their new books just don't interest me (like the Book of Nine Swords). On the plus side, its freed up a lot more money for Warhammer FRP2, Savage Worlds stuff, nWoD, and my Warmachine/Hordes interests.
Olaf the Stout
Legend
I voted on average, the same. Overall I think that WotC has released some good products and some not so good products lately. Not everything is always going to be to everyone's liking but I think that the majority of people should be able to find something that they like.
Olaf the Stout
Olaf the Stout
Nonlethal Force
First Post
I voted slightly downhill.
But, take that with a grain of salt. I was only thinking WotC D&D when I voted, and I've heard great things about the new Star Wars system.
But, speaking of WotC ... I've been sorely dissapointed in the Complete series since CM. PHB II was great ... but everything else since then is meh. I don't do minis. I don't do dungeon tiles. And with the draconomicon, the 4 basic Completes + Complete Magic, MotP, BoED, XPH, and Core - the truth is that I really have enough different options to feul my gaming for the rest of my life.
In a few years, I'll be a 3.5 grognard!
But, take that with a grain of salt. I was only thinking WotC D&D when I voted, and I've heard great things about the new Star Wars system.
But, speaking of WotC ... I've been sorely dissapointed in the Complete series since CM. PHB II was great ... but everything else since then is meh. I don't do minis. I don't do dungeon tiles. And with the draconomicon, the 4 basic Completes + Complete Magic, MotP, BoED, XPH, and Core - the truth is that I really have enough different options to feul my gaming for the rest of my life.
In a few years, I'll be a 3.5 grognard!
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