Zine Sections?

[Mark CMG]

What "sections" are essential to a good magazine, e-zine, or periodical of any kind targeted to roleplay gamers? Please rank those that you suggest in order of most important to least.

 

[der_kluge]

Maybe some categories would be helpful. I don't know what sections show up in a typical magazine.

FWIW, I wouldn't subscribe to a magazine for crunchy bits. I'd prefer to have that kind of stuff organized, and in a book. Like, Draconomicon - that's a good example of how one could organize say, dragon-related crunch into a cohesive whole.

I find the idea of a few classes or PrCs in many "issues" to be repugnant. It makes organization a nightmare, and ultimately means I can never find anything that I'm looking for.

I'd rather an e-zine be more of a "discussion" magazine. To that end, I've always wished Dragon was more of a commentary on the game, rather than additions to the game. I've always enjoyed Monte Cook's articles, and the Sage Advice sections, because they help me understand the game.

I'd like to know what people are doing with the game, different character builds, ideas for new spells, or new magic items which enhance the game, and give me more story options, without over-complicating the game's framework. (yes, spells and items are technically crunch, but they're far less impacting than new PrCs or classes)

I'd also like to see reviews of non-WoTC (*gasp*) products, which is why I enjoy ENWorld so much - for the reviews.

I'd also love to see an industry news section. Talk about the industry - what things are in the pipeline, what are the trends? WoTC has always been very hush-hush about this kind of stuff. That's a shame, I think.

I'd also love to get ideas about what kinds of things people are doing to bring new people into the game. I don't think I've ever seen any of those kinds of "meta" discussions in Dragon. It's like the magazine can't see the forest for the trees.

 

[painandgreed]

I'm favorable to crunch and a steady supply of magic items, spells, monsters, and character classes. If not a fantasy game, there are corresponding elements in about any other game with tech, tools, weapons, etc. There doesn't have to be each in every issue, but every issue needs a little bit.

Then I like setting work that can be dropped into my game. Stuff like organizations, powerful NPCs, cities or villages, or even natural regions (eg Witch mountain). Those save me time as a Dm to come up with neat setting stuff I might not be able to think of or don't have the time to work out.

News section would be doubleplus good. Reviews are a toss up but usually good so long as they don't take up too much space.

There must be comics. I need at least one good comic and preferably two. I can't tell you want has been printed in the latest Dragons or Dungeons, but I can convey the plot to Downer or OotS. Because of that, I never feel like I got nothing out of the magazine even if I didn't.

 

[rowport]

Mark-

That is a good question! Answering in the context of Dragon, my consistently favorite section is Class Acts. I love the format, and the content. Giving players options is what the mags should do-- there are lots more players than GMs. I like crunch like new feats and prestige classes, but like even more the articles with 'how to use' classes, like small variants, or feat tree suggestions that match historical figures/cultures, or even the compiled reference lists for core classes (e.g. the ranger article with relevant rules, spell lists, etc.).

 

[Mark CMG]

Feel free to even make suggestions that combine your favorite sections or by-lines from multiple magazines all in one publication. Although, if you mention a particular author, I would appreciate it if you also mention what type of article or writing you feel is their strong suit.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

You could pretty much copy and paste the Roger Moore era Dragon, but with modern game references, and I'd be happy. In order of importance:

1. Light and stylish writing. Between the April fools issues, the often hilarious editorials, and quite a bit of tongue-in-cheek and just plain old fun writing even in the regular features, classic Dragon was written in a very entertaining manner. I don't want unclear mechanics - strong templating is very important for ease of use - but I want the flavor text and especially the comentary to be written with style and panache.

2. Personal take on the game by insiders - both at the design and development level (for this, the best model would be the current Magic the Gathering site) and at the personal, 'at my table' level (for which the best model is the Dragons of the classic years).

3. Content that brings other media (books and electronic games being the ones I care about, but I know others are more into the visual push media) into playable terms. This, I think, would be hard to do without Dragon's unique position; frankly, I don't know how they pulled of Silicon Sorcery/Novel Approach type articles. I would think licensing would be ruinous, but they must have worked out a sweet deal.

4. Development of existing mechanics. I'm not really interested in seeing, say, a new class. For a Wizards magazine, I want to see expansion of the warlock's powers, or new maneuvers for the ToB classes, or alternate class features for the hexblade (ideally starting with Mearls' fixed, non-sucking version of the class ). For an OGL magazine, I want to see new kit for coglayers (Dragonmech) and arcane mechaniks (Iron Kingdoms), not a new steampunk inventor class; I want to see a discussion of using the Thieves World magic system for d20 Modern, not a new d20 Modern magic system.

Now, a lot of my preferences would be format-dependent. For example, I would like new crunch in a fully searchable e-zine, whereas it's pretty much useless in a print magazine. I would be more interested in maps in a print magazine, where they could be released on a single high-quality glossy sheet of paper, than in an e-zine where they would have to be printed out and likely taped together.

 

[painandgreed]

I would be more interested in maps in a print magazine, where they could be released on a single high-quality glossy sheet of paper, than in an e-zine where they would have to be printed out and likely taped together.

I disagree. One of the things that would actually make me think about e-zine style dungeon would be the ability to print out maps at the right scale. Fancy maps in print magazines are usually useless because they've got the monsters and hidden features marked on them and need to be recreated by hand or blown up on a copier to approximatly the right size and cut up, altered, and laid out by hand. I'd much rather print out the ten or twenty sheets of maps needed to run the entire adventure with a single push of a button and be done with it.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I disagree. One of the things that would actually make me think about e-zine style dungeon would be the ability to print out maps at the right scale. Fancy maps in print magazines are usually useless because they've got the monsters and hidden features marked on them and need to be recreated by hand or blown up on a copier to approximatly the right size and cut up, altered, and laid out by hand. I'd much rather print out the ten or twenty sheets of maps needed to run the entire adventure with a single push of a button and be done with it.

Oh, I don't mean the kind of maps we usually GOT. I mean GOOD maps, POSTER maps, like the ones in the D&D and Star Wars minis starter sets.

The kind of maps usually put out in magazines are trash, I agree.

 

[Mark CMG]

Are the two of you talking primarily about wall maps or battlemaps?

 

[Nightfall]

Demononicon. Core Beliefs, Class Acts, Comics.