Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 olddndgamer Aug 11, 2011 9:09:39	Howdy all. Just joined up here at the forums recently (finally!) and thought I'd post some thoughts regarding the current state of DnD, it's market etc. I have been playing since 1979. I play both 4E and Basic (not Original 1974) D&D. That's right - yup, BASIC D&D! (It still has the best logo ever designed for the game IMHO.) Well actually, to be fair, I play a concoction of both the  Basic and AD&D rules. I took the elements I appreciated from AD&D and transplanted them into the Basic system. I've introduced a LOT of people to D&D with Basic. The rules are easy to understand and assimilate, and there is a wealth of material available, including all of the AD&D material. It is very easy to teach and quite enjoyable. I won't comment on the editions between AD&D and 4th. I tried them out of course, but went right back to my Basic\Advanced game. They just weren't for me. D&D 4E is excellent. It's a fantastic system with a wonderful combat engine, and using miniatures (preferred) or tokens with dungeon tiles or beautifully printed battle mats provides an eye-pleasing element that helps to keep players actively engaged at the table. It's even easier to DM 4E than it is with Basic. Many folks who I've introduced to 4E really like the tactical aspect of it, and quite frankly, so do I! This was sort of how the game was envisioned when it was first created anyways, ironically enough. So in a sense, we have come full circle. This is even more apparent with the introduction of the "Essentials" line. Getting back to roots with the core races and classes etc; and simplifying a few things here and there, makes it even easier to introduce to new players and cuts right into the heart of what this thing was all about in the first place. And hey, if you wanna stick with straight 4E that's OK too - they work together just fine. I think that they have done a great job on the gameplay mechanics on 4E, and it operates so well that I don't feel that we need to keep screwing with the system as it is - it is fine! I should also add that the Monster Vault is sheer genius, and gets my vote for best RPG product ever. And then there is the "Adventure System" games. You know, "Castle Ravenloft, Wrath of Ashardalon and the upcoming Drizzt set. Wizards, seriously - don't drop the ball with this one. There is a huge market there. EVERY person who I've gotten to sit down and play this with me has loved it. I play it solo quite often too. There's a tonne of fan-made material out there for it already. The fact that it won an award should tell you guys that you're onto something here. More Monster Packs, Scenario's, and Card and Tile sets would be a really welcome addition, and one that I'm certain would be financially advantageous for the company. This game is your "gateway drug" to be sure. I now have a wife who plays D&D with me, because of her introduction through this system! So having said all of this, here's my summary and recommendations. 1) Produce more adventure modules. Let's face it: it takes a lot of work to design your own. Older gamers (like myself) have limited time for things like playing D&D in their lives, and therefore, often don't have time to design new campaigns or adventures AND play them too. It's either one or the other. Newer players may have the problem of not having enough experience to properly design an enjoyable and balanced adventure, and might also also be students etc; so time can be a factor for them as well. And last but not least: people are lazy. Make it easy for them! If you look at the books and supplements that were made available for both Basic and AD&D, you'll notice that the majority of releases for both systems were in fact, modules! Releasing pre-made adventures, or even Delve Packs ready to go with maps and necessary tokens (or unpainted figures) is a smart idea. With 4E being such an easy system for anybody to DM, there should be more selection than you can shake a stick at in this area. Paizo has been (quite successfully) doing this exact thing since it's release of Pathfinder, and the sheer number of Adventure Paths and Modules for it are staggering. This is much better than constantly turning out products that are really only geared towards the guy who is going to use them as references so that he can turn out his own home-made adventures. 4E=Easy to DM. Players will buy them and DM them if needed, rather than not being able to play when they have the time, because of the DM's creativity and time constraints. 2) Tokens and Miniatures. Everybody's favorite subject, right? We all know why the minis were discontinued. I like minis - lots of people like minis, and 4E is a perfect game for them. There are still options for using minis from other companies etc; so that really isn't a problem. The problem is consistency. People don't like change, especially when they're comfortable. That's why we have such huge controversies regarding the whole 4E system from 3.5, the ESSENTIALS haters, the token haters, and last but not least, the "Why did they put the names of the creatures on THIS set of tokens?" haters. Consistency. If you're gonna do tokens, do tokens. Bloodied on the other side, and with NO name. Keep it consistent. I know I like having a set of tokens that are all consistent with one another. Once again, Monster Vault = Pure Genius.Announcing a new skirmish game with minis is just ridiculous. People want minis of course, but this announcement almost appears to be in direct response to Paizo's announcement of their own line of minis. No skirmish battle to go with theirs either. And guess what else? Paizo's first set of figures come from their Bestiary (smart move) while the second set of figures all pertain to an Adventure Path that is massive. Not only that, but buying a case will practically guarantee you a complete set. See a theme here? In other words, they're for direct use in the RPG and NOT in a skirmish game. You guys wanna do skirmish? Well WotC, you already have a skirmish game - in fact, you have two of them! The first is called D&D4E, and the other is called the "Adventure System". And what's even better is that the minis from the Adventure System can be used with the RPG.Please support both of them. They are both great games and need all the love and attention you can give them. I am not interested in wasting thousands of more dollars (like I already did) on plastic crack for a game that will be dropped and discontinued relatively quickly. This also applies to 4E. I'm not interested in spending (yet again) more money on new rulebooks for a new system that will dissappear quickly too, especially when there's is nothing wrong with 4E in the first place. Given the state of the global economy, I'm sure that a lot of other players feel the same way. 3) Raise your hand if you remember playing through the AD&D Dragonlance modules for the War of the Lance. Epic stuff, and dear to the heart of many an older gamer. Once again, here's the importance of modules I was talking about earlier. Pathfinder has those too. They're called "Adventure Paths" and are spread across 6 modules each. But that's not what this one here is all about. It's about: SETTING. here's another area that needs some love. Why, oh why, isn't there a Ravenloft setting for 4E yet? I'm not one of the people screaming out for it, but I certainly do like Ravenloft. You know, once upon a time their was this guy who showed up at my front door, ringing the bell like a madman. When I opened the door, he asked " Are you Wotsee?" I said " Yes, I am Wotsee, why?" He became extremely excited and pulled out a huge wad of bills from his pocket and tried desperately to give them to me. "Here, take what you need - I came for the Barovia and the Krynn."  I replied "I'm sorry, I don't sell that kind of stuff" while looking nervously around at the people passing by my house on foot. The man became rabid, foaming at the mouth. "But, you are Wotsee, aren't you?" I once again replied in the affirmative. " And you DID sell me that D&D before, right?" I nodded in agreement. "Well then sell me some Barovia and Krynn then!" I explained (again!) that I had none for sale. " Well if you got no Barovia then I'd be fine with just one of them, I don't care!" I tried desperately to explain I didn't sell that kind of stuff. He explained, that he had met me somewhere before, like at a party or something, and that I had the goods for sale, or mentioned that I would have them for sale later, or something like that. I realized he must have gotten that impression from a recent item I had been selling that was a Barovian off-shoot called "Castle Ravenloft" and also, I had written up some articles about Barovia in a magazine I published. But come on - he didn't really think I had the real deal did he? But where did he get the Krynn notion from? It must have been when I was asking folks around town (discretely) if they were interested in any Krynn. They most certainly were interested. But what the hey, I can't remember what was going on with me that day anyway, it's all kinda fuzzy. Regardless, one thing's for certain: I definitely did not have any of this stuff for sale. Well, it took almost an hour to get the guy off of my front porch, him screaming and crying the whole while, trying so hard to give me all that dirty money in his hand. I kinda felt bad for him. I really did. Except that he came back. Not just once or twice, but all the time. Why, just this morning, I walked out the front door to get into my car to head on into work, and there he was sprawled out on my front lawn, sobbing uncontrollably, bills scattered all over the grass around him. I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to get get rid of him. Maybe I should just look into getting him some drug of his choice (Barovia and Krynn) then everyone'll be happy right? He goes away. Happy. I get all the money.Heck, he's not even worried about how much I would charge him for the stuff, that is to say erm.. if I actually had the stuff for sale. Ok, alright. I can see there's no fooling you dear reader, so I'll let you in on a little secret, but you better keep your mouth shut. Are you ready for this? Here goes: I got the stuff. Yup, that's right. It's in the basement, and I got loads of it.I bet you're wondering why I didn't sell it to him, right? Well, I got my reasons, that part ain't none of your concern. But, what I wanna know is what do you think?
#2 Garthanos Aug 11, 2011 10:24:22	But, what I wanna know is what do you think? Do you have a TLDR version of that?