Quote from: Jaeger on December 26, 2021, 08:06:45 PM

One need only look at the number of gaming companies taking in house games and making them '5e compatible', in order to cash in on sales that their house systems could not hope to gain.

This. Case in point, the new version of Talislanta that will be hitting Kickstarter soon. As a matter of fact, when Sechi made the announcement, I stated publicly before the information was released that if this new edition would be for 5E that I had no interest or desire to KS a "5E compatible" Talislanta. And it wasn't just myself that voiced that opinion. In the end, Epic announced that it would have dual stats by posting a layout page of a Thrall with 5E stats and old school Talislanta stats.

There are more settings out there than one can possibly imagine that are being released as "5E compatible". In the current ttrpg environment, I understand that any house systems wouldn't get a second glance by most gamers. That doesn't make me resent that fact any less. And my lack of willingness to spend money on or utilize 5E compatible products only grows with WotC's publishing direction. While I find the concept of Brancalonia and Grim Hollow both interesting, I just can't give these companies money money for 5E rules that I don't want to use.

Quote from: S'mon on December 26, 2021, 03:40:23 PM
I do love how apparently NOBODY is buying Strixhaven. Definitely warms the cockles of my old heart.

Well, it's fuckin' lame. And pandering to people who don't ever actually buy things is usually a bad move if one likes revenue. Now if one wants to win foo foo awards from infiltrated and subverted institutions and new ad hoc award farting institutions it's AWESOMESAUCE-A-ROO but I suppose it all depends on what the publisher's goals are in the short term and how much of the publisher's assets, prestige, and capital one is willing to burn to get to those goals. If it is supposed to be sustainable it is a debacle. But if it is some sort of sacrifice to earn a stipend or a subsidy or s sinecure from some unseen patron then it might make a bit more sense. And of course, promised patronage need not be delivered should the utility of such patronage suddenly dry up. Useful idiots are the first against the wall or in "kinder" regimes the first thrown out in the streets hoping someone might throw some change into their hat.

" You fucked up Flounder. You trusted us."

Quote from: S'mon on December 26, 2021, 03:40:23 PM
I do love how apparently NOBODY is buying Strixhaven. Definitely warms the cockles of my old heart.

According to Amazon it is a "bestseller".  I read the reviews and the only ones that are written like reviews were the ones with 1,2, or 3 stars.  All the 5 star reviews say stuff like "I just got the book. Can't wait to run it for my group!!!11!!"

The low reviews are fewer in number, but they state:

That the new race; the Owlin, has only one page of description and no culture to speak of. 

There are only a handfullof spells.

That there are adventures in the book and only 40 pages dedicated to the setting.

That there are rules for cheating on your boyfriend.

I do not believe that this book is a "bestseller".  I think they (amazon and Hazards-of-the-Bro) are cooking the books.  They could be doing a "Captain Marvel" and giving their shit away to charities and calling that sales, or some other funny business.  I wonder how many Libraries have recieved this book as a donation?

I'm just not buying it.  Figuratively, and literally.

I can believe its a beat seller actually. Its not actually that hard to get bestseller status on books, especially from a major coporation with a lot of advertising. I have a friend who self publishes terrible fantasy novels and iirc he got a best seller.

Quote from: Slambo on December 27, 2021, 11:04:23 AM
I can believe its a beat seller actually. Its not actually that hard to get bestseller status on books, especially from a major coporation with a lot of advertising. I have a friend who self publishes terrible fantasy novels and iirc he got a best seller.

What novels does he publish? I want to take notes for my own efforts.

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on December 27, 2021, 12:51:33 PM

Quote from: Slambo on December 27, 2021, 11:04:23 AM
I can believe its a beat seller actually. Its not actually that hard to get bestseller status on books, especially from a major coporation with a lot of advertising. I have a friend who self publishes terrible fantasy novels and iirc he got a best seller.

What novels does he publish? I want to take notes for my own efforts.

Tbh i havent talked to him in years and i dont remember the name.

An elaborate book had appeared in WotC's hands. For
perhaps five seconds it was within the angle of Winston's vision. It was
a 5e book, and there was no question of its identity. It was the
5e book. It was another copy of Volo's Gude, at the GenCon function
in Indianapolis, which he had chanced upon months ago.
For only an instant it was before his eyes, then it was out of sight again.
But he had seen it, unquestionably he had seen it! He made a desperate, agonizing effort to
wrench the top half of his body free. It was impossible to move so much
as a centimeter in any direction. For the moment he had even forgotten
the threat of Twitter cancellation. All he wanted was to hold the book in his hands again,
or at least to see it.

"It exists!" he cried.

"No," said WotC.

He stepped across the room. There was a memory hole in the opposite
wall. WotC lifted the grating. Unseen, the book was
whirling away on the current of warm air; it was vanishing in a flash of
flame. WotC turned away from the wall.

"Ashes," he said. "Not even identifiable ashes. Dust. It does not exist.
It never existed."

"But it did exist! It does exist! It exists in memory. I remember it.
You remember it."

"I do not remember it," said WotC.

Quote from: Svenhelgrim on December 27, 2021, 09:13:18 AM

Quote from: S'mon on December 26, 2021, 03:40:23 PM
I do love how apparently NOBODY is buying Strixhaven. Definitely warms the cockles of my old heart.

According to Amazon it is a "bestseller". 

According to Amazon it's a

Quote#1 Best Seller in Greek & Roman Myth & Legend

Greek and Roman Myth What?? That's the category? Nothing related to gaming at all, apparently.

The rest of the bestsellers in this category are just a mix of fantasy fiction and actual Greek mythology.

Someone had to really stretch to find a category this book could be wedged into and still come out on top.

Quote from: Svenhelgrim on December 27, 2021, 09:13:18 AM

Quote from: S'mon on December 26, 2021, 03:40:23 PM
I do love how apparently NOBODY is buying Strixhaven. Definitely warms the cockles of my old heart.

According to Amazon it is a "bestseller".  I read the reviews and the only ones that are written like reviews were the ones with 1,2, or 3 stars.  All the 5 star reviews say stuff like "I just got the book. Can't wait to run it for my group!!!11!!"

The low reviews are fewer in number, but they state:

That the new race; the Owlin, has only one page of description and no culture to speak of. 

There are only a handfullof spells.

That there are adventures in the book and only 40 pages dedicated to the setting.

That there are rules for cheating on your boyfriend.

Holy shit, man! They model and encourage abusive behavior? What's next, rule for being a Nazi?

Quote from: Horace on December 15, 2021, 05:31:55 PM


WotC has clearly chosen a new audience for the future of D&D, and it doesn't overlap much with the old one.

Or indeed, with the categories of "actually play RPGs regularly" or "ever likely to buy a single product with the D&D logo on it"!

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 27, 2021, 04:08:45 PM

Quote from: Horace on December 15, 2021, 05:31:55 PM


WotC has clearly chosen a new audience for the future of D&D, and it doesn't overlap much with the old one.

Or indeed, with the categories of "actually play RPGs regularly" or "ever likely to buy a single product with the D&D logo on it"!

I love market economics because of how it works to take care of those peddling products no one wants. I imagine WotC is making these changes believing that it will increase their revenues .. at least, I can have some respect for them if that is the reason they are doing it. If they are indeed alienating their current and potential customers, then I look forward to the rise of the new companies that will represent the future of the TTRPG gaming industry.

WotC decided they wanted Consoomers, not gamers.

>consoom new Product
>await tweets about newer Product
>join hype about newer Product
>consoom newer Product

Quote from: thedungeondelver on December 27, 2021, 04:28:40 PM
WotC decided they wanted Consoomers, not gamers.

>consoom new Product
>await tweets about newer Product
>join hype about newer Product
>consoom newer Product

I can see that. They keep printing new books that offer very little by way of value. Consoomers would be ideal customers. Is it enough to keep WotC in the black, though?

Quote from: mtsothm on December 27, 2021, 04:48:38 PM

Quote from: thedungeondelver on December 27, 2021, 04:28:40 PM
WotC decided they wanted Consoomers, not gamers.

>consoom new Product
>await tweets about newer Product
>join hype about newer Product
>consoom newer Product

I can see that. They keep printing new books that offer very little by way of value. Consoomers would be ideal customers. Is it enough to keep WotC in the black, though?

I think they hope it is, they're on fast-forward but they have been trying to position D&D as a Consoomer product for a few years, once they got the unintended boost from pop culture outlets not associated with them (Freaks & Geeks, the Goldbergs, Community, and even The Venture Bros. and of course Stranger Things).  Once Gen-Xers said "Hey, you know what?  I played D&D and I had a lot of fun!  It was really fun to hang out with my friends, even if people think it was kind of dorky!" and some of those gen-Xers turned out to be movie and TV producers, and they showed it (D&D) in a positive light, WotC saw their opportunity.

But, regardless of F&G and Goldbergs, they fear (possibly correctly) that big tiddy demon baebs will turn off middle American consoomers, and Gygaxian D&D won't sell with the woke.

So they're making selmolina.  Pablum.  nu-D&D for Consoomers.  Who cares if nobody knows who or what Mordenkainen is - there's a limited funko pop of him and YOU!  MUST!  BUY!  IT!  WE'LL ONLY MAKE 250,000 OF THEM!  LIMITED EDITION!  CONSOOOOOOOOM!

Quote from: Svenhelgrim on December 27, 2021, 09:13:18 AMThat the new race; the Owlin, has only one page of description and no culture to speak of.

Did they really need a whole page to say: furry that identifies as an owl?

Pronouns: twit / who