...Specifically, I'd like to see a monthly or at least regular column devoted to updating and expanding campaign settings that have been left on the wayside, like Spelljammer, Dark Sun, and Al-Qadim. I know many fans of these and other settings that have simply resigned themselves to searching for material on the net and have given up trying to get new official material on their favourite campaign worlds. But trust me, if something was put out there every other month on a different out of print setting, those issues would sell like the proverbial heated flat flour-based food item...
...Specifically, I'd like to see a monthly or at least regular column devoted to updating and expanding campaign settings that have been left on the wayside, like Spelljammer, Dark Sun, and Al-Qadim. I know many fans of these and other settings that have simply resigned themselves to searching for material on the net and have given up trying to get new official material on their favourite campaign worlds. But trust me, if something was put out there every other month on a different out of print setting, those issues would sell like the proverbial heated flat flour-based food item...
Dragon has taken the "once a year" approach on that one, it seems, with their Campaign Classics issue. I believe it's slated for January.
- Ashavan
i had heard december.
|
If I were going to suggest a single article for Dragon, it would be a critical review of gaming supplements. I'm tired of hearing from the publisher how great their product is, only to find that there are glaring flaws.
I'd like to know what's good about a product and what's bad before I make the decision to purchase it. Dragon has historically been the place to look for information on the hobby, but that isn't the case anymore.
The way they present "upcoming releases" has really begun to grate on me. I'd like to know if what the publisher says about their product is the truth. And I'd like Dragon to be the place I turn for that information.
The defunct campaign setting issue is January, iirc.
-Amber S.
I second the call for a new review column, covering d20 and non-d20 games.
I remember Dragon's old review column used to be great. There were themes and everything. Like if you were looking for a Viking-themed or psionic-themed game suppliment or an introductory fantasy game or whatever, the reviewer would do a comparison of the top contenders in that category and then rate each one and detail its strengths and weaknesses. Great reading and useful, as well. It was very objective, too. TSR's latest D&D offering was not automatically rated at the top of its class and its flaws were not ignored. For the most part, there is no professional RPG criticism like this now. Just a army of net fanboys gushing and hating.
Once a year is like so not enough...
...I miss Zakhara! :-(
Or we could just run our own thread here on this site that reviews the various products. Who better to do it anyway?
I like the reviews idea but as far as online goes, doesn't EN World cover that pretty well already? I know we've asked for it time and again but I'd like to see other non-WotC products covered. Whether it's reviews or suppliments with all that there is out there in d20 land some printed coverage would be nice...or is there an all-encompassing d20 magazine already out there that I just haven't heard about?
- Chris Shadowens
RPG.Net has lots of reviews, too. The issue, I suppose, is one of professionalism. Reviews in Dragon would be by proven, paid writers and would be subject to editorial oversight with regard to relevence and objectivity.
Once a year is like so not enough...
...I miss Zakhara! :-(
You and me both! Zakhara and Kara-tur should be fully integrated into the Forgotten Realms (a name that applies to them far better than Faerun, with its huge piles of content...), and coverage of the setting should explore and detail the WHOLE world, not just one continent...
i think that Eberron and FR are enough. Once a year per campaign setting(Dark Sun, Spelljammer, Ravenloft) is more than enough.
(As previously mentioned in other threads) I think a return of in-depth reviews of 3rd-party RPG products to the pages of Dragon would be awesome.
|
I agree with the initial idea by Samuel Wright that it would be nice too see a regular column focused on material from "old" settings.
What about the last page where they reprint the cover artwork?
This page could be used in the style of class-acts.
Just pick one interesting aspect from one of the settings (like a game mechanic, a spell, a popular NPC or a feat, whatever)convert it to 3.5 and you'd have another interesting column every month.
I would personally prefer the "Campaign Classics" to be a regular article; not because I love classic settings, but because I don't especially like them. I am guessing that something would be updated from about 12 settings in the January issue, and I subscribe to Dragon, so I would much prefer to have a column about one setting every month, rather than a whole magazine I will likely be unable to use. If I happen to find a use for one column, great, but if I don't like the other 11, I just paid six bucks for two hundred words I will use and several thousand I won't.http
Also, I second the review column, but only as either a comparative column with a theme (psionics, weapons, etc.) or as a "this is a good book, take a look" column. I am not the kind of person who can afford to buy hundreds of products (and I assume that most other people are not as well), so I would prefer to be shown something great, which are often hard to find, than to be shown something terrible, which are easy enough to come by.
|
|
One column each issue works out to the same as a single issue each year, but I don't like Campaign Classics as a single issue either. Nobody uses them all. Occassional visits when something is good might be okay - so a regular column might be the way to go, but not necessarily monthly.
Darkness is a cool theme issue - campaign classics isn't.
Still, I'd like to see a clear recommendation. If a book comes out, who should buy it? The DM, or should every player have it? Does it have only one or two good things, or is the whole book quality?
Comparative might be fine, but I'd really like to know if a resource is a good use of my money - if I'm only going to use something in a rare circumstance, I probably don't want to buy it....