Yes, I know I am a very public critic of Wizards and of 4th Edition, but I also do not want to see either of them fail. I have a few suggestions that I sincerely hope are listened to.
1) Stop talking about Fourth Edition and Third Edition at the same time. Yes, I understand that you are comparing 4E and trying to show how it is a better product, but it is coming across as insulting 3E. While that is fine with those that do not like 3E, you're not winning any friends that like 3E when you do. Please stress this to Shelly. I mean no disrespect to her. Her writing quality is excellent. I understand that she's a very nice girl and that she makes some excellent cookies for everyone to share, but her 4E/3E comparisons are some of the most memorable in how succinct and mean-spirited they come-across. "In Third Edition, all a heal check told you was what you stepped in" is a prime example. Suggestion: Talk about 4E on its own merits. My favorite piece of PR I saw for 4E was an article about Worlds and Monsters where there was an article that just talked about what 4E had to offer. I loved that article. Normally, I'd suggest discuss 3E in relation to 4E without insulting 3E, but frankly, the pro-3E crowd is so sensitive to 3E insults, any comparison between the two editions isn't going to be taken well.
2) Get the damn GSL out. I know Rouse and others in your company are not happy with the delays, but frankly, I, as a freelance writer, will not be writing for any product slated for an August release, no matter who offered it to me. I would not have the time to learn the new rules and write a product that was up to my standards of quality, and I certainly don't want my name on the next Creature Collection. Granted, I am only a part timer and I wasn’t a playtester, but I know the full time writers are not happy about how much/little time they have left. Also, some OGL supporters that are not happy with the change in license and have been following the changes are concerned. Please, once the GSL is released to the 3rd party companies, talk about what is and isn’t in there. Don’t be shy. Failing to tell the RPG community about the end of Dungeon/Dragon made Wizards look bad. It would have been much better if it had come straight from the top instead of Paizo breaking the news and met with only silence from your side. Nip this one in the bud. Talk about it yourselves, before the release of the game. Preferably shortly after companies receive the license.
3) A TV show is your greatest marketing ally. A movie really isn't as great a marketing tool as it might sound. Bad release date, stiff competition that weekend, nice weather, etc can make for bad sales. Not to mention that you only have 1 shot at making it good. With a tv show, you can listen to viewer feedback and adjust future episodes to compensate for things that worked and things that didn't. Getting the old D&D cartoon back on the air is a good short term solution. Not to mention, you can show with greater depth as a TV show unfolds. Movies might capture the feel of a single adventure, but a TV show is a better format for a long campaign.
I would suggest:
4) Put out quickplay 4e rules now for free. Instead of making people pay for an adventure or having them reverse engineer them, WotC could stop a lot of arguing by just "leading with the cool stuff".**bitter about not being able to go DDXP. :)
They did, its available on the WoTC website.
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They did, its available on the WoTC website.I would suggest:
4) Put out quickplay 4e rules now for free. Instead of making people pay for an adventure or having them reverse engineer them, WotC could stop a lot of arguing by just "leading with the cool stuff".**bitter about not being able to go DDXP. :)
Linky? I just saw characters last time I went...
Linky? I just saw characters last time I went...They did, its available on the WoTC website.I would suggest:
4) Put out quickplay 4e rules now for free. Instead of making people pay for an adventure or having them reverse engineer them, WotC could stop a lot of arguing by just "leading with the cool stuff".**bitter about not being able to go DDXP. :)
Ask, and ye shall receive.
DMcCoy1693, this is another reason why you're one of my favorite posters. Everything you posted was great advice.
As to point 1. I don't think they're even aware of it when they do it. They're comparing them because a) they're proud of what they've done and b) are trying to make their case for why people should switch.
I agree, though. Putting down their own product, even indirectly, is not going to win over anyone who still loves 3E. I had a lot of problems with 3E but even I realize how it sounds when they do the comparisons. It's like Ford saying "Check out the new Ford Focus! It doesn't blow up when rearended like last year's did!"
I would also add that I really enjoyed the playtesters' blogs. I'd like those to be done more frequently as it helps me get an idea of the synergy between the rules and how they play out at the table. I think they should post a playtest report, on a blog, detailing some of the interesting things they've done with the Skill Challenge mechanic so that we can take a look at the game and how it helps DMs when they're NOT running a combat. :)
Janxious, you can also get a supplementary rules appendix here. WotC didn't release it, but its from the DDXP.
WOTC delegates all over the nation got their 4e demo material today, if you have a local delegate Ask them about a 4e demo. IF you are in the Sacramento CA area let me know and i;ll give you a list of date where i will be showing off 4e.
Venport {at} Gmail {dot} com
I guess my 4 should have been Release the adventure from DDXP for free. ;)
That would be nice, but if you poke around the EN World 4e boards, you'll find at least three fan-made 4e adventures that you test drive the system with.
Don't you think it's a little too late? You can rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic but it's still going down.
I just hope that some lessons are learned from all this and that Paizo comes out the winner in the end.
The optimist in me says that it is never to late. There is no denying that serious damage has been done. But that does not mean that bridges can't be repaired. And I agree it would have been better if Wizards had said at GenCon that they were taking the greatest game ever created and making it even better instead of saying that the game they wrote for all that time really sucked. But that is the past and there is nothing that can be done about that. What they can change is from this day forward. And considering that I saw Mearls and Rodney on these boards less then 3 hours ago, I hope it reaches their eyes and goes straight to the top.
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Excellent post!
1) Too much marketing tears down the previous version. To me this never made sense because you're essentially telling the customer "oh, we misled you about great that last version was". Never sits well with me.
2) Having worked in the business world long enough, I realize that the delays with the GSL are probably due to normal Dilbert reasons, but it absolutely should have been a higher priority! It certainly gives the wrong message to the 3rd parties and the customers.
3) I've heard that George R.R. Martin's Fire and Ice books are going to be made into a series on HBO. I thought that was fabulous news because it will give them time to do it right. A TV show would make a ton of sense - DnD is perfect for cliffhangers! (Sometimes literally!)
-Pete
Oh, in regards to a DnD film, if it goes film it almost has to be the Realms and Drizzt, right? I mean, I'm not a big Drizzt fan, but he's very popular and deserves the nod just for that reason. How many novels have been sold based around the world of that crazy little dark elf?
For just DnD, yeah. That just calls for TV. Treat it like a campaign and unfold more of the world and the secrets initially revealed as the characters grow and start exerting their influence on things.
For just DnD, yeah. That just calls for TV. Treat it like a campaign and unfold more of the world and the secrets initially revealed as the characters grow and start exerting their influence on things.
Exactly. Treat it like a normal D&D campaign. Make a 2-3 season arch show. Make them start off as nobodies and eventually work their way up to great world changers. Then when the campaign is over, do a spin off show, based in the same world, but with an entirely new cast, even have things in the first show affect things in the 2nd series. And so on.
Only one thing stands the test though, as far as a TV show goes...they've only got one option. Drizzt doesn't cut it because it's too much makeup and CGI, and the novels were so bad they can just redo it from scratch....
And here's how they should pitch it...
It matters not how strait the gate...
How charged with punishments the scroll....
I am the master of my fate...
I am the Captain of my soul...
Baldur's Gate.
That would be VERY cool. Plus, everyone LOVED that game.
Baldur's Gate. That would be VERY cool. Plus, everyone LOVED that game.
Especially non-gamers.
