The Rumors of my Demise
have been greatly exaggerated.
Same goes for another rumor, I think.
Apis mentioned in the comments of Friday’s post a little rumor going around the Internets about how Wizards of the Coast won’t be at Gen Con this year.
I’ve listened to the reasons people are bantering about. Really, I have. Most of them are pure crap. My favorite is the one that says George Lucas is insanely mad at Peter Atkinson over Star Wars Celebration and the lawsuit. C’mon, boys. Do you really buy into the conspiracy theory that George Lucas is sitting in his throne passing out dictates to HASBRO?!? About something that is, in Lucas terms, a pittance?
photo by Official Star Wars Blog
Now, there is a slight possibility that Hasbro won’t allow WotC to go to Gen Con because of its policy about doing business with companies in bankruptcy, but I seriously doubt that’s going to be the case. There were still Hasbro products on the shelves at K-mart while they were restructuring.
So, why am I so confident that WotC will be at Gen Con? One reason:
Dungeons and Dragons 4E will be less than a quarter old.
It’s possible that Gen Con needs WotC more than WotC needs Gen Con most years. 2008 will be different, though: WotC won’t have sales figures available on 4E by the time they’d need to put events in motion for Gen Con. WotC can’t take the risk that they will alienate a large portion of their fanbase and sacrifice the largest single event-based marketing campaign of the year by sitting it out. WotC needs Gen Con this year to solidify the market position of Dungeons and Dragons 4E.
WotC can’t afford to skip Gen Con, at least not in 2008. DDXP, however successful it’s becoming for them, still isn’t Gen Con.
Am I wrong? What do you all think? Will WotC show in August?
Oh, and 5 Internet points to whomever can tell me where the title quote comes from.
City Damage
(Before I start, a follow-up from yesterday: go check out the polls on my squidoo lens. I cracked myself up writing them. Of course, I crack myself up eating cheese, so take it for what it’s worth.)
So, there’s an interesting post over at Pens & Swords from Monday. I am intrigued by his take on things. I disagree, almost entirely, but I am intrigued. Let me, then, answer the questions that he poses:
How many of us have started campaigns, as a DM or player, in the tavern of some small village, waiting for the hook that will send the adventurers to the nearby ruins/caves/catacombs?
You bet. Too many times as a DM. Still, it worked for Temple of Elemental Evil, right?
But what about those who prefer urban adventures, or a more cosmopolitan setting?
That’s something that my group has grown into. A decade ago? No way. These days? Cities are the place to be.
Do they have to wait until their characters are higher level, as the article seems to imply.
Hope not. I’m not sure that the “Points of Light” can’t exist as small parts (neighborhoods) in larger settings. I bet we see some of that, even in the “heroic” level modules. Beyond that, a large city that is in tatters (like Waterdeep after the Spellplague) could also be considered a Point of Light beseiged. From the realms article:
“In Waterdeep the great walking statues hidden within the city arose for a single day and wrecked several wards, only to suddenly halt where they stood when the Spellplague’s influence retreated again. To this day the towering colossi remain standing where they were at that moment, while the city has been rebuilt around their stony waists. Waterdeep is still governed by its Lords, advised by the Blackstaff—the most powerful mage of Blackstaff Tower, heir to the lore of the mighty Khelben. The city remains a hub of trade and commerce; all roads lead to Waterdeep, or so it is said. ”
Sure, DMs still have the power to create whatever they can imagine, but does this new design directive mean that official support–in the form of products and articles–will focus on the solitary settlement besieged by the forces of darkness?
Doubt it highly. Variety has always been the spice of life over at WotC. And you’ve got quite a mix of designers and writers over there as well.
Is the urban adventure market small enough that it doesn’t matter to the bottom line?
I don’t know that it’s a market in and of itself; in context, it’s a part of the bigger market. But if urban adventures weren’t an integral part of that market, would there have been a Cityscape, or a City of Peril? Or City of Splendors for the old timers?
Or (last question, I promise) does the Points of Light philosophy not necessarily exclude an urban-based campaign?
Nope. See above. I think to assume POL is incompatible with an urban campaign is to connect dots that just aren’t there. I think the Points of Light directive is, ultimately, all about a darker world -not necessarily a rural one.
Random Observations
It’s not Larry King’s People News and Views, but here are a few of my random thoughts on Dungeon Mastering, D&D, and the hobby in general:
- Sitting behind the DM screen is the best place at the table. And it’s not just because people will bring you food and drink. The DM is never bored during a game, regardless of how bored his players are.
- The best D&D games, the best campaigns I’ve run, have always been homespun tales in homebrewed worlds. That’s not just my opinion; my players agree. Not saying my stuff is better than the published stuff (because it’s not). Rather, I think it’s because I am more connected to the material, and therefore more animated about things.
- D&D is the best damn game there is, bar none. I’ve played more hours of D&D than any other hobby I’ve ever been involved in. And, just about the time things seem to get a bit stale, a new edition comes along to breathe some new life.
- Gencon is going to be a hoot this year.
- If the online D&D tools work the way that WotC is saying they will, I’ll get to game again with Cliff, Chris, Conrad, Jamie, and Robert again. Won’t that be the dog’s bollocks?
- It isn’t the time commitment that has kept me out of the MMORPGs. At least, I’m beginning to think that it isn’t. I think it’s because I can’t DM.
- I miss my wife playing D&D.
- I’m never happy with one of Kelly’s characters unless he’s a paladin; I’m never happy with one of Greg’s unless he’s a thief; and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Phil play anything other than an arcane caster. Scott, well, he does all right at whatever he’s playing.
- I like painting my figs. I wish I could get someone else into that part of the hobby.
- I think the reason that Randy is such a good DM is, simply put, that he immerses himself in his prep. I’m sure he easily spends 3 hours on prep for each hour of play.
Back in the Saddle, Again
Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.
Well, the dust is indeed settling on the 4E announcements. Wizards of the Coast has been relatively forthcoming with info since the announcement, and I have to say that I’m liking most of what I am seeing. Sure, there was the scuttlebutt about “random virtual miniatures”, but it seems that that fiasco has come to an end.
Here’s what I’m liking about 4E:
- Race matters. Maybe it is because I started D&D with the Basic Set when an Elf was a class and a race all rolled into one, but I like the idea that race matters, even at higher levels.
- Tiefling and Gnome. ‘Nuff Said.
- The new cosmology. While I like the Great Wheel and Planescape, I feel like there are better ways to arrange the multiverse. 4E gives me tools to do that.
- Spell levels that match class levels. Should have been as obvious as THAC0.
Here’s what WotC has promised that I’m hoping will turn out the way they say, but I’m skeptical:
- Faster combat. This might be a stretch, at least at low levels. Things are pretty streamlined early in the 3.5 power curve.
- DM Tools. Will be great if they work. E-Tools, anyone?
And here’s what I don’t like:
- It’s a bit nebulous, but the “World of Warcraft” feel that creeps up in some of the new flavor material. We’ll have to see how this pans out.
- All-digital Dungeon and Dragon. Sometimes, it’s just nice to have shiny maps.
Look for some 4E summary materials on the main site in the coming days.
Gleemax
OK. I checked out the Gleemax site…(http://www.gleemax.com)…the new WOTC digital initiative. It is not impressive ,but maybe…just maybe it will be something worthwhile eventually. After checking out the interview done by ICv2(http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/10725.html), I have to say that maybe they are targeting a different audience than me and many other older gamers. On some other boards people have suggested that maybe it will be the myspace of gaming. It might just be a reasonable thing ,but I’m not sure if it (or it’s DnD content…yet to be discussed) will useful to current tabletop gamers….we’ll see.
I know WOTC and gaming in general needs to keep reaching out to new gamers ,but I hope they don’t sacrifice the old fans in order to do that. I also hope that this means that 4e is much further away than was originally intended or like R. Dancey said a few months back, maybe it will be a mostly digital/online version of DnD which will not completely invalidate 3.x as a tabeltop system. Maybe…just maybe we’ll still get paper support for 3.x while the “computer savvy ” generation of young gamers gorge themselves on the online 4e…..maybe?
Ugh, Again.
And so, another era in D&D ends.
I’m not sure what exactly to think about this. I understand that print media is not what it once was. I understand that Dungeon and Dragon may not have been the most profitable aspects of the business, but they are one of the oldest. I understand that the game is going to go on regardless.
I also understand that WotC hasn’t said they’re dropping the magazines forever. Really, all this announcement says is that Paizo’s license to publish them has ceased. WotC’s statement implies that content for these magazines may move into some online form, although it could just refer to the content on the Wizards’ D&D pages. And, Paizo is going to start putting out Pathfinder, which smells a lot like a revamped Dungeon magazine, and should meet expectations, content-wise.
People everywhere are freaking out.
I guess this is the double-edged sword about the OGL and 3E; ultimately, WotC can bring as much as they want back into their fold, and do with it what they want. Ceasing publication of the longest-running D&D magazines may be a misstep. Time will tell. I, for one, haven’t subscribed to Dragon or Dungeon, but I intend to subscribe to Pathfinder on principle.
One comforting piece of truth is that Peter bought GenCon, rather than licensing it. As long as it remains profitable, we’ll still have the oldest of the D&D institutions.
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