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| Aberzanzorax |
 Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:54 am Post subject: Why do projects become unavailable at all? |
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Patron
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 276
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Ok, I'm newer to Open Design, and I don't understand the reasoning. I'd appreciate if someone could help me out here.
I know about the politics of Steam and Brass preventing it from being available at present. I can appreciate and understand why that is the case.
What I don't understand is why Castle Shadowcrag has been unavailable and 6 Arabian Nights and Blood of the Gorgon are soon to become unavailable.
This seems to be a topic coming up in multiple threads, including the following (and I admit to being one of the driving forces behind two of the threads, though I am clearly not the only one with my opinions):
http://www.koboldquarterly.com/kqforums/viewtopic.php?t=296
http://www.koboldquarterly.com/kqforums/viewtopic.php?t=229&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75
http://www.koboldquarterly.com/kqforums/viewtopic.php?t=299
Is this a business model issue? A patron issue? Something else entirely?
I wonder if it was something that made sense when Open Gaming originated, but has become less of a valuable/driving reason.
I know for one, that I thought long and hard about Zobek because I didn't have Steam and Brass or a subscription to KQ.
I had similar misgivings about Empire of the Ghouls as (if I remember correctly) there were allusions to Castle Shadowcrag.
If the later projects are going to draw upon the earlier ones, it seems unfortunate and self-limiting to make those earlier projects "off limits". I don't know if I would be a patron for "Steam and Brass, part II" or "Return to Castle Shadowcrag". Releasing such adventures would essentially garner support mainly from prior patrons only.
So I suppose what I'm asking for is a rationale or reason why projects become "retired" as well as possibly for Wolfgang and the community as a whole to reconsider whether this is a wise decision.
Thank you. |
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| Wolfgang |
| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:29 am Post subject: |
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Kobold Overlord
Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 4984
Location: The Mines
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So far the projects all stand alone. Not a single one of them requires any knowledge of the others to play.
There are very, very limited easter egg type connections between some of them, but honestly I couldn't even name all those; I'd have to look some of them up.
The projects to date are limited editions because that's the way I see patron projects. Certainly, it's possible to do a patron project that becomes public afterwards. This is a likely direction for any Pathfinder project, for instance.
Wrath and Tales are not limited editions, of course. Tales has a Gazetteer that will be available to the public, and the whole of Wrath might be available if WotC fixes the GSL.
And the next project might not be a limited edition either. I was something that was important to folks at the start but (as you say) has declined in importance as the projects have continuted.
Time for a poll...
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Wolfgang Baur
Publisher, Kobold Press |
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