Comments on: The Death of a Dragon… http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon Technology, computer games, MMOGs, science...and other nerdy stuff Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:43:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: chris http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon#comment-9879 chris Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:10:01 +0000 http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon/#comment-9879 So, since we are itchy I guess we should scratch? :lol: Problem is with us all living in seperate cities we would need to convene for a few days somewhere ... a mountain top D&D "retreat" ;) So, since we are itchy I guess we should scratch? :lol: Problem is with us all living in seperate cities we would need to convene for a few days somewhere … a mountain top D&D “retreat” ;)

]]> By: oblivions http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon#comment-9812 oblivions Sun, 22 Apr 2007 03:38:49 +0000 http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon/#comment-9812 Glad to see I can bring joy to someone. I am getting the itch too. Glad to see I can bring joy to someone. I am getting the itch too.

]]> By: Kelly Adams http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon#comment-9809 Kelly Adams Sat, 21 Apr 2007 23:34:13 +0000 http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon/#comment-9809 Exactly, Chris. Things like the "Ecology" articles- they didn't sell game supplements or source books, but they gave me ideas about why / how certain monsters "worked". Materials on how to be a better DM, or how to craft a dungeon, or create balanced magic items. A story or a piece of artwork might launch a whole epic adventure idea. I don't know what WotC plans to do to "replace" Dragon, although their follow up posts imply they have something planned. I'm cynical, though: I could imagine a "rah rah, buy our new version 3.721567 source books for $39 each and get cool spikes on your elven warriors!" sort of advertising "brochureware" news site. That would be sad. Ah well: I still have things like Order of the Stick (the comic I mentioned above that Leaha turned me on to). That brings back good memories :) Exactly, Chris. Things like the “Ecology” articles- they didn’t sell game supplements or source books, but they gave me ideas about why / how certain monsters “worked”. Materials on how to be a better DM, or how to craft a dungeon, or create balanced magic items. A story or a piece of artwork might launch a whole epic adventure idea.

I don’t know what WotC plans to do to “replace” Dragon, although their follow up posts imply they have something planned. I’m cynical, though: I could imagine a “rah rah, buy our new version 3.721567 source books for $39 each and get cool spikes on your elven warriors!” sort of advertising “brochureware” news site. That would be sad.

Ah well: I still have things like Order of the Stick (the comic I mentioned above that Leaha turned me on to). That brings back good memories :)

]]> By: Chris http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon#comment-9808 Chris Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:53:31 +0000 http://www.kgadams.net/2007/04/20/the-death-of-a-dragon/#comment-9808 Like you I have a great deal of personal nostalgia ( and BTW: I was watching some D&D spoof on YouTube that in some ways was painfully accurate, and started to get a bit of an "itch". Amazing what hearing game speak can do. ) But I also miss the idea of Dragon, at least in it's earlier incarnations, which was to help people imagine their own creations. Sure, there was always lots of stuff to steal, but usually there wasn't anything that could be used without a lot of work. The magazine was written with the understanding that it's readers were not mere consumers, but imaginative and creative individuals in their own right. As a marketing tool, Dragon was probably a failure. It didn't just support certain products and encourage, nay force them to by more. But it did encourage people to use their own imaginations, and that's something I don't seem to see enough of these days. Like you I have a great deal of personal nostalgia ( and BTW: I was watching some D&D spoof on YouTube that in some ways was painfully accurate, and started to get a bit of an “itch”. Amazing what hearing game speak can do. )

But I also miss the idea of Dragon, at least in it’s earlier incarnations, which was to help people imagine their own creations. Sure, there was always lots of stuff to steal, but usually there wasn’t anything that could be used without a lot of work. The magazine was written with the understanding that it’s readers were not mere consumers, but imaginative and creative individuals in their own right.

As a marketing tool, Dragon was probably a failure. It didn’t just support certain products and encourage, nay force them to by more. But it did encourage people to use their own imaginations, and that’s something I don’t seem to see enough of these days.

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