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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 4:12AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Dec 29, 2007
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OK, I think we all get the gag order situation with WOTC right now. It's an important rule if you have ever been part of a large company dealing with internal issues.
I think it’s safe to assume that the RPGA and WOTC wants to be at GenCon 2008. It's also a very safe assumption that several RPGA members are coming to GenCon 2008 for the premier of their new campaign... hence the heavy attention on the subject. No one can deny the importance of this subject to its members.
The truth remains though, how long should the RPGA wait to tell its members that they are or are coming or not? Many people go to GenCon to play all of the other events and some still go to play 1st Edition D&D. I suspect the people here on the RPGA LFR boards are going to GenCon for LFR, 4th edition and mostly just for that.
My point here is, the registration deadline is June 28th unless GenCon moves it back, a decision in the next month will come with little to no penalty to the members of the RPGA. With this deadline in mind, I think it would be fair to the RPGA members to let us know at least by June 21st. Like everyone else on these boards, I have a hotel booked, but I was smart and did not pay for registration yet. Most hotels will charge you a cancellation fee if you cancel days in advance; however, you stand to negotiate no fees if you have more notice. This is why the RPGA members need some notice opposed to none.
To cancel or to announce the RPGA’s presence at whatever time, is clearly a business decision. Giving its members fair notice, that does not preclude them for registering or costing them hotel cancellation fees, is a responsible business decision. These are tough times, but at some point the RPGA need to weigh the desire to attend GenCon vs. doing the responsible thing for your members. Fair notice is what I am looking for and I think that’s a reasonable expectation of any professional organization.
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 5:16AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2009
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OK, I think we all get the gag order situation with WOTC right now. It's an important rule if you have ever been part of a large company dealing with internal issues.
I think it’s safe to assume that the RPGA and WOTC wants to be at GenCon 2008. It's also a very safe assumption that several RPGA members are coming to GenCon 2008 for the premier of their new campaign... hence the heavy attention on the subject. No one can deny the importance of this subject to its members.
The truth remains though, how long should the RPGA wait to tell its members that they are or are coming or not? Many people go to GenCon to play all of the other events and some still go to play 1st Edition D&D. I suspect the people here on the RPGA LFR boards are going to GenCon for LFR, 4th edition and mostly just for that.
My point here is, the registration deadline is June 28th unless GenCon moves it back, a decision in the next month will come with little to no penalty to the members of the RPGA. With this deadline in mind, I think it would be fair to the RPGA members to let us know at least by June 21st. Like everyone else on these boards, I have a hotel booked, but I was smart and did not pay for registration yet. Most hotels will charge you a cancellation fee if you cancel days in advance; however, you stand to negotiate no fees if you have more notice. This is why the RPGA members need some notice opposed to none.
To cancel or to announce the RPGA’s presence at whatever time, is clearly a business decision. Giving its members fair notice, that does not preclude them for registering or costing them hotel cancellation fees, is a responsible business decision. These are tough times, but at some point the RPGA need to weigh the desire to attend GenCon vs. doing the responsible thing for your members. Fair notice is what I am looking for and I think that’s a reasonable expectation of any professional organization.
Well put and well said, Uthgardt.
That's all I think many of us are looking for...the understanding that IF things change, we will be able to receive fair notification and communication.
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 5:39AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2003
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The truth remains though, how long should the RPGA wait to tell its members that they are or are coming or not?
I'm with you, up until this point. You are asking for answers and communication from the RPGA for issues that the RPGA has absolutely no control over. As I've said in other threads, you are on the Living Forgotten Realms board. I can answer questions about LFR. I'm not sure if there are other places you can get in touch with people who can help you, but I know for sure it isn't here. And if you do get answers, please let ME know. :D
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 10:19AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Aug 13, 2006
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And if you do get answers, please let ME know. :D
That's really sad, that even the Global Administrators have no freaking clue if LFR is going to be at Gencon or not.
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 10:29AM
#5
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Well, WotC itself likely doesn't know if it'll be at GenCon or not. This is far, far above the RPGA. Right now the company is worrying that they might be missing a chance to follow-up on their 4e launch, sell the product and show what's coming. The Core books will have been well-hyped and likely sold prior but GenCon is a great chance to plug the next set of books and show what's being released over the next year.
I wouldn't be surprised if LFR is way down on their list of concerns.
But at least now we have an loose date. Just under a month and a half.
If we don't hear by then, then we can assume the LFR launch is canceled. And the RPGA can launch into back-up plans with a couple months to prepare.
Before posting, ask yourself WWWS: What Would Wrecan Say? Spoiler:
Show
My Webcomic
Updated Tuesday and Thursday
Read my blog on the WotC Community Site (updated irregularly to avoid spamming the "Featured Blogger" list).
You can follow me on Twitter: "@DnDJester"
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 10:30AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2003
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The LFR continues to work on our initial schedule toward an August launch.
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 4:28PM
#7
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While RPGA might not be able to know if WotC will be attending, I would imagine it also has the ability to move in a separate direction from WotC because of the specialized needs of organized play. Organized play requires scheduling in advance, and if the suit timeline dictates that that's not able to happen, I think RPGA needs to go ahead and pull the plug regardless of if WotC is still hanging on the edge.
I really don't get the furor about GenCon anyhow. GenCon, IMO, gains much more from WotC's presence than WotC does from showing up to GenCon. At GenCon, WotC is selling 4e (and LFR) to a saturated and pre-educated audience... I cannot imagine that very many people at -all- attending GenCon do not know about 4e's release and have already either made a decision to purchase or a decision to uncategorically stay away.
Now, if we're talking about Dragon*Con two weeks later in Atlanta, that's a different story. It's only in small part a gaming convention but it has the existing infrastructure to absorb (and probably quite quickly) an expanded WotC presence... and WotC could actually *sell* 4e to some people and expand the core audience, rather than preach to the choir. Same goes for LFR.
And, as a side benefit, WotC's absence would possibly throw GenCon into enough financial turmoil that it comes up on the selling block ... so a corp or individual can come in and right a ship that's listing awkwardly to port.
-Sutro
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 10:27PM
#8
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I really don't get the furor about GenCon anyhow. GenCon, IMO, gains much more from WotC's presence than WotC does from showing up to GenCon. At GenCon, WotC is selling 4e (and LFR) to a saturated and pre-educated audience... I cannot imagine that very many people at -all- attending GenCon do not know about 4e's release and have already either made a decision to purchase or a decision to uncategorically stay away.
1) GenCon has traditionally been the RPGA's biggest convention, and where the RPGA premieres new things (though, in recent years, the RPGA has been moving some of that focus to DDXP, which it owns).
2) With the expectation that LFR would premiere at GenCon, quite a few people (though, certainly a minority of the total GenCon attendance base) had made plans to attend GenCon primarily because of LFR. So, you have people who've bought badges, made hotel and flight reservations...and who now face uncertainty as to whether the thing that they were going for, will even be there. And that's why you're seeing the furor.
"Of course [Richard] has a knife. He always has a knife. We all have knives. It's 1183, and we're barbarians!" - Eleanor of Aquitaine, "The Lion in Winter"
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5 years ago ::
May 15, 2008 - 11:44PM
#9
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The LFR continues to work on our initial schedule toward an August launch.
I do admire the optimism.
And I don't think anyone would be happy if the possible GenCon debacle was used as an excuse to extend deadlines or something.
But I worry that assuming everything is going to work out with GenCon and not having a back-up plan could lead to disappointment.
But two months or does give lots of time to shuffle plans and there's still a solid month and a half before we start to hit deadlines.
Before posting, ask yourself WWWS: What Would Wrecan Say?Spoiler:
Show
My Webcomic
Updated Tuesday and Thursday
Read my blog on the WotC Community Site (updated irregularly to avoid spamming the "Featured Blogger" list).
You can follow me on Twitter: "@DnDJester"
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5 years ago ::
May 16, 2008 - 5:11AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2003
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This is not optimism. This is a fact. We work toward an August launch, and nothing that happens will be used as an excuse to extend deadlines.
I never said there weren't multiple plans. I never said there were. But I don't plan to disappoint players with anything that is in my control, and I know everyone else on the LFR staff has the same goal. Players may or may not be disappointed by things that happen in LFR over the life of the campaign, because that is inevitable. In some cases the very act of making one segment of the player base happy inevitably disappoints another segment. Such is the nature of the beast.
With so much up in the air, there is going to be speculation. Some worry and speculation is certainly warranted, and of course there are going to be those who take it one step too far. All I can do is promise to answer the questions I have the information and the ability to answer.
Shawn
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