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Hey WotC.

So, recently I have noticed that you have attempted to implement an influx of CCG elements into the RPGs you are releasing. I have some feedback of this, and not all of it is negative. Let me start by saying that I hate CCG elements in my RPGs. My post is written from that perspective. If WotC starts to include too much of a CCG element in its RPGs it will lose me as a customer. The rest of my post is going to go over one product that I will not be purchasing (Gamma World), and one product that I believe is smartly implemented, and that doesn't turn me off of D&D despite being a CCG element (fortune cards). I want to give you feedback so that you can, hopefully, better understand what does and does not turn off some of your customers.

One product you are releasing has already included too much of a CCG element in it for me to consider purchasing it. I am specifically talking about Gamma World. I would have LOVED to purchase Gamma World. Then I found out that it will be distributing mutations (and maybe items too?) via randomized booster packs that contain a rarity system. Since mutations are a key part of Gamma World, that means that I cannot ignore that aspect of the game. What is more, if  I would want to purchase extra splat material (in the form of mutations) for the game I would be forced to do so by engaging in the experience of purchasing collectible randomized booster packs. To me, this is totally unacceptable; a facet of the rules that I cannot reasonably ignore, and that I can only fully engage in if I am willing to engage in the experience of buying CCG booster packs, will turn me off a product.

You are also, however, releasing fortune cards. I wanted to congratulate you on finding a way to include a CCG element to D&D without turning me off the brand. I also wanted to explain why I percieve a difference. The mechanics of fortune cards are fully optional. The rules behind fortune cards are not found in any of the PHB rule books. The "fortune" mechanic is not like a classes powers, magic items, or some other mechanic that can not be reasonably excluded from the game. It is an extremely modular element that individual groups can choose to engage in or not, as they see fit. This makes it easy for this CCG element to coexist with D&D without turning me off the brand.

WotC, if you are looking for a way to market a CCG element to your RPGs without turning away potential customers who have sensibilities similar to mine, fortune cards are the way to go. Keep rules related to the cards out of your RPG books. Make the cards a modular and optional element that can be plugged into an RPG game at the discretion of the group playing the game.

Which brings me onto the topic of the Ravenloft game you have said you plan on releasing. First of all, thank you SOOO much for making a 4e Ravenloft RPG! Ravenloft rocks. Second of all, please don't include a "mandatory" CCG element ala Gamma World! Yes, I realize you are not trying to market the booster packs of Gamma World as mandatory. Someone is bound to reply to this post by saying, "you can play with just the boxed set; you only need to buy new booster packs if you want to expand your collection." While technically true, that claim is disingenuous. All of us like to expand our RPG collections. If we didn't, this wouldn't be a profitable industry. Buying a game with the knowledge that you won't be able to expand your collection (because you are not willing to engage in a CCG booster pack buying experience) while other players will (because they will be willing to engage in a CCG booster pack buying experience) is exactly what turns me off of RPGs that include CCG elements in them. The only way to avoid that sensation is by making the CCG elements of an RPG you are producing completely modular, and self contained within the purchase of the booster packs themselves. The fortune mechanic does not exist in D&D 4e unless you buy fortune cards. They are modular, and easy to ignore if that sort of thing (or rather that sort of distribution model) is not your cup of tea. If you want to implement some sort of CCG element to your Ravenloft RPG, please do so via this mechanic.

Which brings me to my fear. My fear is that you will implement a CCG element into Ravenloft via fear, madness, and dark gift cards. Don't get me wrong, using cards for fear, madness, and dark gifts is a really smart idea! You have a deck of fear cards, a deck of madness cards, and a deck of dark gift cards. Any time a player commits an evil action you give them a dark gift cards. A player that earns a certain number of dark gift cards becomes an NPC. Any time an event happens in game that causes fear or madness you hand a player a fear or madness card (which inflicts some negative effect). By this means you manage to capture the random quality of fear, madness, and dark gifts from 2e (and 3e) Ravenloft. But if you make splat material available only via randomized booster packs, you make it so that consumers who would like to own a complete set of all the "mandatory" Ravenloft material must engage in a CCG booster pack buying experience. (And I say mandatory, because lets face it, madness, fear, and dark gifts, are not a facet of Ravenloft that can be reasonably ignored). This would be a huge turn off to me. I would gladly buy packs of non-randomized cards. But removing my ability to collect an entire set of Ravenloft's "mandatory" rules without engaging in a randomized purchase model will really upset me.

So anyways, that is my 2 cents, and my consumer feedback. Toodles, have a nice day, and good gaming! I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

Dave

Unfortunately, this is how things go like in the gaming industry-

Boss (who got his order from a higher boss): "Hey, Employee, we need you to fit X, Y and Z in prodyuct T. We need to keep selling T in order to stay in business now that times are really hard. So T has to be repeatable and consistent. We've tried option 1 before, but it doesn't sell as well as product W that uses option 2. We want you to implement option 2 with product T so that it includes X, Y and Z"

Now I used letters to illustrate different products. Notice (I know this sounds stupid) but product T and product W are different. However, that's not stopping the people at the top from seeing that Option 2 sells better (even if it is more suited for a particular product type).

Perfect example. Player Handbook Heroes minis didn't do as well. They felt it was because there was no rarity system and non-blind packaging. Behold the next mini line being released. Rarity is restored. There is now a collectable element. They hope to push more units this way. Granted this was all super linear and very generalized, but it goes down something like that.

Aug 9, 2010 -- 1:05PM, efutch wrote:

Unfortunately, this is how things go like in the gaming industry-

Boss (who got his order from a higher boss): "Hey, Employee, we need you to fit X, Y and Z in prodyuct T. We need to keep selling T in order to stay in business now that times are really hard. So T has to be repeatable and consistent. We've tried option 1 before, but it doesn't sell as well as product W that uses option 2. We want you to implement option 2 with product T so that it includes X, Y and Z"

Now I used letters to illustrate different products. Notice (I know this sounds stupid) but product T and product W are different. However, that's not stopping the people at the top from seeing that Option 2 sells better (even if it is more suited for a particular product type).

Perfect example. Player Handbook Heroes minis didn't do as well. They felt it was because there was no rarity system and non-blind packaging. Behold the next mini line being released. Rarity is restored. There is now a collectible element. They hope to push more units this way. Granted this was all super linear and very generalized, but it goes down something like that.

Yea, I know. But at the same time, when they see enough potential customers get upset about something they listen. They are already going to try and fit X, Y, and Z into product T (Gamma World). If that doesn't do well (or as well as they would hope) they will reconsider X, Y, and Z. We see this happening right now with the essentials line of books. That line is explicitly trying to fix a large number of complaints people have had about the 4e line of books. So here I am giving my customer feedback. Their marketing tactic with Gamma World has turned me off enough that I won't be purchasing that product. I don't have any interest in the Fortune Cards, but their marketing tactic integrates itself in a way that doesn't turn me off the rest of the D&D line. I would really appreciate it, if they do plan to add some sort of CCG element to Ravenloft, that they add it in a manner that will not turn me off the product. That is all...

That is pretty much how I feel Tony. That is why I won't be buying Gamma World. The fortune cards don't seem so bad though. They seem so modular, it is almost like they are not a part of the game unless you choose to make them a part of the game. People who like them can buy them. I can easily ignore them without detracting from my RPG experience. I just hope that Ravenloft avoids steping into Gamma World's pitfalls.