"What's a Player to Do?" and "What's a DM to Do?" probably ought to be spliced and merged. The rules-related stuff (combat, equipment, multiclassing, etc) already falls under Rules and/or Character Mechanics, and the rest - player and DM alike - consists of campaign troubleshooting questions, which a single "Campaign Troubleshooting" (or equivalent) forum would cover just as well.
I disagree. Players and DMs often have very different issues with regard to campaign and table management and the tools available them to solve issues. DMs are odten the ones deciding what sort of campaigns run, while players are most often struggling to fit into the vision of the rest of the group.
Does the Vintage section really need a separate forum for each setting?
Yes. The fans of each setting are quite distinct. Also, if Wizards decides to Fourthify a campaign world (as they did with Dark Sun) they can just move the section from Vintage to 4e.
Does the Vintage section really need a separate forum for each setting?
Yes. The fans of each setting are quite distinct. Also, if Wizards decides to Fourthify a campaign world (as they did with Dark Sun) they can just move the section from Vintage to 4e.
The topics currently discussed in various boards are also quite distinct, but if the reorganization has ideals like merging low-activity boards, the question is not whether the topics or fans are merely distinct, but whether or not they individually generate enough activity to justify a separate board.
As for edition updates to a campaign world, if a vintage section for a specific campaign world includes any discussion of the relevant rules elements from earlier editions (or other details specific to the world in a particular edition), it wouldn't be directly transferable to a more recent edition.
The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance. - Good Omens
= My most popular campaign item; for all your adventuring convenience.Show
Zauber's Mutable Rod: This rod has a number of useful functions that make it easier to live in the wilderness. It is made of polished wood, with five studlike buttons on one end. Each button produces a different effect when pressed. Unless otherwise noted, the rod’s functions have no limit on the number of times they can be employed. • When button 1 is pressed, one end of the rod produces a small flame, equivalent to a candle. • When button 2 is pressed, the rod unfolds into a two-person tent, complete with bedrolls and warm blankets. • When button 3 is pressed, the rod becomes a one-handed hammer, suitable for pounding pitons into a wall. • When button 4 is pressed, the rod becomes a sturdy iron spade. • When button 5 is pressed, the rod becomes a wooden bucket able to hold 2 gallons of liquid. Once per day, it can be commanded to fill with fresh water. If the rod is seriously damaged or broken in any of its alternate forms (button 2, 3, 4, or 5), it reverts to its basic rod form and cannot be activated for 24 hours. Moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Craft Rod, minor creation; Price 375 gp; Weight 2 lb.
if a vintage section for a specific campaign world includes any discussion of the relevant rules elements from earlier editions (or other details specific to the world in a particular edition), it wouldn't be directly transferable to a more recent edition.
But the discussions that didn't involve rules would be directly translatable, and that's most of the discussions that take place on campaign world forums. We've dealt with this nightmare before, when there was a consolidation briefly of certain campaign worlds, and then a reversal, and lots of threads got lost. I don't want to go through that again. I do think each world should remain its own forum.
This reminds me though, that there should be an "Other Published Worlds" forum in the Vintage section to accommodate obscure settings like Council of Wyrms, Rokugan, and Lankmar, and worlds published by third-parties
But the discussions that didn't involve rules would be directly translatable, and that's most of the discussions that take place on campaign world forums. We've dealt with this nightmare before, when there was a consolidation briefly of certain campaign worlds, and then a reversal, and lots of threads got lost. I don't want to go through that again. I do think each world should remain its own forum.
The lore of campaign worlds also undergoes changes from edition to edition, and the rules are often connected to that lore. Any discussion of the world in relation to a newer edition will inherently be generating its own content based on the most recent iteration of lore and rules or referring back to earlier lore that isn't sourced from the boards in the first place.
The potential of performing a merger that is rejected and then losing something in a reversal exists for any given merging of boards, no matter what their content or subject. The fear that "something might go wrong" isn't a solid argument against merging particular boards.
The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance. - Good Omens
= My most popular campaign item; for all your adventuring convenience.Show
Zauber's Mutable Rod: This rod has a number of useful functions that make it easier to live in the wilderness. It is made of polished wood, with five studlike buttons on one end. Each button produces a different effect when pressed. Unless otherwise noted, the rod’s functions have no limit on the number of times they can be employed. • When button 1 is pressed, one end of the rod produces a small flame, equivalent to a candle. • When button 2 is pressed, the rod unfolds into a two-person tent, complete with bedrolls and warm blankets. • When button 3 is pressed, the rod becomes a one-handed hammer, suitable for pounding pitons into a wall. • When button 4 is pressed, the rod becomes a sturdy iron spade. • When button 5 is pressed, the rod becomes a wooden bucket able to hold 2 gallons of liquid. Once per day, it can be commanded to fill with fresh water. If the rod is seriously damaged or broken in any of its alternate forms (button 2, 3, 4, or 5), it reverts to its basic rod form and cannot be activated for 24 hours. Moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Craft Rod, minor creation; Price 375 gp; Weight 2 lb.
The fear that "something might go wrong" isn't a solid argument against merging particular boards.
It is when it's a specific consequence that's we've actually experienced and know it's likely we will experience it again. As it is, if we had done this before the release of Dark Sun, a lot of Dark Sun resources would have been lost. We know that D&D will sometimes bring back a prior setting. We don't have that concern with the other forums that are being merged, like Astrid's Parlor, and the role-specific forums.
Dragon and Dungeon online (combines Dragon/Dungeon General and Dragon/Dungeon Article Discussion)
Online Tools (combines DDi Announcements, DDi General, Character Builder, Monster Builder, Technical Discussion, and Digital D&D)
Board Games (combines Castle Ravenloft, Wrath of Ashardalon, Legend of Drizzt, and Conquest of Nerath)
D&D Miniatures, Skirmish game
Board games should be split into D&D Adventure Cooperative games (Castle Ravenloft, Wrath of Ashardalon, Legend of Drizzt) and D&D Large Scale Combat (Conquest of Nerath) Putting them together is like discussing Clue and Risk in the same place.
D&D Miniatures and the new Skirmish game should be seperate. I think the Skirmish Game is going to attract new players and they might be quickly overwhelmed and confused with the discussions of 1e and 2E DDM.
It isn't perfect, but it is much, much better than what we have now. Anything that gets all errata to one forum will be an improvement.
Minor suggestions: Can we get a better name than character mechanics? It seems a bit vague to me. I have no idea what name would be better.
Another forum in D&D community called "what type of PC should I play" or something similar might be a good addition. That is one of the most common new threads, but it gets asked in both the Charop boards and the defender/striker/leader/controller boards and occasionally in general.
The fear that "something might go wrong" isn't a solid argument against merging particular boards.
It is when it's a specific consequence that's we've actually experienced and know it's likely we will experience it again. As it is, if we had done this before the release of Dark Sun, a lot of Dark Sun resources would have been lost. We know that D&D will sometimes bring back a prior setting. We don't have that concern with the other forums that are being merged, like Astrid's Parlor, and the role-specific forums.
An updated release of an earlier campaign setting doesn't mean that all content from previous editions related to that campaign setting is automatically sifted out of combined boards and destroyed. All the updated release makes likely is the creation of a campaign-specific board related to the newer edition.
The potential existence of campaign-specific boards for earlier editions doesn't protect existing resources from potential loss any better than being in a combined board. All it does is increase the number of low-activity boards.
The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance. - Good Omens
= My most popular campaign item; for all your adventuring convenience.Show
Zauber's Mutable Rod: This rod has a number of useful functions that make it easier to live in the wilderness. It is made of polished wood, with five studlike buttons on one end. Each button produces a different effect when pressed. Unless otherwise noted, the rod’s functions have no limit on the number of times they can be employed. • When button 1 is pressed, one end of the rod produces a small flame, equivalent to a candle. • When button 2 is pressed, the rod unfolds into a two-person tent, complete with bedrolls and warm blankets. • When button 3 is pressed, the rod becomes a one-handed hammer, suitable for pounding pitons into a wall. • When button 4 is pressed, the rod becomes a sturdy iron spade. • When button 5 is pressed, the rod becomes a wooden bucket able to hold 2 gallons of liquid. Once per day, it can be commanded to fill with fresh water. If the rod is seriously damaged or broken in any of its alternate forms (button 2, 3, 4, or 5), it reverts to its basic rod form and cannot be activated for 24 hours. Moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Craft Rod, minor creation; Price 375 gp; Weight 2 lb.
