1) The "kernel" If WOTC (and the mass of gamers) could afford to have monthly updates to the core rulebooks, they would. BUT... the large majority of gamers that i know are complaining about the upgrade to 3.5 because of the cost.
More the cost-to-utility ratio, is what i've heard. People are bitching not just because they have to buy new books, but because they aren't all that different, either. Now, of course, if the change was as radical as from AD&D2 to D&D3E, we'd be hearing a whole 'nother calibre of bitchin'. But, I haven't heard anyone complaining because it'll cost them $60 to pick up Arcana Unearthed and Diamand Throne, because the material is new and/or different and/or better, at least in some sense. I certainly am not suggesting monthly updates. I'm suggesting that WotC keep an eye on what's good and what's popular in other D20 products, and incorporate the best of the OGC into their new edition every 3/5/X years. While 3.5E apparently responds to lots of critiques of 3E, which is good, it's not the same thing. One is reactive ("this is broke, so we'll fix it"), the other is proactive ("let's find new cool ways to improve the game"). The former will refine D&D, but never evolve it.
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2) Dragon Magazine is (according to the cover, as if there was ever any doubt) "100% Official" Therefore, it's as close as it comes to the montly updates, and each and every game wherein the DM or one of the players has a subscription benefits from the many monkeys.
ok. that's news to me. I hadn't realized regular "official" D&D material had shown up in Dragon (other than perhaps Sage Advice) since From the Sorcerer's Scroll stopped appearing. Apparently the stance has changed (i haven't read it closely since they dropped non-D&D material a few years ago). Historically (as in, for the 15 years i had a subscription, and most of the 8 years before that), Dragon has made a big deal about how *none* of the material was "official", except for a few select columns (like From the Sorcerer's Scroll). So that's why there's "any doubt" as to its officialness (i.e., i'm apparently out of touch).
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woodelf <*>
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The Laws of Anime <http://www.abcb.com/laws/index.htm>: #8 Second Law of Temporal Mortality It takes some time for bad guys to die... regardless of physical damage. Even when the 'Bad Guys' are killed so quickly they didn't even see it coming, it takes them a while to realize they are dead. This is attributed to the belief that being evil damages the Reality Lobe of the brain. _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
