Realm Works Status Update

[mirtos]

Important? Sure. Most important? Not for me. Everyones opinion will differ.

[Pollution]

Originally Posted by mirtos

Important? Sure. Most important? Not for me. Everyones opinion will differ.

As a user, the ability to buy an adventure or module or premade world might not be the most important to you, sure.

But as a product? It's essential for long-term support and development.

Would Hero Labs be anywhere near as polished or as good a product as it is today if either all sourcebooks were free, or if they didn't add any support beyond the basic system? Nope, not in the slightest. It would probably be a dead product. How many people use the WoD for HL? Few if any of the gamers I know use HL for WoD. Why? Lack of support. White Wolf/CCP/Onyx Path/whoever doesn't seem to want to work with LW to support the product. Else, we'd see all the clan books, convention books, other systems (werewolf, mage, etc...) available for purchase. Hell, we'd probably have V20, W20, and when M20 comes out, HL would probably be launching support for that the day of release. But, because it's not supported, it's not popular.

And it's not popular DESPITE the fact that you can build your own data files. Hell, I built EVERY book for Requiem when WoD came out for HL for my personal use in the Cam. It took a month. In the end, I lost the data files due to a HDD crash/dead computer. But I was the ONLY one with all those files back then (about 2 months after WoD was released). It was popular in my troupe, because I supported the system (as the head ST). But without the ability to upgrade the package, WoD essentially died as a HL product (yes, people still use it, but if the Camarilla was supported as well as Missions or PFS, it would be a MAJOR source of income for LW).

My point isn't that every user should be dying to buy product off the LW webstore for RW. My point is that RW NEEDS the ability to SELL modules and APs for continued and long term use.

[mirtos]

I'm coming at this from both a product management and software development background, for what its worth.

I do see your point. And thats why I said its important. However, to say its the most important, is another thing entirely. There are many features that are more important as a whole to make a succesful product than the marketplace/collaboration. Without them, it doesnt matter if the marketplace is complete.

Your Herolab example is interesting. The d20 product is a perfect example of a succesful line that only provides the basic system. I dont know the full history of the product, but I know many many people that use the D20 product. And its nice that there are companies and books out there that support it. Its even better that there is a community creating files that support it. But WoTC ignored the product (I imagine, which is why only the core books are part of the product). LoneWolf makes money only off of the basic "free" books for the d20 product, and while I know it doesnt get the full support the Pathfinder one does (which i understand, btw), its not ignored either.

I think buying and selling modules on the marketplace, and sharing them will be incredibly beneficial to the product as a whole, but there are other core features that are more important.

Then again, I could be wrong too.

[Romaq]

@Pollution: Lawd have mercy!

Yup, #2 is me. Please oh please I so badly want to throw money at Wolflair.