@Mistwell: Fair enough. I've just got a gut feeling that we have another unseen fish out there.

Quote from: Saplatt;751287But wouldn't it be a heck of a lot easier to just put it in the box for online purchases and all of these other potential outlets?

If this is the missing link, I ask the same question. Assuming its not some form of planned obsolescence, why not just put a copy in the box set and be done with it?

It also avoids the inevitable situation in a few years time when someone buys the box from somewhere which doesn't hold onto the free book. Stores tend to treat freebie material much less responsibly than saleable products.

Quote from: Mistwell;751289It's not announced.  We don't know this is what is going to happen.

So this is all just pulled out of your ass.

QuoteSo I theorized that that book will be included for free wherever they sell the Starter Set.

If they were going to do that, why wouldn't they simply include the book in the Starter Set?

Hmm, a free booklet doesn't sound right.  As has been pointed out, why not just put it in the box, if you're going to get it online via pdf, we know that's not the "big thing" because Pundit's already said it's not what he was talking about.  It's something else.

We have to, all pun intended, think outside the box on this one.

...or maybe WotC got Hasbro to pony up on this one and they're shipping a free booklet to every place Hasbro toys are sold.  Or they're including a free chargen program on Steam.  That would certainly be a gamechanger.  If you're going to bring in new gamers, you have to go where the RPG gamers aren't.  So an FLGS might not be the best place.  A free download on Xbox or PlayStation though...

...although Pundit didn't say accessible to new gamers, he said accessible to gamers other then the hardcore crowd.  :hmm:

Mearls has said the Starter Set is for GM's, which means there has to be something else for the players, something not yet announced, something other then the 3 Main Books and the Starter.  Something for players that just isn't on the table yet (or it's the Adventure League Guide and we don't know it).

Quote from: Benoist;751265That's how I read that sentence:



So it seems you are objecting to my qualification that you'd be required to sign into the organized play program instead of having to show up at the game store in order to get a copy. I get that - we don't actually know whether signing into the program is required to get a copy. For me the problem remains the same either way: the boxed set is incomplete, and in order to get a complete copy you are required to do something else that doesn't come along with it. So I can't hand over that starter set to other people, nor recommend it as a point of entry to the hobby.

(all this assuming this actually is the silver bullet Mearls and Pundit were talking about, which it might not be)

I have to say without further information I agree with Mistwell's interpretation. I makes total sense the DM buys a starter box note it isn't a beginner's box by what Mearls has even said there will be serious campaign level things in the box. The box is there to START playing NOW. They then give a book for chargen to tempt you to either go to the FLGS to buy the box or get into their public play program. If you want to do the Amazon thing you go online to get the book as a PDF win for Amazon, the FLGS, and WotC.

It may even be possible they just give you the book without buying a thing or maybe some dice or something or something WotC made irrespective of the starter box.

Quote from: Dodger;751299So this is all just pulled out of your ass.

If they were going to do that, why wouldn't they simply include the book in the Starter Set?

To get you to go to the FLGS to buy the Starter Box there and possibly involved in their public play system.

No matter what happens, all this mystery I'm sure is kicking them right to the top of Morris's aggregator.

Quote from: CRKrueger;751274Is Amazon going to ship a copy with every box?  If I walk into a FLGS and say "I need ten copies of the free book to go with the ten Starter Sets I didn't buy from you guys." do they have to hand them to me?

It's not a dealbreaker for me, but I can't understand why you wouldn't put that in the box.  It's a no-brainer.  The only possible reason I can think of is that it wasn't ready when the boxes got packed.

No. That is where you go online to get the PDF. The book is literally the carrot for you to buy it at their sanctioned stores with the possibility of signing up for their public play program.

Quote from: CRKrueger;751308No matter what happens, all this mystery I'm sure is kicking them right to the top of Morris's aggregator.

Well at least that's something.

Quote from: Marleycat;751306...and possibly involved in their public play system.

Or they could just make the Public Play System good, and rely on that to sell it. This form of buying restriction to get customers to buy in a specific way was as annoying in 3e and 4e as it is now.

Quote from: thedungeondelver;751118Or, maybe, you could y'know put down the stupid for a minute and recognize that this is a thing some of us would actually like to see succeed and realize we think that not putting the fucking character generation in the set so that someone who takes it home has a complete game and they don't have to fuck around with a maybe-available? website? and/or get a PDF to print out?

But why would they expect something called a Starter Set to have the complete game?

And someone who really is new isn't going view a lack of character creation as a problem, because they don't have any reason to think it needs to be there in the first place.

Quote from: Skywalker;751311Or they could just make the Public Play System good, and rely on that to sell it. This form of buying restriction to get customers to buy in a specific way was as annoying in 3e and 4e as it is now.

I am just spitballin' here. My opinion that the book is a hook to get you to go to a physical store rather then a virtual storefront. Nothing else makes sense to me. I have no clue if you will have to buy the box to get the free or if you get it free with any purchase or just free for showing up. Because the other half is that they have a chance to sell you on their new AL thing just because you are there.

Quote from: Dodger;751299So this is all just pulled out of your ass.

If they were going to do that, why wouldn't they simply include the book in the Starter Set?

For a couple reasons I can think of:

1) They want to reach a wider audience than just the starter set, and it would duplicate books if they included it in the set;

2) They want to drive people to retail stores, as you'd have to download the PDF if you buy from Amazon or Barns and Noble online.

Quote from: Marleycat;751313My opinion that the book is a hook to get you to go to a physical store rather then a virtual storefront. Nothing else makes sense to me.

I expect that its a combination of these kind of motivations.

The annoying thing with this is that not all of us have a physical store option, so its effectively at the detriment to a chunk of customers.

Quote from: Mistwell;751315and it would duplicate books if they included it in the set

The cost of adding a copy of the free book into a box set has to be the weakest (and most circular) argument for going with a free book outside of a box set I have seen.

Quote from: Skywalker;751316I expect that its a combination of these kind of motivations.

The annoying thing with this is that not all of us have a physical store option, so its effectively at the detriment to a chunk of customers.



The cost of adding a copy of the free book into a box set has to be the weakest (and most circular) argument for providing a free book I have seen.

I don't disagree. I would think there will be an online option though. Or it maybe possible the physical book could be in the box stores like Walmart/Target/ToysR us?