Yup, Ray ray is out!

https://twitter.com/WinningerR/status/1582437178466263041

Quote from: Ray ray's twitter feed: on October 15, 2022, 12:01:58 AM"Sorry for the radio silence; I'm in the midst of a SORELY needed Long Rest. I have indeed left WotC, having accomplished the ambitious goals we set when I took over the D&D team.

Shepherding D&D was an honor and a privilege, but I'm looking forward to slowing down and getting back to a list of personal design projects. (Gamers, you haven't seen the last of me!) Most of all, I look forward to following D&D as a fan again.

Proud of the team I left behind; D&D is in very good hands: @JeremyECrawford, @ChrisPerkinsDnD, @DroidsForSale, @dtovar77, Liz Schuh, Kate Irwin, Trish Yochum, @aquelajames, @FWesSchneider, @MakenzieLaneDA, @amandahamon, Emi Tanji, Bree Heiss, @doctorcomics. @justicearman

@RPGRonLundeen, @BillBenham2, Rob Hawkey, Ben Petrisor, @Dan_Dillon_1, @EytanBernstein, Adrian Ng, Janica Carter, @chrislindsay, @TrystanFalcone, @mattchucole, Bob Jordan, @christulach, Natalie Egan, Hilary Ross, Carl Sibley. Thanks for being such great adventuring companions."

Exactly what were those "ambitious goals"?? The last few years of D&D material from WotC has been dubious in quality.

Some dude did some digging and apparently Ray has been out for longer than people knew:

https://twitter.com/RobertGReeve/status/1582466919344447493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1582466919344447493%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

Quote from: Some dude on twitter: on October 15, 2022, 12:01:58 AM
Ray's apparent successor is Kyle Brink, whose past work is deep in video games: The Sims at EA; an unreleased shooter at Activision; Iron Man 2 at Sega; Guild Wars at ArenaNet and NCSOFT. He's been at
@Wizards_DnD
for almost 2 years now, according to his LinkedIn.

Evidently this is from Brink's linked in feed, but I could not find a direct link, so caution and all that:

Quote from: Herr Brink's linked in? on October 15, 2022, 12:01:58 AM
"Experience
Wizards of the Coast
1 year 9 months
Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons
Jul 2022 - Present4 months
Renton, Washington, United States
I lead the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game studio, producing and publishing a game I've been playing since I was in grade school. Couldn't be happier or more in my element.
Director of Studio Operations
Feb 2021 - Jul 20221 year 6 months
Renton, Washington, United States"

Whatever else you might think of the guy, at least Winninger has real table top cred.

We are kind of seeing the opposite of what happened earlier in the hobby when all the creatives were moving into writing for the video game industry. Video game guys are now moving over to RPG land.

I think that the difference here is that when RPG guys moved into video games they did so as writers/creative types, but weren't actually in charge of the games themselves. Whereas now, the video game/digital guys coming in will be directly in charge of the whole enchilada.

Interesting times indeed...

I want to look at the D&D product release list now and go over the 2 years worth. I am betting we would start to see some patterns emerging starting about 1.5 years ago.

Quote from: Cerulean Rex on October 19, 2022, 12:11:06 AM
I want to look at the D&D product release list now and go over the 2 years worth. I am betting we would start to see some patterns emerging starting about 1.5 years ago.

I don't buy D&D books regularly enough to notice a pattern, but for what it's worth, here are the releases. (EDITED TO ADD: more years)

2017:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Tomb of Annihilation
The Tortle Package
Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated
One Grung Above

2018:
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Art & Arcana
Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica

2019:
Stranger Things D&D Roleplaying Game Starter Set
Warriors & Weapons
Monsters & Creatures
Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty
Infernal Tides (novel)
Essentials Kit
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Acquisitions Incorporated
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Tyranny of Dragons
Locathah Rising
Dungeons & Tombs
Adventure With Muk
Infernal Machine Rebuild

2020:
Wizards & Spells
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
The Worldbuilder's Journal
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
The Young Adventurer's Collection
Beasts & Behemoths
Heroes' Feast
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

2021:
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
Candlekeep Mysteries
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

2022:
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (upcoming)


I've picked up the ones marked in bold. I'd given up on WotC based on their early adventures like Princes of the Apocalypse and Out of the Abyss from 2015. However, I thought Candlekeep Mysteries was significantly better, and I've picked up a few more since then since I started DMing D&D again this year.

My least favorite are Tasha's and Fizban's, which I thought tended to be flavorless and lacking any focus. On the other hand, I liked the anthology approach of Candlekeep, Van Richten's, and Radiant Citadel. I disliked some of the individual entries, but overall they were much more focused, flavorful, and lacking filler compared to the early books I had gotten. I also liked Mordenkainen's, but I understand it's largely a repackaging of previous material.

Quote from: jhkim on October 19, 2022, 01:28:30 PM

Quote from: Cerulean Rex on October 19, 2022, 12:11:06 AM
I want to look at the D&D product release list now and go over the 2 years worth. I am betting we would start to see some patterns emerging starting about 1.5 years ago.

I don't buy D&D books regularly enough to notice a pattern, but for what it's worth, here are the releases. (EDITED TO ADD: more years)

2017:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Tomb of Annihilation
The Tortle Package
Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated
One Grung Above

2018:
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Art & Arcana
Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica

2019:
Stranger Things D&D Roleplaying Game Starter Set
Warriors & Weapons
Monsters & Creatures
Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty
Infernal Tides (novel)
Essentials Kit
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Acquisitions Incorporated
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Tyranny of Dragons
Locathah Rising
Dungeons & Tombs
Adventure With Muk
Infernal Machine Rebuild

2020:
Wizards & Spells
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
The Worldbuilder's Journal
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
The Young Adventurer's Collection
Beasts & Behemoths
Heroes' Feast
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

2021:
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
Candlekeep Mysteries
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

2022:
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (upcoming)


I've picked up the ones marked in bold. I'd given up on WotC based on their early adventures like Princes of the Apocalypse and Out of the Abyss from 2015. However, I thought Candlekeep Mysteries was significantly better, and I've picked up a few more since then since I started DMing D&D again this year.

My least favorite are Tasha's and Fizban's, which I thought tended to be flavorless and lacking any focus. On the other hand, I liked the anthology approach of Candlekeep, Van Richten's, and Radiant Citadel. I disliked some of the individual entries, but overall they were much more focused, flavorful, and lacking filler compared to the early books I had gotten. I also liked Mordenkainen's, but I understand it's largely a repackaging of previous material.

I do not believe your list is 100% complete, but it paints an accurate picture of their shifting direction.  Thank you.  Let's see.... Of the items on your list, I purchased:

2 in 2017
2 in 2018
1 in 2019
3 in 2020
0 in 2021
0 in 2022

I also purchased previous items; released in 2014, 2015, and 2016.  Then I drew a line after Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and I haven't purchased anything released since.

My purchases:

2017:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Tomb of Annihilation
The Tortle Package
Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated
One Grung Above

2018:
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Art & Arcana
Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica

2019:
Stranger Things D&D Roleplaying Game Starter Set
Warriors & Weapons
Monsters & Creatures
Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty
Infernal Tides (novel)
Essentials Kit
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Acquisitions Incorporated
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Tyranny of Dragons
Locathah Rising
Dungeons & Tombs
Adventure With Muk
Infernal Machine Rebuild

2020:
Wizards & Spells
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
The Worldbuilder's Journal
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
The Young Adventurer's Collection
Beasts & Behemoths
Heroes' Feast
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything - I do ban it from all but one campaign though.

2021:
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
Candlekeep Mysteries
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons - ugh.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

2022:
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (upcoming)

My purchases:

Quote from: Jam The MF on October 20, 2022, 03:50:30 AM
I also purchased previous items; released in 2014, 2015, and 2016.  Then I drew a line after Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and I haven't purchased anything released since.

We're all pretty low statistics in our sampling. I didn't like most of the official books after the core, and I was particularly turned off by the early adventure modules that I had bought. I also didn't like Tasha's Cauldron - but I liked the anthology approach in Candlekeep more than the early modules I had bought.

Quote from: S'mon on October 20, 2022, 05:41:52 PM
My purchases:

2017:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Tomb of Annihilation

2018:
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Art & Arcana

2019:
Essentials Kit

2020:
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything - I do ban it from all but one campaign though.

2021:
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons - ugh.

Yeah, Fizban's was quite disappointing to me. My current campaign was going into a dragon-themed segment, so I bought it without much inspection, and found it to be full of middle-of-the-road, obvious, and dull extensions to existing material. I think I was hoping for an adaptation of 2e's Council of Wyrms, which made it more disappointing.

Quote from: Chainsaw on October 20, 2022, 06:19:29 PM
My purchases:

My, what an expansive list! In contrast,

My purchases:

Quote from: Fheredin on October 20, 2022, 06:53:28 PM

Quote from: Chainsaw on October 20, 2022, 06:19:29 PM
My purchases:

My, what an expansive list! In contrast,

My purchases:

You copied my homework! 

I have Tomb of Annihilation and a few others like the infamous 5e Essentials.

Curse of Strahd on the other hand has several little woke fingerprints. Some missable, some not.
Tomb is, aside from two completely missable moments, devoid of anything woke that I recall.
I have Descent into Avernus and Wyld Beyond the Witchlight but have not had a chance to read through yet. Same for Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

Mordenkeinen's Tome of Foes is pretty devoid of woke. But it unfortunately kicked off the 'movement' for OneD&D as there was much bitching about the non-human races stat bonuses for the PC versions. And that became the rally point for the usual lunatics demands.

I have the least woke, older printings of the core 3 books for 5E, Volo's Guide, Mordenkainen's Tome, Xanathar's Guide, Tasha's Cauldron, Rise of Tiamat, Tales from the Yawning Portal, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, the original Starter Set, 3 different DM screens, Monsters & Creatures, Beasts & Behemoths, Wizards & Spells, Dungeon of the Mad Mage Map Pack, Foldable 2 sided grid, Tome of Beasts, a Box of Terrain Tiles, Monster Cards for Levels 1 to 5, Monster Cards for Levels 6 to 15?, and more I'm probably forgetting; just for 5E.  I went in pretty deep; thinking that early 5E might be the last decent modern edition of D&D, period.  I have spent some money with WOTC, but not since Tasha's Cauldron.  I drew the line, right after that.

Ray Winninger was listed as the Executive Producer for Spelljammer 5E.  So looking at that turd sandwich and giant douche of a book, it will be hard for the new guy to put out content worse than Winninger.  That being said, its entirely possible the guy will put out worse content.  The new guy Rawson was a Marine Captain and he said he played D&D and his schooling is positive for terminal and I do mean terminal wokeness.

My two cents, D&D will go noticeably downhill with this guy.  It will be 4E  but with microtransactions.  If you look at WotC web site, they no longer list ANY place to play adventurers league online and used Covid as the excuse to pull it.  Meanwhile MTG tournaments are listed all the time.  They are going to try to save their miniature partnership with Wizkids by offering some kind of bastardized nintendo ambiibo but for Wizkids!  Just buy the Wizkids monster pack and you'll get 4, count them 4 monsters and just scan them with the D&D Connect scanner and you can use that figure in your game, all for just $25 a boxed set!  "Watta Bagain!".  These guys are going to F D&D in the A, watch.  They already started the milking for Spelljammer Ship mini's, holy cow, $15 for a ship for spelljammer to play with is a wee bit F'd.  You are better off buying an 8K resin printer and learning how to 3D design your own models if you want to run a spelljammer campaign with minis at that point.  Recent financial I've read show MTG doing well but WtoC had a financial downturn, gee I wonder what could have done that?  WotC overall is down 9% this quarter.
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