- I could've put trash in that ashcan and the revenue would be identical. could've skipped 2 campaigns of playtesting!

There is no conspiracy. But I'd be a fool to think I could just write the bestest game ever and somehow sell big.
How does a random buyer know it's good?
Ads, art, print quality

Frankly I wonder if the main reason there's such a focus on gameplay in this little TTRPG sphere is because it's a Passionate Little God Damn Sphere and we all desperately care about making really good things.

Cause I realised, after making my first sale, I could -

Buying TTRPGs is a lucky dip: punters won't know if they like it until they've spent ~2 to 3 hours on it. Ergo, ads, art, and print quality are the only way to distinguish from the sea of competition.

A TTRPG needs to be getting bonkers amounts of traction before it can compete on gameplay.

I broadly agree and I think the source of the problem is this.

Even when compared to other creative industries, TTRPG is a buyer's market.

Supply is crazy high compared to demand.

In an imaginary world where I have like 10hrs of these people's time, I'd go for:
- Lady Blackbird (action sequence that runs instantly)
- Fiasco or Quiet Year (rewards storytelling)
- Lancer (rewards wargaming and system mastery)
- Masks (rewards character roleplay, like LB)

I really think 5e 2014 got a remarkable number of things right - it's not pure advertising hype that got this game to global fame.

5e2024 has got nothing new to say. it played it so safe that it just became number tweaks and errata. Expecting people to buy a balance patch is disrespectful. Oof.

half the subclasses teleport, everyone uses two weapon fighting + shillelagh, every noncombat feature is "+ bonus to check". Every martial starts so complex. Nothing is for casual play, all of it is for combat. That's not the DnD audience, is it?

This is lovely, and also is the sort of post I would make after a fungus took over my mind

Something tells me they're telling a white lie about getting their work "translated by bilingual native professionals from the target languages"

Stuff I tend to think when I play with summons:
- Man I wish I was where my summon is right now (and vice versa)
- Man I wish it could cast my spell right now
- I want to pet the summon and smother it in affection and get benefits from doing so
- Nooo my best lil buddy nobody hurt him!

Some bread and butter summoner stuff is:
- see through summon's eyes/read its thoughts across great distance
- summon can serve as a mount
- You may teleport to summon's location/swap places
- Buffs that affect "you and your summons"
- Take hits for your summon so it doesn't die