Essentials Versus Core
Talking to the average 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons player, you would think a new edition came out last fall. But it didn’t. That is to say, it’s still 4th Edition; new rules are just heading in a slightly different direction. So why is everyone so confused? One answer: When you rebrand your product without a proper plan of executing public awareness, you confuse your consumers. Here’s what’s going on. Between 2008 and 2010, 4th Edition pretty much had the same design template for everything that was made. All classes all had at-will, encounter, and daily powers....
Read MoreA Model Way to Play, Part I
In 2002, a small industry made its way to the tabletop roleplaying scene: papercraft. It’s true, wargamers had been making sturdy terrain pieces for their battles out of cereal boxes, cocktail sticks, polystyrene, and balsa wood for decades. However, only in the early years of this century were companies beginning to realize that terrain could be designed cheaply on a computer and then distributed online via high-quality PDFs. With this business model, customers were simply responsible for printing and building—and at a relatively low price. This was a relief for those who had no...
Read MoreThe Golden Rule
With the exception of my four-year stint in the Navy, every job I’ve ever had was a customer service job. As many in the field know, it’s a tireless job, filled with demanding people and unreasonable goals. Nevertheless, if you choose to put yourself in that industry, it really is your job to make sure that your customers have an outstanding encounter with your company; you never know who that customer is or what kind of importance they could play in the future. My girlfriend and I are getting married. The venue, a McMenamins located in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, is not only...
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