White Dwarf Feedback Over Time

[Templar Ben]

Do you think it would be too risky to have fan submitted articles?

[starlight]

Sadly, yes.

While there *are* some people capable of generating quality articles, the massive amount of dreck they'd have to wade through to find the gems wouldn't be worth the sheer number of hours it would take.

In the past they *have* pillaged existing fan works, but the quality of those puts 99% of fan works and most of GW's stuff to shame. If people want to see their stuff featured in WD, they'll have to reconsider what they think is *acceptable*. In addition, it'll help to have a source on the inside to champion their cause.

Not impossible, but not as easy as many might think.

[selfconstrukt]

Interesting to see the number is slowly climbing.

Is it possible that the change is only a perceived improvement to WD?

IIRC there were mostly complaints about WD being just a giant catalog you had to pay for, and the articles were few, boring and not very useful.

Is it possible for you to make a chart of each issue of WD in the last few years showing the number of pages, divided into # of ads, # of articles, editorials etc.

Maybe show the number of WFB vs 40K vs LOTR articles so we can see if there are any trend, or showing any type of "favoritism" towards a particular game etc.

Although I stopped reading WD, even when I worked for GW I got free copies, I still read through it when a friend has one and it still seems the actual hobby content is bland and the advertising still dominates.

You wouldn't have happened to have collected that type of info would you? Maybe we can dissect WD and see what its really made of.

[Templar Ben]

I think there is a perception issue. It seems to be something of a "shifting baseline".

I can collect that information but it would be better if someone could. I don't have issues from what many consider the "golden age" of WD with the Fat Bloke (I hope I said that right). Even if we don't get every issue if we could get some example numbers from say every 25th it would help show what the magazine was like before and how it is now.

[Mad Doc Grotsnik]

Not being funny, but the opinions of a few web nerds can hardly be used to form any kind of consensus of opinion out the views of the web nerds themselves...

Just saying. You need more input and wider parameters*


*I'm just saying this bit to look more smarterer

[Templar Ben]

Not being funny, but the opinions of a few web nerds can hardly be used to form any kind of consensus of opinion out the views of the web nerds themselves...

Just saying. You need more input and wider parameters*


*I'm just saying this bit to look more smarterer

That is why at the beginning I stated the problems with this to make decisions. This is really just to see what the perception is on the webpoll over time and what that may mean.

[selfconstrukt]

I didn't mean to go back and look at 10 years of WD, maybe only the past 2-3 years.

Unfortunately, I threw most of mine out when I moved!

When I was making the decision to do so, I tore out all the articles I liked from issue 100+, and wound up with a small stack of pages about 1/2" tall.

Out of all those issues, those few pages had content I was interested in.

Then I decided to take out all of the pages that were full-page ads (minus the pages I tore out to keep of course) and that stack was pretty tall, several inches. I knew I was leaving pages out though, since I only went for the full-page ads for the stack.

So I had the meager pile of WD pages I wanted, then scanned those and saved them onto an external HDD as PDF files.

Viola, no extra crap to carry around.

So why doesn't GW stop printing issues of WD and just offer it as a PDF download? They could still charge for it, but at a reduced cost.

And if you really wanted a hard copy, they can still print some to sell through the online store. By only offering hard copies through the online store, you draw even more traffic and sales to GW instead of other retailers while saving yourself a load in printing/shipping costs.

[starlight]

Sadly the flaw in that is that the per unit cost goes up on smaller runs...

[Templar Ben]

I can start doing some page counts. It will be hard to call something an article or an advertisement. The line gets a little blurry.

[Raka]

Viola, no extra crap to carry around.

This made me snort pepsi out my nose, was it intentional?

[UltimateNagash]

I can't provide page counts, quite a few of the late 200s (I would say 280-310) have been cut up to I could have the best articles with me easily. Like the Lichemaster campaign

Sorry

[jimbobodoll]

Reposting the graphs and data from its previous post. Edit: This is the data to which my text analysis refers to in the OP.

[Templar Ben]

Thank you. The analysis helps.

[fwacho]

I looked through the results and checked the graphs posted in the link. It seems that every LoTR issue (except one) either takes a dip or stays flat. I would guess that at least as far as warseer people go that LoTR would be welcome to leave WD's pages. It does appear to be getting better over all. a year without LotR in the pages (as appears a possiblity judging from rumors) would be absolutely heavenly, especially if they crammed in some words about the other two main games.

[Templar Ben]

I noticed that 70 votes have been cast for issue 341. That is significantly less then we have had in the two previous months. It is too early to comment on 342 as many may have not received the issue yet.

Not sure why there are so few votes.

[Dexter099]

This is mostly how I feel about the white dwarves.

This guy's opinion is at the top of the page.

http://www.fightingtigersofveda.com/4things1207.html


You may also find this an interesting site for 40k in general.

[Jim]

[QUOTE=selfconstrukt;2559455]

Unfortunately, I threw most of mine out when I moved!

When I was making the decision to do so, I tore out all the articles I liked from issue 100+, and wound up with a small stack of pages about 1/2" tall.

[QUOTE]

When I hear people have thrown away or torn up old White Dwarfs a little part of me dies

I have religiously horded every single WD since the first one I got (issue 116) in August 1989 and have just picked them up from my parents house to be stored at mine now I have my own place...I'm now going to have a fun few days reading through all my old favourites...

Jim

[cailus]

I think it's gotten better over the issues, but isn't as good as pre 300 ish... Prob 305 and onwards it changed, right?

I don't think they're anywhere near close to the pre-300 era issues. I think they're slightly better than the Giant issue (314-ish). The only exception was the 25th anniversary issue.

The biggest problem with White Dwarf is that there still isn't much in the way of content.

[lanrak]

Hi.
I have only been buying the odd copy of WD ,the last issue I bought was july 2007.

But when did ,
'Games Workshops monthly game suppliment and Citadel minatures cataloge'

Change to ,
'Games Workshops monthly minatures magazine.'

I wish they would just call WD what it is, Citadel Minatures Cataloge.

[Templar Ben]

Only 83 votes for June. Our sample size continues to shrink. Is it fewer readers?