Sean Merwin

Yeah. And while this question was about surveys, there is this implicit part of the question, which is playtesting. And surveys are probably the worst way to get playtest feedback. Yeah. But it's also the most efficient way, so there's a trade-off there.

Yeah. And while this question was about surveys, there is this implicit part of the question, which is playtesting. And surveys are probably the worst way to get playtest feedback. Yeah. But it's also the most efficient way, so there's a trade-off there.

And so when you do a survey, think about the Cola Wars, for those of you who remember the 80s, where it was Coke versus Pepsi and there were all these ads and there was the blind taste test of which do people like most. While there are many factors that go into that, it's a pretty simple process of drink this, drink this, tell us which one you like better.

And so when you do a survey, think about the Cola Wars, for those of you who remember the 80s, where it was Coke versus Pepsi and there were all these ads and there was the blind taste test of which do people like most. While there are many factors that go into that, it's a pretty simple process of drink this, drink this, tell us which one you like better.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You can do it a lot of different ways. You could say, okay, you like A. Why do you like A? In two or three words, what about the taste of A? Now, some people will say, oh, A is much sweeter than B, and I like A. Some people will say, oh, A is much more sweeter than B, so I like B. Because I don't want a sweet cola. I want a whatever cola. But that's about as... finicky as that gets.

You can do it a lot of different ways. You could say, okay, you like A. Why do you like A? In two or three words, what about the taste of A? Now, some people will say, oh, A is much sweeter than B, and I like A. Some people will say, oh, A is much more sweeter than B, so I like B. Because I don't want a sweet cola. I want a whatever cola. But that's about as... finicky as that gets.

When you're dealing with something like a role-playing game, rules and engine, everything that goes with that, now you are into all sorts of variations of taste, of style, of interest that can be terribly, terribly difficult to lasso and wrestle to the ground. So What is more important in a playtest, especially if you're dealing with the engine of the game, is really hard data.

When you're dealing with something like a role-playing game, rules and engine, everything that goes with that, now you are into all sorts of variations of taste, of style, of interest that can be terribly, terribly difficult to lasso and wrestle to the ground. So What is more important in a playtest, especially if you're dealing with the engine of the game, is really hard data.

If someone plays my adventure and they say it ran too long, That's useful to me at about 3%. What I need to know is, okay, who was playing? Who was running it? How many people? What level were they? Was there a certain part that was too long? Why was it too long? Was it too long because the combat took too long? Was it too long because the players wanted to do lots of role-playing?

If someone plays my adventure and they say it ran too long, That's useful to me at about 3%. What I need to know is, okay, who was playing? Who was running it? How many people? What level were they? Was there a certain part that was too long? Why was it too long? Was it too long because the combat took too long? Was it too long because the players wanted to do lots of role-playing?

All of these things then become more important than, did you like it? Was it good? I need to know these hard facts because then I have a plan to address this. But without that hard data, you can't.

All of these things then become more important than, did you like it? Was it good? I need to know these hard facts because then I have a plan to address this. But without that hard data, you can't.

a matter of figuring out what you want and then drilling down to get that exact information. Next, we have Chris G8989 via YouTube, who asks this. If you could add one thing, a section, a feature, a design, a monster, et cetera, to the 2025 Monster Manual that you think is lacking, what would it be? And if you could omit one thing, what would it be?

a matter of figuring out what you want and then drilling down to get that exact information. Next, we have Chris G8989 via YouTube, who asks this. If you could add one thing, a section, a feature, a design, a monster, et cetera, to the 2025 Monster Manual that you think is lacking, what would it be? And if you could omit one thing, what would it be?

I personally would have loved a monster by CR list. Help me if I'm wrong here, Teos. There is a monster by CR list in the Monster Manual, right?

I personally would have loved a monster by CR list. Help me if I'm wrong here, Teos. There is a monster by CR list in the Monster Manual, right?

I looked in the back, the very last pages as I reached for my monster manual.

I looked in the back, the very last pages as I reached for my monster manual.