Why the D&D Player Survey Takes Aim At Settings and Player Motivations
A new D&D player survey from WotC seems focused on getting at what makes your settings tick, and signals a move to the under 13 market.
Every so often, Wizards of the Coast releases D&D Player Surveys that aren’t connected to a big Unearthed Arcana. These cast a broader net and are most often used for good ol’ market research.
But the last few surveys have been particularly telling. We got a glimpse at how WotC was looking at core functions of core classes. And a month or so later, they revealed that a major “evolution” would be released in 2024.
Earlier this week, WotC opened up a new Player Survey that looks at all the usual things. How long have you been playing D&D? What do you get out of playing D&D? What is important to you?
But there are a few things that hint at the real data WotC is looking for. We know that they have new settings in development, and the survey asks some interesting questions depending on your favorite settings.
Setting Questions Revealed
We know that there’s a new setting in development, and these questions reveal insight into what WotC thinks makes each setting tick. For instance, here’s what they think makes Planescape stand out.
Distinctive art, battling philosophies, and just ‘Sigil‘. And saying “Sigil fascinates me” is a pretty understated way to bring up the centerpieces of the setting. No shout-out to the Lady of Pain?
But sure, look at Scalable Difficulty and “Potential Integration with Other Settings.” Most of the settings have an entry that reduces them to bullet points. Consider Dark Sun:
Art seems to be the top favorite for most of these settings. Dark Sun’s psionics are a pretty strong contender, though.
Other classic settings make an appearance here. Like Dragonlance, which seems expected:
The survey also includes the classic “defaults” of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms.
Nostalgia seems to be pretty strong here. But other options appear, too: unusual and exciting ones. Take a look at Birthright:
Or maybe you prefer Mystara?
Existing settings like Eberron, and Ravenloft are interrogated in the D&D Player Survey as well.
We’re just including Spelljammer for reasons of hope
The new survey’s answers show what D&D is looking at for future settings. But other questions in the survey indicate that WotC is looking to break into a market full of younger players.
How can we tell? The survey also asks if you happen to play D&D with kids under 13 years of age.
So be on the lookout for new settings! And you may see starter kits for kids in the near future. So if you want a hand in shaping the future of D&D, be sure to take the survey!
Take the new WotC Play Activity Survey
Happy Adventuring!
