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[justanobody]

Originally Posted by RogerWilco

To me the srd3.5 was one of the main reasons to switch from AD&D 2e to 3/3.5.

Why? Because it allowed Copy&Paste and tools like PCGen to be created.

I have since bought about 60 books and the PCGen datasets for 49 of those from CodeMonkey Publishing.

Works for you, but is no indication that PCGen was needed. I you prefered 2nd edition you could have just as easily picked up Core Rules which was a more extensive package and still a product that eclipses DDI with what all it offers.

Also Core Rules offered C&P from multiple forms either the webhelp or windows help files and over 20 full books (excluding images) with full search capability to aid in C&P.

The only thing really done by the SRD was allow people to market products like PCGen IF programs were allowed by the OGL or STL.

So your reason for choosing PCGen over Core Rules are you own, but are not whole truths unless you were a 3rd party publisher wanting to sell D&D related products.

I have gotten addicted to using PCGen to create my games, and have willingly shelled out several hundreds of dollars to enable the tool to legally use WotC published materials instead of just the SRD3.5 material.

But PCGen would not exist without the SRD, at least not in it's current form.

When WotC made it impossible for CodeMonkey Pusblishing, to provide datasets for PCGen, I stopped buying books because I knew I would be able to use the material in PCGen. I am still very disappointed that some of the books published in 2005 and 2006 never were allowed to be provided with support for PCGen, Like the Magical Item Compendium.

Here again Core Rules dwarfs PCGen then if you were unable to add your own material, because within the few limitations it has it could create anything for use with the game and store it in its database.

PCGen required purchasing databases to upgrade your product didn't it? or was that eTools, or both?

Either way Core Rules allows you to create material including but now limited to races/monsters/items/etc and use them directly into the software which would handle all rules and math adjudications for you of the newly created material...and you could trade naterial with others.

4th edition is just not an option for me without similar options to create and modify characters, items, feats, skills, templates, trade them with the players and so on and so forth.

My point is, that the combination of CMPs legal status and the srd 3.5 availabilty to PCGen allowed me to have the contents of nearly 50 WotC published books at my finger tips in an organised way. Without it, I would not have purchased as many supplements and would have stuck to the core 3.5 PHB/MM/DMG like, I did with ADnD 2e and I might do with 4e, if I even switch to 4e at all given how much more convenient 3.5 is to use.

Wait...didn't you say you stopped buying books because of PCGen?

Edit: P.S. Oh, and it runs on my Mac.

Edit2: And about the DDI, I basically have very little confidence in WotC's ability to support and develop software properly over longer periods of time given their history. The way they pulled support for e-Tools/PCGen still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Do't they say: burnt once, twice shy?

You are not alone in thinking DDI will fall short of many expectations. I don't think the subscription price with the VTT even is enough added value to what was present with Core Rules for 2nd edition.

I wish I would be able to get exited about 4th edition, I want to buy WotC books, as I want to support them in developing one of my favourite games, but currently they're forcing me to stick with 3.5 and scavenge second hand copies of ebay for those books I am still missing. It also means my local FLGS hasn't seen me a lot lately.

Edit3: And the SRD also made it easy to Copy/paste together a list of all the monsters I can summon and similar such things that are much harder if you only have a hard copy of a book.

See previous mention of C&P if you would like to do so with AD&D 2nd edition, and do not have any intent to merchandise your creations of the C&P material.

So anyway the GSL or even OGL didn't really help any extra than what was present for 2nd edition moving on to 3rd or 4th, and I think it has already been stated that the GSL is taking a back seat to all the other stuff Scott has been dumped into his lap with the firing of Linae.

Originally Posted by Mustrum_Ridcully

Well, Roger, the Character Generator from DDI is in closed beta now (only accessible to DDI subscribers) and pretty good so far.

And those people who signed up to beta test it at DDXP who are not paid subscribers to DDI, if I am understanding the WotC forums on the matter.
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So... it is coming along just as fast as the WotC CEO and board are allowing for it to happen with all the excess of work they add to their understaffed company.