A Technical Look at D&D Insider Applications

Oldtimer · Oct 24, 2007

Maggan said:
I'm not. I've stopped being surprised at how many non-Mac people can't keep the different options on the Mac apart.

I think he is talking about running Windows in Parallells or VMware, but thinking that is called "dual boot".

And even so, DirectX support is available for both those solutions, so basically if you have an Intel Mac, you have the option of running the DDI under Windows either as dual boot or as a virtual machine, without any loss of functionality.

/M

But the DirectX apps are using DX9 and I think Parallells only do DX8 at the moment, right?

Kid Charlemagne · Oct 24, 2007

Mouseferatu said:
I'm no programmer, but would it be possible to write a script that selected a new question each time? (And even if not, they could still do a list of, oh, 20 rotating/random questions per book, which would at least cut down on the spread of codes throughout the net--it would certainly be slower than the use of a single code would be.)

Some of the old games did just that. I think it was probably a list of words, not a completely randomly selected one.

Kesh · Oct 24, 2007

Dragonblade said:
Considering that you are essentially getting a second copy of the book, I don't see the problem with them charging to at least make up their overhead.

The question I have is how will this affect the used book market? To be fair, if every book has a generic code, it would soon be all over the internet and then no one would buy the book and everyone would pay their "nominal fee" for an e-copy. I don't think this is a good idea for WotC.

But if the code is unique, what's to stop someone from buying the book, using the code, and then selling the book to some hapless buyer who forevermore cannot buy the electronic copy? The used book market will be hurt by this. If you want a book, you are pretty much buying new. No picking up anything from Ebay unless you know that you are not interested in the e-book version.

But in all fairness to WotC, the used book market doesn't pay their bills so why should they go out of their way to accomodate it to the detriment of their business? The bottom line is that WotC designers and staff have to put food on the table. Its not a charity for gamers to take advantage of. Also the physical copy of the book is still useable and buying a used 4e book would really be no different than buying a used 3.5 book.

Also, having a unique code lets WotC provide a reward to those customers who buy new products from them and I don't have a problem with that at all when looking at it from that perspective.

I have a feeling they'll go the generic code route. As already mentioned, there's a number of problems with people copying unique codes out of books on shelves, which would render them useless to the legitimate buyer, and I don't see Wizards shrink-wrapping their hardcovers.

With the generic code + nominal fee, Wizards at least gets some money out of the person who might not otherwise buy the book, and the code stays useful to someone who does buy the book & still wants the e-version. They might lose out on a book sale, but if the overhead on the e-version is nominal they could make enough of a profit off it to offset that loss, at the very least.

Raven Crowking · Oct 24, 2007

CharlesRyan said:
Keep in mind also that the nominal fee creates accountability that, in the end, protects you.

By charging a small fee, WotC makes it impossible to anonymously take ownership of the digital version of the book. Anyone who enters a code to get the digital version must identify themselves in a real, positive manner (through the use of a credit card or other verifiable payment scheme). That makes the fee one of (probably several) roadblocks to piracy.

[And before this blossoms into a discussion of intellectual property rights, remember this: What you're downloading is a unique digital object assigned to the book you bought. If somebody steals that, they've stolen your right to access the digital version of the book. YOU are the loser in a very real way, not some giant corporation is a very intangible way.]

[And before this blossoms into a discussion of how the pirates always find a way, remember this: This will not be perfect in preventing piracy, and neither will any of the other steps WotC takes. But, combined, they're intended to keep theft to a minimum. WotC has a lot of experience with digital objects (via Magic Online), so their overall system will probably be pretty effective.]

So the requirement to purchase increases the likelihood that when I buy a book, the code to obtain the digital version is likely to still be valid when I take the book home and type it into DDI. That alone seems to be worth an extra buck or two.

Very well reasoned, Sir.

tomBitonti · Oct 24, 2007

CharlesRyan said:
Keep in mind also that the nominal fee creates accountability that, in the end, protects you.

...

[And before this blossoms into a discussion of intellectual property rights, remember this: What you're downloading is a unique digital object assigned to the book you bought. If somebody steals that, they've stolen your right to access the digital version of the book. YOU are the loser in a very real way, not some giant corporation is a very intangible way.]

...

Without responding overly much to the IP claims, it's not reasonable to present a statement while forbidding others to respond to it.

Lackhand · Oct 24, 2007

tomBitoni said:
Without responding overly much to the IP claims, it's not reasonable to present a statement while forbidding others to respond to it.

More like there are a couple of dimensions to this, and that particular dimension is one which he isn't trying to talk about, but which the conversation will inevitably slide towards. He's trying to evit it.

Besides, he's saying that it's immaterial whether copying a digital file is stealing: if somebody takes the code out of your book and gets the electronic version themselves, you won't be able to get it from wizards. Whether that's stealing or not doesn't matter (though it is poorly worded!) -- if you still want the electronic copy, you'd have to turn to P2P networks, and certainly be put to an imposition, regardless of theft.

Scribble · Oct 24, 2007

I dion't mind having to pay a "nominal fee" to access the digital version of my book... What's scaring me though, is that it specifically says "As a subscriber, ownership of the E-version gives you access, when you are online, to the rules content while you’re filling out or updating your character sheet."

When I'm online? So it's apparently not a portable digital book, (and most likely not a pdf.)

This is the first thing really that has actually disappointed me so far about the DDI.

Riley · Oct 24, 2007

Badkarmaboy said:
IMy concern are V-minis. I DO NOT like the idea of random V-boosters or some crap. I reckon, if I buy the mini I should be able to pop in a code and get it online. How that works IRL, I have no idea.

I'm not going to pay for individual virtual miniatures - randomized or otherwise. That idea's just silly. Maybe a SMALL single fee ONCE for 'blueprints' of an entire set - but only if I'm able to use as many copies of each miniature in that set as I want, for as long as I want.

If DDI is intended to resemble a MTG play model, I'm going to have to play in a different sandbox.

Scribble said:
What's scaring me though, is that it specifically says "As a subscriber, ownership of the E-version gives you access, when you are online, to the rules content while you’re filling out or updating your character sheet."

When I'm online? So it's apparently not a portable digital book, (and most likely not a pdf.)

It better be a VERRRY cheap cup of coffee of there's not a PDF involved. Especially considering that I have to re-login to Gleemax/DDI almost perpetually in its current incarnation.

TheArcane · Oct 24, 2007

Wait a second... Did I get this correctly?

We are designing the D&D Game Table to be as flexible as we can make it, to accommodate even non-D&D games. The D&D Game Table will not adjudicate game rules any more than your kitchen table adjudicates rules for you. DMs and players decide what they can and can’t do. DMs and players can communicate their rules adjudication through voice interaction provided by the VOIP (Voice-Over Internet Protocol), the text chat window, and the DM's settings.

Does this, in fact, mean that the Game Table will do nothing except display pretty minitaures on a map? How about tracking hit points? Tracking rounds and effects? Determining movement distance and areas of effect? Calculating bonuses? Making automatic rolls? Anything?
Seems to me like WOTC have a great chance to develop a full, official, online D&D suite, and they just make a VOIP application that shows maps?
Please, someone tell me I'm wrong about this!

Azgulor · Oct 24, 2007

Charwoman Gene said:
Umm, this question answers itself.

Yes it does.

Unfortunately for WotC, I can think of two answers:

1) Because they can for said reasons.

2) Because Paizo is more customer-focused than WotC.

Now if WotC had been the first to offer PDF versions of their books when the book was purchased, answer #1 would probably be the dominant answer.

Now take the fact that companies like Paizo have already "set the standard" so to speak and combine it with WotC's less-than-stellar 4e PR to date, and I'm willing to bet more people will be thinking along the lines of answer #2. If the reaction to WotC's new Dragon & Dungeon is any indication, the number of people agreeing with answer #2 may be sizeable.