DM Minion: Digital Encounter\Combat Managment Tool for the iPad and Android Tablets

goathead82 · Apr 5, 2012

Unwise said:
If I can offer some marketting suggestions...

Frankly I can't ever picture myself paying that amount for a product, unless I can directly picture how it will help me. To that end, I suggest that you make a youtube video with a screen capture of the ipad and a voice over explaining each of the features.

I would make the video run like a small section of a real game, not just a list of features. It all comes back to the old teaching/marketting adage "Don't tell me, show me". If I can watch you using the program to run a game, then I can picture how it will help me and decide on purchasing accordingly.

The product summary is just not good IMO. When I first stumble across the program, I do not care about its specs, or the nitty gritty. What I want is for you to tell me why I should buy it. How will it change my game? Reading the initial summary, I am not even really sure what it does or how I would use it in my games.

"DMMinion is a encounter and combat management tool for D&D 4e" that is all that is telling me what the product does, the rest is telling me how it does it. Explain what an "encounter and combat management tool" is and why you would want to use one. Then explain why yours is better than others with the nitty-gritty.

Unwise thanks for the comments. We are nerdy software developers not marketing guru's so we appreciate the comments.

goathead82 · Apr 5, 2012

The great guys and En World and Neuroglyph Games were nice enough to write a review on both Player Minion and DM Minion. Links have been added to the OP. Check them out!

Infiniti2000 · Apr 5, 2012

Great reviews! Awesome revision of the guide! I'll probably pick this up sometime today or tomorrow and maybe write a review myself. I have several features in mind that I hope are implemented (or in the works), but already it seems like my major requests are supported. (For example, can the player/DM edit the text in the app, such as the power text? I'm curious how much support these apps will have for houserules.)

goathead82 · Apr 5, 2012

Infiniti2000 said:
I have several features in mind that I hope are implemented (or in the works), but already it seems like my major requests are supported. (For example, can the player/DM edit the text in the app, such as the power text? I'm curious how much support these apps will have for houserules.)

Our first builds supported full editing of the players/monsters/powers but that was not kept in the release build. We wanted to initial build to have a single point of entry for everything, which is the DDI import. For the power text specifically, does it change so often that you would need to change it on the fly? or something that you edit the power at the DDI level?

House rules are really just options to the system, we just have to know what the options are they users want/need and we can implement them.

Siberys · Apr 5, 2012

The preview stuff looks good, but unfortunately it looks a tad out of my price range. Not that it looks bad at all - quite the contrary - just that I have trouble convincing myself to spend 5 dollars on an app, let alone 12. :-S

If this had a lower price point, or a map-and-miniature function, I might be able to justify picking it up, but as is it's not really on my list. I'm already coding an in-browser VTT/Tracker, which is cheaper (well, besides personal time investment) and lets me include exactly the features I want (and is more fun if you're into coding like I am!)

Ktulu · Apr 5, 2012

I went ahead and purchased it to see if it's viable for my game, and I could see myself using it.

A couple things:

1. The option to quickly create a player would be greatly useful. I run a lot of D&D encounters and I'm constantly adding new characters each week. Some have pregens, some made their own and don't have a .ddi. IT'd be nice to edit/add characters without simply importing.

2. Damage - I don't like using a slider for damage. I'd rather have a small numerical keypad appear with heal/damage buttons instead of ok. much quicker and more accurate.

2.5 damage - if I want to damage a monster, I should just tap the monster and have the ability to add damage and conditions. Having to select the player's attack, then tap the monster, then slide the damage is too cumbersome.

I'll have more thoughts as I play with it further. All in all, it's a nice app that has room for improvement.

goathead82 · Apr 5, 2012

1. The option to quickly create a player would be greatly useful. I run a lot of D&D encounters and I'm constantly adding new characters each week. Some have pregens, some made their own and don't have a .ddi. IT'd be nice to edit/add characters without simply importing.

On device creation of player/monsters is under development. However adding all of the stats and powers thru the device is not quick.

2. Damage - I don't like using a slider for damage. I'd rather have a small numerical keypad appear with heal/damage buttons instead of ok. much quicker and more accurate.

2.5 damage - if I want to damage a monster, I should just tap the monster and have the ability to add damage and conditions. Having to select the player's attack, then tap the monster, then slide the damage is too cumbersome.

Noted, we will add a task to play around with some alternative methods and controls to see what we can do to make it easier to apply damage quicker.

I'll have more thoughts as I play with it further. All in all, it's a nice app that has room for improvement.

Please let us know if you have more comments and thank you for the purchase.

Ktulu · Apr 6, 2012

goathead82 said:
On device creation of player/monsters is under development. However adding all of the stats and powers thru the device is not quick.

For my part, I usually only want the defenses, level, and maybe the HP for the PC's. May be different for some DM's, but I don't track their surges, powers, etc... Heck, even when I use the D&D4eCM I force all player HP to 10, so I can simply damage by 5 for bloodied or 10 for unconscious.

It is nice to know those features are being looked into.