Yep. But "they" in this case means those running D&D. I mean it could be the same people but if so they're looking at D&D and saying "not worth the effort" and "oh shiny new MTG season" and "Did you say something about D&D? I couldn't hear you over the cash registers ringing from all these collectible card game sales! $.$"
WotC's D&D Virtual Table Cancelled
- Thread starter Morrus
- Start date
But I'm more certain now that the plug will be pulled on the rest of the DDI tools before too long.
mach1.9pants
Hero
Just checking my (compiled by myself in later editions) Dungeon mags:
155: 109 pages -the freebie
203: 44 pages -last months
Pretty sad.
Pour
First Post
That said, I do love MtG. They creative, art, design, organization, digital, and managerial teams are phenomenal. Can't hate on them for being successful. Who knows, MtG might be the only thing keeping D&D afloat at all. Though I still say if they just made another damn cartoon they'd be fine...
Aberzanzorax
Hero
That's fair.
It's not 4e's failed VTT.
It's not the move to the crappy online Char Builder from the functional one.
It's not their lack of digital products at release (advertised as current in PHBS).
It's not "there will be no 4e for several years." Oops.
It's not Gleemax.
It's not the death of Dungeon Magazine and Dragon Magazine (*cough* move to digital format and subsequent demotion to "web enhancement/advertisement you pay for" status).
It's not the continual firing/layoffs of quality designers who have a wealth of understanding of the game and its history.
It's not the pulling of pdfs to "prevent piracy."
It's not that they seem to want to be super hush-hush about everything (until recently).
It's not that people had to pull teeth to get what they promised in the first place (Remember they promised conversions of Elder Evils? Remember the contest where fans voted over many months to design a monster that was going to (but never did) end up in a monster manual?) Only a forum furor led to those actually happening.
Remember the disk at the back of the 3.0 PHB (forget the name of the tools)?
It's ALL of that.
Don't need it.
If 5e is awesome...I'll play it, sure. But I'm now thinking I'll give it just about as much attention as any indie game I come across. Open it up, thumb through it...give it about a minute's consideration.
It's no longer the point of "well, it's D&D...I gotta at least give it a chance".
WotC has had a lot of chances.
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Dannager
First Post
I imagine it's getting a lot harder to justify support of the VTT with a number of other groups working on similar projects (Roll20, Tabletop Forge, Maptool, etc.) and the D&D VTT's primary draws (4e tool integration) with an uncertain lifespan due to the edition transition. They're probably consolidating what they have in order to focus on starting fresh with 5e - all the other tools are established; the VTT is the only one that wasn't finalized.
Jack99
Adventurer
Does that mean you promise stop posting about WoTC and D&D? If so, can I have your gold?
If this is a serious question, take it to PM. If it is not, this post is pointless other than crapping the thread. Please don't. Thanks. - Lwaxy
Last edited by a moderator:
Mustrum_Ridcully
Hero
Actually, this is their second attempt within these 5 years. The first virtual table was an over-ambitious project complete with 3D and all, and the first prototype was terribly buggy and unstable.
The second was basically re-using an already existing software and optimizing it for D&D 4 and their IP. It had some cool feature, but also many restrictions.
There are alternatives out there - not without their own flaws, but usually more flexible. MapTools or GameTable. (I vastly prefer MapTools now). Considering the focus they put on making it D&D 4 "compatible" - it may be stupid to keep working on it if the next edition is already in the works.
The character builder (online and offline), monster builder (offline at least) and Compendium are much better software and have better value overall. Especially since while you can make generic virtual game tables that work for most types of RPG, a generic character builder that covers a vast array of systems is very hard, and a feature of such builders would be that they "know" all the content of the game system - which is not necessary easy to acquire.
Phaezen
First Post
Honest question, of those of you complaining about the cancellation oft he VTT who actually uses it on a regular basis?
They are pulling it because not enough people are using it so it is not worth them spending the resources on it. This is purely a business decision, one the every business around the world has to make from time to time.
They are pulling it because not enough people are using it so it is not worth them spending the resources on it. This is purely a business decision, one the every business around the world has to make from time to time.
Cergorach
The Laughing One
WotC digital strategy related to D&D has been a failure since 2000. I've given up faith a long time ago in any product/service announced by WotC. This doesn't surprise me in the least.
Companies like WotC/Hasbro prey on brand loyalty, in our case D&D, that actually works. I started playing D&D 25 years ago, D&D has a 'special' place in my hart, a feeling of nostalgia. So I bought into 4E and kept buying it long after it became clear that it wasn't going to be really my game. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one... I'm currently far more interested in closing the holes in my 2E collection then I'm interested in 4E/5E/Next. It just seems like another nail in the coffin of the D&D brand...
Paizo has shown that they have a solid digital strategy, and they seem to understand that you don't start with planning an AAA style online tool. You start minimalistic and iron that out before adding features or going fancy.
Companies like WotC/Hasbro prey on brand loyalty, in our case D&D, that actually works. I started playing D&D 25 years ago, D&D has a 'special' place in my hart, a feeling of nostalgia. So I bought into 4E and kept buying it long after it became clear that it wasn't going to be really my game. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one... I'm currently far more interested in closing the holes in my 2E collection then I'm interested in 4E/5E/Next. It just seems like another nail in the coffin of the D&D brand...
Paizo has shown that they have a solid digital strategy, and they seem to understand that you don't start with planning an AAA style online tool. You start minimalistic and iron that out before adding features or going fancy.
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