DDI, are you ready to game on the Net?

[dema]

So are you ready to get your game going on the net? are you going to hook up with those long lost and far away folks you used to play with?

I know I'm planning on hooking up over long distances. I hope the tools are everything I hope they will be. A matching system would be great. Can't wait to break in the system. How about you?

Discuss if you will hook up with old friends. Like to meet new folks to game with. Mix it up a bit.

Start a guild of sorts.

 

[Aria Silverhands]

Yup. While I disagree with WotC's decisions, solely driven by greed, on what is "core" and what's not and their decision to delay the release of the bard, barbarian, and druid classes an entire year, I'll still be playing 4th edition. There's enough good stuff in it, that it is worth the upgrade.

 

[Cryptos]

DDI tools are one of those things that I would definitely have to try before I would buy (or rather buy monthly.) My concern right now is that Wizards will try to kick in their subscription model before anyone gets to really use the creators, generators, and game table in full for at least a little bit.

It sounded really good when it was going to be a free trial period, and the assumption was that it would be a full free trial period. But now, based on what it sounds like to me, by the time that they have their applications figured out, they'll have moved to a subscription model, and the free trial period will have just been the Dragon and Dungeon articles, plus the rules compendium (which is basically just a search function for our books until a lot more rules come out from different sources.)

I'm sure they might offer limited samples or previews, or free features with limited functionality once the tools are ready to launch, but I'd be wary of basing things off of that. The character generator that came with the 3.0 PHB was pretty good for what it was, but then look at the flop that was Master Tools.

I'd want the chance to use the finished product for a little bit before shelling out $15 every month... and that's what they made it sound like, originally. (1. DDI will have these features. 2. DDI will have a free trial period at launch. There's a very clear assumption there.) Whether it's due to technical difficulties or not, it almost feels like a little bit of a bait and switch at this point.

And no, I'm not saying they are greedy, mustache-twirling villains... perhaps Hasbro asked Wizards to go to the subscription model before the first supplements come out so that everyone isn't getting free Swordmages or something (and that makes sense), even though the tools won't be ready. But that's not what everyone thought this free period was going to be when it was first marketed.

So I guess I'll wait and see if I have the opportunity to try it out. Otherwise, there are plenty of generic free tools out there I can adapt and use.

 

[DanChops]

I tend to live places that don't have any other D&D players, so I'm all for opportunities to meet and play with groups online.

 

[essenbee]

I have a gaming group locally, so not needed.

 

[mach1.9pants]

DnD to me is a social thing, involving face to face contact. I would never even consider using the VTT, I would rather not play. I would still buy some books and read them, cos I enjoy that, but I have no interest in a VTT.

If I want to play online I will continue to pwn everyone in BF, FFoW, CoD4, Crysis, TF2, DoD:S, etc etc. I am a member of an active clan, we all know each other in the RW, but IMO that is what online stuff is for: Shallow slaughtering and TB'ing

And if I end up not being able to play DnD 'cos I can't get a group? Well I'll do what I did for the many years that I was in Her Majesties Service......I'll go to the pub\

Edit: I still intend to subscribe for all the other bits though, at least for a trial year.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Exact same as mach here.

I doubt I will use VTT, however I have fallen in love with everything else on DDI. I am also hoping they have some sort of way of printing out Monster Tokens, given that the VTT has all the MM Monsters as Tokens, why not have real ones as well. Just print on card-stock, cut out and good to go.

Well... Almost the same, I will be getting my Safe Serve license this summer instead of socially going to pubs

 

[Revinor]

For me it will be probably maptool
http://rptools.net/doku.php?id=maptool:intro

Obviously you don't get 3d figures, but outside of that it is probably a lot more powerful than what we will get with Online Table in first few iterations.

 

[Kzach]

Without a car and living in an isolated area, I find it exceedingly difficult to not only find groups, but stick with them. So I'm hoping I can at least get regular games in with DDI if not a regular group.

 

[Aria Silverhands]

I'd love to see a virtual tabletop that allows turn based combat without a DM present and has powerful tools for building adventures like Neverwinter Nights. It'd just be something fun to do when no one feels like DM'ing, but if you include DM tools, it becomes even more interesting.