DDI - What's happening to the Virtual Game Table and Character Visualiser?

[vagabundo]

I'm a DM only guy too and might be interested in gaming online. But getting a system like this off the ground is not trivial. It is a big coding enterprise and I don't think WotC understood this going into the project.

With things are they currently are, they have limited resources, and have to focus on what the majority want.

They could chip away at the VTT and Character Visualiser in a number of ways:

- Outsource some of the modules: There are already lots of programs that do similar things to what they envisage. I'm sure they could licence some of that tech. Sure Bethesda has a very functional character visualiser in oblivion that they could licence, it was kick-ass!

- Create multi-functioning modules that could be re-used: so a Dungeon mapper could be used in the VTT and as a campaign tool. This is a path I think they will follow and if they are smart they could have most of the components of the system done in a year or two without stretching their resources.

Until there is more feedback from potential customers I think it will be hard to get a lot of movement from them on this, they would have to justify the expense and would have to have a good chance of some return - either in hard cash or in an expanded market.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Well there are a LOT of folk out there who want the Virtual Table top, who're currently forced ot play on variosu sub-optimal methods on the Web :/
you just may not hear them.
I've ran several campaigns over WEBRPG and OPENRPG and using forums.
What I really want is something liek the demo-ed VTT

this is the 21st century, WOTC damn well better realize that without online play, D&D is left dangling in the wind, we ALL know how hard it is to get together to play roudn a table, nowadays. No players, no D&D.

 

[malraux]

Honestly, I think WotC is doing their best to make it easy to play DnD. They've done a huge amount of work to make the current edition easy to run for the DM. Through their electronic resources, they've also made it stupid easy to be a player. Taking the work out of those aspect of the game does a huge amount to expand the game.

Doing the VTT though, may or may not help expand active players. First, WotC isn't the only one offering an online table, so they'd just be duplicating other work that's out there. Second, offering a real-time interactive 3-d platform isn't easy; it would involve a fair amount of coding, server maintenance, paid 3-d modelers, etc. To do that, WotC would need to increase the cost of the DDI subscription, probably at least to the $15 a month that had been mentioned in their run-up to 4e info. Now I recognize that many of the people would want the VTT would be willing to pay that to get the VTT, but all of us who currently subscribe would see our costs double. That would probably be enough to get me to drop my subscription, and I suspect many others would as well. So while it would expand the hobby to some, it would also drive out many others. Now especially since WotC's only advantage for competing in the online play area is their name and the ability to offer nice minis (ie they can do a mini of a beholder), while they'll lose out on price and possibly drive customers away, the VTT really isn't the best area they have to compete in right now.

 

[Iron Dog]

So in summary, and I make the following as purely speculative, that things are like this…

WoTC have decided that the VVT is a project that they are unable to facilitate, but the punters don’t need to know this.
WoTC have decided that that no-one wants the VTT (arr, no, there is)
WoTC know that there are people that have had their hopes set high for a VTT, so they decided to only listen to those that agree with what they plan, and let them drown out the nay-sayers.
WoTC know that the people that desire the VTT is one of the major reasons why they are supporting DDI with a subscription and might withdraw said subscription if it is known that the VTT is on indefinite hold.

It’s all starting to sound a little bit like eTools back with 3rd Ed to me.

So if this is all true, not saying that it is, but one can only surmise due to the lack of customer feed back, that WoTC may be hit up the “global recession” harder than we know.

Can you remember back to when TSR was on the brink and they where handing the business over to their lawyers and bean counters, (who were only interested in their “bottom line’), and spewed out a mass of inferior products only to make the fast buck. The fans were turning away in droves. If it wasn’t for WoTC to come with a rescue and promise that they give D&D back to the fans that D&D did return, and with a renaissance too……. To which I’m hoping that they haven’t given in to the accounts of Hasbro, because they’ve seen what it can do before.

Could all this be the start of worse things to come?

Mayhap I sound like a doomsayer, but I put it like this….

I am actually a mature age student that is currently studying for a Diploma in Information Technology. If it was in my power to help WoTC (if they would ask for it), I would donate my time to the development of the VTT, if I could, and I’m sure that I wouldn’t be the only one to but my hand up to do so. If WoTC was having such “difficulties” then I’m sure that there are people out there that owe something back to their hobby that they are just dying for the opportunity.

 

[Piratecat]

Good riddance to the character visualizer, in my opinion.

I don't think the VTT is dead. When I complimented someone at WotC on the character builder, they mentioned that they'd stopped working on five things at once and poured all their resources into making the one piece of software really good. They're doing the same thing with the tools now. I suspect that once the tools are in good shape and published, they'll tackle the VTT. Folks like you, Iron Dog, who really need a VTT to play, is a market they don't want to neglect if they can help it.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So in summary, and I make the following as purely speculative, that things are like this…

WoTC have decided that the VVT is a project that they are unable to facilitate, but the punters don’t need to know this.

Nah, it's inherently doable, no doubt about that. How long it would take them might be another matter.

WoTC have decided that that no-one wants the VTT (arr, no, there is)

It's pretty obvious there is an interest. But apparantly it is not as large as expected.

WoTC know that there are people that have had their hopes set high for a VTT, so they decided to only listen to those that agree with what they plan, and let them drown out the nay-sayers.

Doesn't seem to fit their survey design. They didn't omit the VTT or anything, it was there, right along the rest. We don't know what other stuff was asked for.

I do take from it though that they are back to square on the VTT thing. If they had something they just needed to polish, they would have done that first and asked questions later.

WoTC know that the people that desire the VTT is one of the major reasons why they are supporting DDI with a subscription and might withdraw said subscription if it is known that the VTT is on indefinite hold.

I wonder how much they "know" and worry here. Maybe they don't have to worry as much as you might expect?

I am actually a mature age student that is currently studying for a Diploma in Information Technology.

That's cool.

If it was in my power to help WoTC (if they would ask for it), I would donate my time to the development of the VTT, if I could, and I’m sure that I wouldn’t be the only one to but my hand up to do so. If WoTC was having such “difficulties” then I’m sure that there are people out there that owe something back to their hobby that they are just dying for the opportunity.

Working for a RPG company and developing their consumer applications would be cool, too. Especially since they developed the Character Builder with WPF and .NET, technologies I really love to use these days.

 

[Odysseus]

Having seen what can be done with Maptools games. Its difficult to see any value in VTT. Maptools is incredible and free. I suspect VTT will either be not much better than maptools, or if its better, it will be too expensive.

I'm glad they are working on campaign tools first. I've used the encounter builder and monster maker. If they put them altogether , they can have an excellent tool. One thats actually worth the subscription cost.

 

[Iron Dog]

Ripper responses guys,
My true aim is to create healthy discussion out there on the subject, as to not let the VTT just fade away………..

 

[malraux]

I am actually a mature age student that is currently studying for a Diploma in Information Technology. If it was in my power to help WoTC (if they would ask for it), I would donate my time to the development of the VTT, if I could, and I’m sure that I wouldn’t be the only one to but my hand up to do so. If WoTC was having such “difficulties” then I’m sure that there are people out there that owe something back to their hobby that they are just dying for the opportunity.

RPTools is open source. If you want to donate time to help with an online rpg playing tool, that seems like a good place to try.

 

[Mark]

No, I mean it seems that WoTC will now only cater to the majority, and dang with the minority. And the majority seem to be fine with this and/or not care, as long as they’re getting what they want.

Without a VTT from WotC, the likelihood of the minority becoming less of a minority (despite multple third party VTTs) is slim. As long as WotC chooses not to be an industry leader in this area/type of gaming, the industry will find that this area/type of gaming lags behind what it otherwise might become. WotC is one of a few, if not the only, company with enough market strength to bring VTT gaming more into the mainstream. Not that it is in their best interest nor their responsibility.