New Character Builder from WotC!

[Walking Dad]

I have canceled my DDI subscription. Or I would, if it weren't for the fact that whenever I try to use their site I get server errors trying to get there. And we trust can these guys with running an online application?

Only the homepage. Seems to happen to many people in Europe.

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I don't like to be unable to build a character while being offline. Using the monthly errata file to re-check every class feature, power and item is a real workload. Why cannot they make at least a better bookmarked errata or ordering them after topics and not after books. Having all changes to all Warlord level 3 powers, for example, would be a big help.

As it is now, you have to pay and be online or have to play without errata with no revised editions on the horizon.

 

[amethal]

I think most of the objections voiced in this thread would be solved by the ability to export your characters - which WOTC says they are working on.

Once you can export (you can already import) your character no longer just lives on their servers. You can subscribe just when you are actively playing, and use all your old characters even if it's more that 12 months since your last subscription (assuming you exported them before shutting your subscription down).

I agree completely. This one change would make the new CB much more attractive to a whole bunch of people.

So I wonder why the CB doesn't already have this feature, or at least a reasonably firm date for introducing it.

Two possible reasons - either it is harder to do than it first seemed, or WotC have decided that whilst the feature is in the best interests of customers, it is not in the best interests of WotC - make me wonder whether there will be a considerable delay in introducing it.

On the bright side, the anecdotal evidence of a number of people cancelling their subscriptions as a result of this should ease the strain on the servers for those who remain.

 

[Stormtower]

On the bright side, the anecdotal evidence of a number of people cancelling their subscriptions as a result of this should ease the strain on the servers for those who remain.

Happy to help reduce the load on WotC's servers. *goes to boot up Hero Lab for Pathfinder*

 

[darjr]

I have canceled my DDI subscription. Or I would, if it weren't for the fact that whenever I try to use their site I get server errors trying to get there. And we trust can these guys with running an online application?

I contacted CS about the 'Error' and they cancelled my auto renew within 6 hours. Just shot them and email and done-ski! Hope that helps, everyone running into 'Error' screens.

For those with the error.

 

[Jor-El]

Here they built up all the anticipation, and held off on updates, and told everyone to be patient, and gave the impression that something was coming that was going to knock everyone's socks off....

and the usual PR fail occurs.

I wonder if this would have gone over better if they'd just learn how to freakin' communicate?

 

[Njall]

Here they built up all the anticipation, and held off on updates, and told everyone to be patient, and gave the impression that something was coming that was going to knock everyone's socks off....

and the usual PR fail occurs.

I wonder if this would have gone over better if they'd just learn how to freakin' communicate?

Nah, I don't think it's a PR failure. PaoloM has been answering quite a bit of questions since the announcement, yesterday.
There's only so much you can do.
Frankly, the "new" CB is a net loss for me, and no amount of PR or marketing is going to change that: we used the old CB a lot while playing, both as a rules reference and to teach new players the game, and we don't have an internet connection where we play.
Furthermore, I don't have a Mac, so I couldn't care less that Mac users can now use the CB.
In addition, when 5e is released, I doubt they'll keep the tools up. I don't like the fact that we may grow accustomed to a service and then suddenly WotC can simply pull the rug from under our feet whenever they choose.
In addition, the fact that the "new" CB lacks key features, like an export feature at launch, makes me think that it was rushed out of the door, probably because they tried to put DS and Essentials in the old CB and found out that it was too much of a hassle, so they just decided to put out the online CB even if it wasn't ready for launch.
I'm not angry or anything, I just don't think DDI is worth 10$ month for me, now.
It's not like any amount of PR or marketing will make me forget that they're trying to rent me ( rather than sell me ) something that doesn't even have all the features of the old product, for the same monthly price.

 

[ExploderWizard]

What's funny is that the new model encourages sharing (functionality wise) more than the old one.

There were several of us in my regular group with DDI accounts. They could level up their own character as a player then send the file to me to look over prior to the next session.

With the new system the only way a player can share character data with a DM is via login information thus actually encouraging whole groups to share an account more now than ever.

I won't be doing this because I don't care enough about Dark Sun, Essentials, or future products to resubscribe but for a company that intent on combatting piracy WOTC sure does know how to make things more attractive to pirates.

 

[wedgeski]

This is a joke, right? The frequency rules are errated makes using a year old character fully unpractical. Look at the last update, where you have to re-enter manually the human at-wills and which ability bonus the 'essentialed' races get. A year old character is worthless in a living online document D&D has become.

If you consider D&D to be a "living online document" and your character must absolutely positively be as up-to-date as possible, then you won't mind paying for the tools which help you achieve that, will you? So what's your problem?

 

[renau1g]

He can't always be online therefore can't access the tools in a way that he could previously. In the past those wihtout always on internet, or those who traveled for work without internet (like myself) could waste time building their PC's offline but with the most up to date rules. Now we can't.

 

[Herschel]

Now you have to pay every month to use it at all and have your character held hostage by WotC servers as well.

LoL, is Paranoia in a cross-marketing deal with WotC for campaign ideas?

"Come friends, we must save Pondo the Zamphir Assassin from the dreaded WotC servers before mike mearls discovers his whereabouts! I want to play him this Saturday but alas, the evil WotC Overlord has stricken all recollection of him from my mind and I didn't want to pay the price of a frappacino for access to him and teh rest of their content!"