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Trapdoor Tech Closes Its Doors

Trapdoor Technologies has had a tumultuous ride over the last few years. They burst onto the scene with Codename: Morningstar, the official Dungeons & Dragons electronic toolset which became DungeonScape, before abruptly parting ways with WotC. Their subsequent Kickstarter failed to fund (spectacularly so, with its half-million-dollar funding goal). Their most recent Kickstarter, for an Android version of their Pathfinder tools (known as Playbook) was also struggling. It seems now that their misfortunes are coming to an end - if only because the company is closing down permanently. They sent out the announcement below.

Trapdoor Technologies has had a tumultuous ride over the last few years. They burst onto the scene with Codename: Morningstar, the official Dungeons & Dragons electronic toolset which became DungeonScape, before abruptly parting ways with WotC. Their subsequent Kickstarter failed to fund (spectacularly so, with its half-million-dollar funding goal). Their most recent Kickstarter, for an Android version of their Pathfinder tools (known as Playbook) was also struggling. It seems now that their misfortunes are coming to an end - if only because the company is closing down permanently. They sent out the announcement below.


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Dear Trapdoor Technologies fans and Playbook subscribers,

On Wednesday, Oct 19th, Slingshot Capital Partners, the group who own Trapdoor decided to close our company immediately. It is now the staff and management's sad duty to tell you that there will be no new products, product updates, Trapdoor Tuesday releases or other company functions. As you may already know, our Kickstarter campaign for Playbook Essentials on Android has also been canceled. Despite the efforts of the former staff to find a way to keep Playbook going, we have exhausted our options.

The Trapdoor servers which power Playbook will be going offline on or around October 28, 2016. However, even once the servers are offline, Playbook will continue to function. There will be two phases of functionality: during the remainder of your subscription and after your subscription expires.

For the remainder of your current subscription, the app will be running in offline mode. You will still be able to read all the books in your library (both free and purchased). You can still generate characters.

The Party module chat, sharing, in-app purchases in the Store, and announcements will cease to function. Since you won't be able to download new content - please make sure you download any content you want to have available offline.

After your current subscription expires (at the end of the month or year, depending on the level you chose in the app store), Playbook will function in read-only mode.

You will still be able to read any content that you have purchased but the rule books that are included s part of the subscription will cease to function. Previously-created characters will still be available to read and print, but you will not be able to modify the characters or roll up new ones.

Thank you, first and foremost, to the players and fans who helped us bring a mobile, digital RPG companion to life. We are all heart-broken over what might-have-been.

We'd also like to thank our amazing partners. Paizo as a company and their staff as individuals as well as all the Pathfinder Society Officers, have been wonderful to work with. We are so grateful to you for making a great game and putting your fans first. We're excited for Starfinder and crushed we won't be making a Playbook for it.

All our love also goes out to AAW, Legendary Games, and Playground Adventures. Hunt up their stuff online. They're making astounding content with great stories. Though we won’t be bringing them to Playbook, you know we’ll be playing with them at our own game tables.

We also want to shout out to all the media who have put us in their articles and podcasts: GeekDad, TableTop Terrors, The Tome Show, DnDUI, Melvin Smifs Geekery, the Angry GM, BoardgameGeek, and Know Direction!

There are literally hundreds of other people to thank but, part of saying goodbye is knowing when to actually go. Thank you for giving us a shot. We're sorry we have to leave, just as the party was getting started.

Keep gaming,
All of us who were Trapdoor Technologies
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Ah, you haven't tried to connect to a game while there servers are down. We've missed sessions because of it.

Sure, you have it all, but without their servers players can't connect. If you don't believe me, try it on a LAN without internet access.
Don't use the server alias. I do it regularly.
 

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Nylanfs

Adventurer
Ah, you haven't tried to connect to a game while there servers are down. We've missed sessions because of it.

Sure, you have it all, but without their servers players can't connect. If you don't believe me, try it on a LAN without internet access.

This is not entirely correct. IF the servers are down (which does happen from time to time, mainly because of DDoS attacks) have the GM send out his IP address to the players. If the GM has the Ultimate and the players aren't using a Full version you are out of luck.

And you can completely use even the Ultimate on a local LAN system, the only time an internet connection is when the demo players connect so you can turn off the internet once everybody is connected.
 

unknowable

Explorer
Well, it's yours until they go out of business and then an operating system update breaks the application. Or until WotC releases 6th edition and, as part of the price to maintain their license, requires them to 'de-support' the 5th edition materials. Or any one of a number of other scenarios that happen every day in the software industry.

'Forever' is an awfully long time, especially in the world of software. How are your old 3.5" floppys that hold your old random monster Hypercard stack from AD&D holding up?



If the only way you can access the content is through a specific application, you're vulnerable to that application being de-supported. If the content is produced in a generic format, you're vulnerable to that format being declared obsolete, unsecure, or any number of other reasons for people to stop writing things that read that format. (See this excellent article for more info on data extinction and how historians are trying to fight it to retain a historical record.)

--
Pauper
Yeah, but let's be serious for a moment here.

I can run programs that were designed for computers in the 80's... I can virtual machine nearly anything. And even then barring some horrible event I can even build computers to run programs from that time period.

As long as someone has their files and a version of the program that worked with the software. Then they can still use it with fantasy grounds. There are people who still use fantasy grounds 2 for god's sake.

When it comes to digital file distribution, yes... it is essentially forever.
 

Matchstick

Adventurer
Maybe because those big s/w companies have no interest in an application that they might be able to gross $1mil USD if they are lucky. More likely a D&D software tool might do something like $250k/year gross if it does well.

Oh, but then they have found some small s/w developers with years of history to license to. SmiteWorks has been around for over a decade I think. The Orr Group for awhile too.

Not sure about SmiteWorks, but I bought Fantasy Grounds at GenCon in '06 (still have the CD they burned for me in the booth :)) so for sure FG has been around over a decade. It's been a heck of bargain, and more and more so the longer I have it.
 

Not sure about SmiteWorks, but I bought Fantasy Grounds at GenCon in '06 (still have the CD they burned for me in the booth :)) so for sure FG has been around over a decade. It's been a heck of bargain, and more and more so the longer I have it.
Smiteworks is the company the makes FantasyGrounds. Orr Group is the one that does Roll20.
 

Matchstick

Adventurer
Smiteworks is the company the makes FantasyGrounds. Orr Group is the one that does Roll20.

I know, I just couldn't remember if the company that made FG at that time was SmiteWorks (I was thinking maybe it was different before the buyout). Looking at my 2006 Fantasy Grounds paper CD sleeves, it looks like it was, I should have taken the thirty seconds to check. :)
 


Shasarak

Banned
Banned
Man, I was looking forward to seeing the Story Machine in action - that would have been worth the price of admission for sure.


I'd say the functionality of the application following the closure of the servers (which is dated today, for anyone who missed it) points out that the 'dead tree' model is still superior to what was being offered here.

If you paid a subscription fee for this service, once the servers shut down, you no longer have access to your rulebooks and you can't modify your character sheets or make new ones. If you paid for 'dead tree' books and character sheets, you can keep right on gaming, even if Paizo vanishes from the face of the earth tomorrow.

Until electronic content providers can figure out how to provide persistent content even when they're not around anymore, traditional 'dead tree' delivery will always have this advantage.

--
Pauper

Everything has their weakness, 'dead tree' materials dont mix well with fire or water while an electronic version can be backed up off site.

Of course for true longevity you will probably want a carved Rosetta stone version in a couple of languages just in case.
 

ddaley

Explorer
Yup. This is one example of why I don't like subscription based software. The company can shut you down without notice... There are other reasons that I avoid subscriptions as well...

I'd say the functionality of the application following the closure of the servers (which is dated today, for anyone who missed it) points out that the 'dead tree' model is still superior to what was being offered here.

If you paid a subscription fee for this service, once the servers shut down, you no longer have access to your rulebooks and you can't modify your character sheets or make new ones. If you paid for 'dead tree' books and character sheets, you can keep right on gaming, even if Paizo vanishes from the face of the earth tomorrow.

Until electronic content providers can figure out how to provide persistent content even when they're not around anymore, traditional 'dead tree' delivery will always have this advantage.

--
Pauper
 

MartyW

Explorer
Just want to be clear. The vision for the 5e product was never realized because WotC walked. WotC walked because they don't want their material digitalized in the way that was being suggested (they don't even allow pdfs). Then Trapdoor Tech had to pivot into another style of product.

I believe your assessment is proven false by the Fantasy Grounds and Roll20 partnerships. Both of those services provide the full digital books through their online stores for use within the FG and Roll20 VTTs. To blame WotC because they "don't do digital" is total baloney since they are clearly "doing digital" with other partners.
 

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