WotC is going online. What do you want the digital initiative to be?

[Zaruthustran]

So, Dragon and Dungeon are no longer print magazines. That's a done deal, and other threads have terrific eulogies. Given that WotC has taken those properties in-house in part to support their new (and as yet unrevealed) digital initiative, what do we--as an online community with a membership more than twice as large as Gencon's total attendance--want that digital initiative to deliver?

I figure it'd be helpful to comment on these topics:

Content. Same as Dragon and Dungeon, only online? New content that takes advantage of the web's strengths (user-created content, access to tons of indie content, other Amazon/Youtube-like content)? Simultaneous releases of print books and PDFs?

Services. Searchable databases with full rules for feats and classes (compare to the current Feat Index, which only provides name, teaser, and source book)? Online character creator/repository with a clean interface and up-to-date classes/feats/mechanics? Online customizable spellbook creator? The ability to add/tweak rules to create a "houserules" module you can plug-in to the base ruleset? Virtual tabletops that access the character database with built-in voicechat, battlemaps, dice-roller, monster icons, and dungeon tiles designed to deliver an online tabletop experience?

Pricing. Comment on what you'd be willing to pay per month, or per piece of content. Be specific ($5 a month!) or general (pdfs should be priced lower than the print edition!). When commenting, please keep in mind that the initiative has to be profitable for WotC--"all online content should be free!!!1!" isn't realistic or helpful.

I know the recent move by WotC is dramatic but the decision has been made: they're creating some sort of online experience for us. So, let's make a wishlist.

-z

PS: let's all assume that WotC will continue to produce print books. Print D&D is not going away. This isn't a "which is better: online or offline D&D?" or "PDFs aren't as good as printed material!" thread. It's a "WotC has a digital initiative. Given that reality, what do we want that initiative to deliver?" thread.

 

[blargney the second]

There had bloody better be a decent amount of Eberron content before I even think of signing up.

 

[EricNoah]

Content & Services: When I go online or use a computer for gaming, I go for a) discussion with like-minded gamers to get ideas, advice, share stories, etc. b) to find appropriate artwork or maps to go along with a game I'm running or a character I'm making; c) to buy a PDF product like Goodman Games DCCs, though only rarely -- I usually wish I had both print and PDF for products like that and end up printing out significant portions of such; d) reference rules during a game on www.d20srd.org (which of course is only open content) and also use related tools like dice rollers now and then; e) character generation both as DM and player (eTools used here, also monster stat generation), as well as other calculating tools like Excel spellsheets. I only very rarely take the time to read the articles at wizards.com/dnd -- I do use the map galleries and art galleries quite a bit, though. As others have pointed out, if the character generation isn't solid and if it's not customizable on my end for house rules, then it's a no-sale for me.

 

[JoeGKushner]

How much I'd be willing to pay is going to depend heavily on what we have.

If it's some lame HTML thing like Pyramid, $20 a year.

If it's PDF articles with standard WoTC art and it actually gets some editing, especially when errors are pointed out to 'em, I could see $60 a year.

 

[EricNoah]

I would add that I would expect them to have support for their own products and campaign settings. I don't currently use FR or Eberron but certainly understand that others do, and I might at some point and would want that kind of support.

On the other hand, I would want the pricing broken down such that if I do want FR and Eberron, but not other stuff -- or if I want character generation but nothing else -- I could pay for what I was using and not for everything.

 

[naturaltwenty]

I'd like:

- a virtual tabletop
- voice chat support
- virtual minis
- maps, maps and more maps
- online access to more than the SRD - including IP specific information regarding Greyhawk, The Realms, Eberron, d20 Modern (including Dark Matter)
- character creation software that once again has access to IP specific information - that I can print out if I'm playing a face-to-face game
- campaign adventures
- online access to RPGA events for virtual cons
- asking for Star Wars might be too much but since we're on the subject
- tile creation software for mini-games
- enhanced message boards for game finders

I'll think of more I'm sure

 

[DreadArchon]

I'd buy printed periodic (annual?) compilations of crunch (feats, prc's, etc.).

 

[Shadeydm]

I want it to be a failure on the scale of "New Coke" and "E-Tools".

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I want to see them revive the best of their older online content. I'm not paying for "stuff you already know about character classes" or "flowerpots of the Realms."

I also want to see the best of the Dragon and Dungeon magazines replicated, by comparable contributors. I want ecologies, new monsters, plenty of crunch, even more fluff, and more fully fleshed-out scenarios than they put online nowadays.

I want the site to be available. No more of this crap where the site's offline for five days at a stretch.

I want typos and errata for online content to be done as soon as problems are recognized, not "eventually" and especially not "never."

I want Wizards to take full advantage of the computer. I want online generators, I want online play, I want much more impressive supplemental material to hard copy material than we sometimes get. (Sometimes the current stuff is nice, but it's not stuff I'd pay extra to get.)

Oh, and I know this is silly, but I still want it: I want more and less fugly wallpapers.

I would pay up to $5/month for all this.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I want it to be a failure on the scale of "New Coke" and "E-Tools".

Thanks for sharing.