When is D&D Insider actually launching?

[Hussar]

I find the visualizer laughable to an extreme. The virtual tabletop is interesting, but since it adjudicates no rules it doesn't really help as much as many other tools that are available for a one time fee (like Klooge and Fantasy grounds, which are admittedly not 3d but that's more flash than substance) - - though that opinion might change when / IF I ever see it. The point is if they haven't already locked folks out, I'm worried that they will have to do that before people can actually see what they're expecting to buy.

Fantasy grounds doesn't adjudicate any rules. I can use FG with pretty much any game I care to use. OpenRPG is even more system neutral than FG. I've never used Klooge, but, I would certainly never use any VTT program that adjudicates rules. What's the point of having a DM at that point?

 

[Xyxox]

Virtual tabletop. Character visualizer. Probably something else I'm forgetting.

Wasn't there supposed to be a character generator where you could store characters, too?

Also, they were saying something like one feature per month. It's been a month since the Rules Compendium came out. I wonder what new feature will eb rolled out in the next day or two?

 

[Fifth Element]

I don't think the question is so much "When will this be out" so much as "Will this be out?"

Presumably you mean "in its entirety", since parts of it are already out.

 

[Xyxox]

Presumably you mean "in its entirety", since parts of it are already out.

And apparently, the most sought after and most difficult to develop parts are what's still outstanding.

It's not tough to publish content on the web (Dungeon and Dragon virtual magazines). Putting a search engine against a small database is a pretty easy applicaiton to develop (rules compendium, which lacks full functionality, IMO).

So we're missing the real meat of the offering, the character generator, the character visualizer, and the virtual tabletop.

If they get those up and running as advertised, I'll definitely be joining in the fun. I'll even buy virtual minis so long as I don't have to by randomized packs of 'em.

 

[wayne62682]

D&DI is turning out a lot like Windows Vista (and don't take that comparison wrong, I like Windows Vista. I'm using it right now.) in the sense that it was promised with a lot of features, then delayed, and more than likely when D&DI is released, it will be with only a subset of the features that were originally intended for it. Probably enough to still be of use and appeal to people, but not the same thing as it was originally described.

Right now though, it's nothing but vaporware because there isn't a semi-usable Beta, or anything more than the screenshots they already showed us. In software, that's still considered vaporware because you have nothing tangible.

 

[TerraDave]

Virtual tabletop. Character visualizer. Probably something else I'm forgetting.

Oh yeah...but seriously, they where demoing these at DDXP, so they must have something, though when I stopped to watch it, it crashed.

Gencon is there next obvious target. If they don't have a working beta to demo there, then I think they really have a problem.

 

[The Little Raven]

I haven't tried the new version, but there hasn't historically been anything major wrong with MTGO.

Wizards says that MTGO accounts for roughly 30-40% of their total Magic business. If you take into account that Magic does way more business than D&D does, this "failure" is something any other company would sell their soul to attain.

 

[Xyxox]

Oh yeah...but seriously, they where demoing these at DDXP, so they must have something, though when I stopped to watch it, it crashed.

Gencon is there next obvious target. If they don't have a working beta to demo there, then I think they really have a problem.

Vaporware demoes are rarely functional products and are many times mockups of what is envisioned to be the funcitonal product. In other words, they are basically videos that mock being products.

I'd also agree, if the Character Generator, Dungeon Builder, Character Visualizer, and Virtual Tabletop are not in Beta as of Gen Con, the DDI will most likely be a failure.

Wizards says that MTGO accounts for roughly 30-40% of their total Magic business. If you take into account that Magic does way more business than D&D does, this "failure" is something any other company would sell their soul to attain.

Not necessarily. There's definitely revenue demonstrated in that statement, but what's the margin?

 

[amysrevenge]

Another more-or-less failed WotC online initiative is the character tracking for the RPGA's D&D Campaigns (not the Living Campaigns like Living Greyhawk, but the ones like Xendrik Expeditions or Legacy of the Green Regent).

Ask around of RPGA members who played those Campaigns, and you'll find many who had serious problems with the online tracking portion.

 

[phloog]

Fantasy grounds doesn't adjudicate any rules. I can use FG with pretty much any game I care to use. OpenRPG is even more system neutral than FG. I've never used Klooge, but, I would certainly never use any VTT program that adjudicates rules. What's the point of having a DM at that point?

My apologies for implying that FG did rules...my point was the DDI's table SHOULD, and since it doesn't it seems like it has less value than FG - at least in terms of announced/real features. FG lets you chat and whisper, I can push maps and other documents to all players or individuals, I can roll dice and push the results about....ideally I could smash DMGenie and FG together and have the perfect tool.

I think that for me rules adjudication might mean something different from what others think - - for me I would like a tool that CAN tell me what the rules say - but then I can override them. So for example, DMGenie will roll all the initiatives for me, and if I want it can make all the combat rolls, apply the damage, etc...but at any time I can roll my own dice, make my own calls, apply or ignore damage...it seems like they're using the excuse of flexibility and house rules to do nothing in this area.