DDI for $7.95

[Ktulu]

Don't know if anyone noticed, but the bonus tools are up. The ability generator is useless to me, but it'll be wonderful for the players in my group who get irritated with the point-buy math (I've got one who always asks how much x costs).

The encounter builder, however, is quite nice. I just put a level 3 encounter together in about 30 seconds. It doesn't have monster stats, but it does calculate all the xp budget stuff for level and number of players, which is quite nice. Before printing off, you can add in tactics and comments (I'd assume magic items, and terrain). Not too shabby, considering I can easily put my game together from the comforts of my office.

 

[Voadam]

$5 for pdfs of both dungeon and dragon? I'd definitely get it if I was into 4e. Too bad this was not available for the 3e issues. If the 3e back issues were available at this price I'd get a lot more.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Don't know if anyone noticed, but the bonus tools are up.

No! I didn't notice - why did no one tell me! Quick, someone post a link for us lazy asses. (Okay, I will check it out myself, but I am too lazy to go back here and post the link - at least not today )

 

[Scribble]

Any word on how international subscribers can pay for DDI?
Credit card? Paypal?

I saw a post where they mentioned working on several different payment options... including paypal.

Don't know if anyone noticed, but the bonus tools are up.

The encounter generator is pretty cool. Would be nice if it included the stats, but it's still useful. (Although they messed up and assigned 700xp for a 4th level trap?)

 

[Ktulu]

On WotC's board, Gamer0 mentiones working with a company that includes many forms of payment (and specifically states paypal is one of them).

Ktulu

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I think what you're going to find is a lot of people will cancel their subscriptions once the price goes up and the novelty of the DDI stuff wears off. The final price will be close to $10/month and unless you really want the magazines or unless the online play is everything it's been promised to be (I have my doubts), gradually the subscription base will whither away. And as it whithers, WotC will start to ask why they are bothering to sink money into a sinking ship. So the updates will slow, thus leading to more cancellations, and on and on the cycle goes.

And you know the magazines will start showing up on torrents so a lot of people will just pick them up there.

From some casual conversations with players, the interest level in the online play just isn't there. From them, not from me. I'd love to DM games on the net and gain access to players all around the world. Assuming, of course, that the end product works as promised. But to be brutally honest, I think only a very small fraction of players will shell out a monthly subscription. There'll be a lot more DMs than players. Which kinda sucks for running games.

 

[Krug]

I'm ok with that pricing; just to keep things going for D&D.

 

[Treebore]

Anyone seen how they are going to price the table top stuff? IE is it going to be $10/month per player? Or just $10/month for the DM?

If its $10 for the DM I'll likely buy into that, but if its $10 per player, then thats out too. Maptools is just too awesome of a free tool to pay that much for something with little value added.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

If they keep this Web Content Only subscription model available after WotC brings the client apps into for-pay status, then this certainly satisfies my largest complaint. I use a mac and I would never want to have to pay for features that were never intended for me to be able to use. The web-only subscription seemingly gives me just the parts WotC cares to make Mac-compatible.

I will likely be a subscriber again as long as this stays available.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

Anyone seen how they are going to price the table top stuff? IE is it going to be $10/month per player? Or just $10/month for the DM?

If its $10 for the DM I'll likely buy into that, but if its $10 per player, then thats out too. Maptools is just too awesome of a free tool to pay that much for something with little value added.

I´m pretty sure no hard data has been surfacing about that. I think someone said an account had a certain amount of "play for free once" passes you could give to your players" per month, but don´t ask me for a link.
The flexibility of offering this pricing scheme for Dungeon and Dragon makes me hope the full package will be acceptable for groups, though.