Wizards Website Survey

[El Mahdi]

Well, the follow-up questions would have been silly to ask, given they were all about your usage of DDI.

I don't know about that. Some of them, I think, could have been answered by anyone. Such as the aforementioned question about trusting WoTC to deliver quality digital products in a timely manner. I think anyone could have an useful answer to that question for them, unless they only care about the opinions of those who do use DDI, which would seem foolishly limiting to me.

However, I was amused by that question also. "Do you trust WoTC to deliver quality digital products in a timely manner?" What answer could there possibly be to this question, when said "quality digital products" were advertised to be available upon the release of 4E, over 9 months ago. Isn't that kind of like turning in a critical, highly self-touted assignment, to your boss, 9 months late, and then asking your boss if he trusts you to turn in assignments in a timely manner?

Since it already has not been delivered in a timely manner, I selected the most accurate answer (IMO): 1. Not Likely.

 

[Lanefan]

Perhaps it is not within the scope of this particular online survey but I'd like to play D&D and cast my 'vote'. Just because I am not playing it now doesn't mean I haven't in the past or will never again...
Whether or not I have plans to subscribe to the DDI or am currently playing D&D at the moment doesn't mean I'm dog meat. I subscribe to other online programs very similar to the DDI and might have something nice to suggest.
Just thought it was kind of a quick 'thanks, but no thanks.' answer for past and future D&D players.

Self-limiting survey - To hear this is beyond annoying; that WotC is once again self-limiting their surveys and excluding what might otherwise be perfectly valid answers, based on arbitrary criteria. They did the same thing in the run-up to 3e, by excluding all surveys submitted by anyone over a certain age (35 at the time, I think). They're not excluding players of older editions, though; I answered that I only play/DM 1e and it gave me all the rest of the questions...at least, all that have been mentioned here.

Edition dates - yep, I caught that too...at least the 1e = 1974 one. Missed the 4e = 2007 one. But, from reading another thread here today, it would seem their historical knowledge is...well...a bit lacking...

Print vs. PDF - The question about why you wouldn't subscribe to DDI gives a great opportunity to ask for Dungeon and Dragon magazines in print form; I'd rather buy only the ones containing something of interest to me. (the rest of DDI is nigh useless to me unless they start supporting 1e)

Lanefan

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Self-limiting survey - To hear this is beyond annoying; that WotC is once again self-limiting their surveys and excluding what might otherwise be perfectly valid answers, based on arbitrary criteria. They did the same thing in the run-up to 3e, by excluding all surveys submitted by anyone over a certain age (35 at the time, I think). They're not excluding players of older editions, though; I answered that I only play/DM 1e and it gave me all the rest of the questions...at least, all that have been mentioned here.

I think there is a point to value answers of people that don't play D&D or do not use DDI differently then of those that play or use DDI. Still, not asking any question seems suboptimal...

But I think they will get answers that should prove useful anyway. Just because I subscribed to DDI and am a f4nboi doesn't mean I wouldn't express my likes and dis-likes. Of course, maybe that will only allow them to make a customer they already have happier.

Edition dates - yep, I caught that too...at least the 1e = 1974 one. Missed the 4e = 2007 one. But, from reading another thread here today, it would seem their historical knowledge is...well...a bit lacking...

So did they order an outside agency to create the poll or how can the times be so off?

Since it already has not been delivered in a timely manner, I selected the most accurate answer (IMO): 1. Not Likely.

I suspect that they will see this very often, because that's what I picked, too.

Maybe that's unfair - Dragon & Dungeon are on time these days. But not the applications, and I think that will be a sore sticking point. I think the only way to re-establish trust is to put out a release date for the next app (or even just beta versions, updates and so on) and keep to it.

 

[Kzach]

I have a few questions that I feel they should add to the survey:

1) Is the WotC website a complete mess?

2) Would you like the WotC website to be redesigned by anyone else but a retarded monkey?

 

[Grydan]

Was I the only one who found the version list a bit off?

First Edition (1974)
Second Edition (1989)
Third Edition (2000)
Fourth Edition (2007)

I guess WotC is categorizing everything prior to 2e AD&D as "First Edition."

I've got the survey open right now, and the version list they're offering me is as follows:

First Edition (first released in 1974)
Second Edition (first released in 1990)
Third Edition (first released in 2000, includes v.3.5)
Fourth Edition (first released in 2008)
Other, please specify [text field provided]

When I filled out the survey Friday afternoon, those were the options (I was just double checking now because the list in this thread didn't match my memory). So the 4E date is right.

Edit: My favourite part of the survey is the question "Do you subscribe to D&D Insider?" with the options being Yes, No, and Don't Know. How many people aren't sure whether they subscribe?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I have a few questions that I feel they should add to the survey:

1) Is the WotC website a complete mess?

2) Would you like the WotC website to be redesigned by anyone else but a retarded monkey?

The problem is not a retarded monkey, but "Design by Committee". I remember a few months or a year ago where someone posted in his blog how bad the design was and (after some critique at his style), he created a mock-up of how the website could work. In that time, some WotC Webmaster or something like that came around and explained that the design was a result of several elements of WotC coming together and balancing their department requirements.

In short, it's a compromise that probably doesn't satisfy anyone, but no one at WotC has the pull to change it. A shame. (And even more so that WotC is certainly not the only corporation with these problems...)

At least I can usually find my way to the articles I want to read these days, but it could be a manifold better. And they definitely should make a survey regarding their web site layout, too.

 

[TessarrianDM]

Took the survey, and now wish I could change one answer: under "How to improve DDI" I should have put "Include full support for all 3.5 products." That would get me to subscribe in a heartbeat.

 

[delericho]

I'm not going to speculate as to why they want that information. As far as I can see, market research is a good thing - at least they want to know what we want, which gives them a better chance of actually giving it.

What disappointed me about the survey was the missed opportunity: unfortunately, there is basically no chance of me subscribing for a very long time, if ever (my group having decided not to switch to 4e... though there is a chance that might change).

Which meant, of course, I had to tick "not applicable/don't know" for all of the "do you agree with this statement" questions. (Except for the one about value for money. As far as I can see, DDI is at the moment phenomenal value.)

Also, I was somewhat amused by the "trust" questions. Though I suspect the guys at WotC may be less amused by the answers they get.

(I think I would also have liked some "why did you not switch" questions. I'm sure at least some of the holdouts could still be convinced to switch, either with the release of new materials (to add back the 'missing' elements), through suitable articles on the website (to address the 'tone' issues), or perhaps in the form of a 4.5e (should they ever do such a thing). At the very least, asking the question would have given them some indication of what might be required... and also whether it is frankly worth their while trying.)

 

[Maggan]

Also, I was somewhat amused by the "trust" questions. Though I suspect the guys at WotC may be less amused by the answers they get.

I'm sure they won't be amused. I'm also sure they won't be surprised. The way that question was phrased, I got the impression this survey is partly to use internally, to prove to some group or the other that there is a real problem out there, and that something should be done.

I've done a few of surveys for large corporation that were later used as ammunition in inter-department warfare.

/M

 

[Irda Ranger]

I have a few questions that I feel they should add to the survey:

1) Is the WotC website a complete mess?

2) Would you like the WotC website to be redesigned by anyone else but a retarded monkey?

Ha! Those questions aren't related to DDI, but it would sure be nice if someone within WotC could actually show various Hasbro decision-makers that M.C. Esher drawings are more easily navigated than their website. I understand the "committee" problem, but the current kludge has to be hurting everyone.

But there was another (actually DDI related) question I thought they missed. They asked me if I was a DDI subscriber (I am not) and they didn't immediately (or at any later time) follow up with "Why not?"

Just in case anyone at WotC is reading this: Because I don't rent software. Subscribing to a magazine makes sense; subscribing to the character generator does not. I don't want every last feat, power and skill that WotC dreams up between now and 2021. I just want to make characters using the rules I own. I'd happily buy that (and buy expansions for PHB2), but I am not going to subscribe when I have no idea whether or not I even want any of those expansions yet.

As for the magazines, "Not until I have a color e-book reader that's actually pleasant to read long articles on." Or an at-home color laser printer.