D&D Insider: Losing your toys

[Irda Ranger]

I've seen lots of "Pro" DDI comments, particularly about the character builder. I get that. I've tried the demo and it's pretty sweet. And the "anti's" seem to be focusing on the missing features and occasional bug. But those are unavoidable in any software I think.

But doesn't it bother anyone else that if you stop subscribing to DDI that your Character Builder and Compendium stop working? It's not that they stop receiving updates, I mean they no longer function. The CB and Compendium revert to the "Demo" versions and any characters you made above 3rd level can no longer be edited (I just got off the phone with Wizards and have confirmed this).

Think about it: You don't own that software. You're committed to paying that recurring cost for as long as you want to use the software, and that's assuming that WotC wants to sell it to you. When 5E comes out (which is inevitable if not soon) I doubt your 4E programs will be continue to be supported.

I dunno. I really, really don't like that kind of loss of control of my software and data. I don't rent CS3 or MS Office, and I expect to be able to edit my documents years from now even if those companies go out of business or move on to new platforms. I don't like being subject to corporate (profit driven) whim or on the hook for "for as long as we like, for as much as we like" fees. Is that just me?

 

[RefinedBean]

Wow. Really?

Everything I've heard says that the CB will keep working, but won't receive updates.

I'd posit the opinion that the person you talked to at WotC didn't really know what they were talking about. It's happened before.

If it's TRUE, though...well, that is kinda crappy. But I love DDI so much that if I'm not subscribing to it, I've probably stopped playing 4E completely, so that doesn't bother me all that much. I can see why some people would get pissed, though!

 

[Nymrohd]

I see part of the DDI as renting access to the Compendium Database. A massive database that gets updated regularly and contains an expensive ammount of information whose value inflates faster than the money WotC has accrued from my subscriptions should not be something I can buy permanent access to (unless it is for a price far above that of subscription), as is the case with several similar databases. I do think it would be ideal if at the end of the 4E development cycle we could pay a certain fee for continuous access to these utilities with no subscription, but hopefully 4E will have a healthy life

 

[malraux]

I'm not a huge fan of the subscription model to anything, though I prefer the subscription model over the micro-transaction model. So, yeah, in some ways I'd rather just buy the CB. I suspect that would complicate the business model a good bit though. How do you pay for updates? Do you make bug fixes separate from database updates? Does the magazine and compendium subscription justify free data updates or do you also charge for those? Etc. I would hope that at the end of life of 4e, wotc would offer the CB as a long term download. Along with a complete download of all the magazines, and ideally a stand alone app that has all the compendium data in it.

 

[I'm A Banana]

But doesn't it bother anyone else that if you stop subscribing to DDI that your Character Builder and Compendium stop working?

Honestly, no.

With a handy ability to export everything to a less nebulous kind of file(even if in some cases it takes a little bit of finagling), I can save everything I need, if I decide to cancel my DDI subscription.

I'm generally not a fan of that kind of business model, but I think it works for what DDI is and what it wants to be. Considering that the main avenue of game release is still books, I feel that if I need it to be more permanent, I can friggin' buy the books.

 

[Scribble]

But doesn't it bother anyone else that if you stop subscribing to DDI that your Character Builder and Compendium stop working? It's not that they stop receiving updates, I mean they no longer function. The CB and Compendium revert to the "Demo" versions and any characters you made above 3rd level can no longer be edited (I just got off the phone with Wizards and have confirmed this).

Think about it: You don't own that software. You're committed to paying that recurring cost for as long as you want to use the software, and that's assuming that WotC wants to sell it to you. When 5E comes out (which is inevitable if not soon) I doubt your 4E programs will be continue to be supported.

I dunno. I really, really don't like that kind of loss of control of my software and data. I don't rent CS3 or MS Office, and I expect to be able to edit my documents years from now even if those companies go out of business or move on to new platforms. I don't like being subject to corporate (profit driven) whim or on the hook for "for as long as we like, for as much as we like" fees. Is that just me?

Yeah I think the person you spoke with at WoTC either was wrong, or didn't understand your question. I can disconnect my computer from the net and still use the CB. I think they just meant the updates.

Heh... MS office is moving towards the "cloud computing" model actually. It's the new trend kind of in software. The end user "rents" it and in return doesn't have to worry about upgrading, or their computer crashing and loosing all their data, and they can use it from any computer anywhere.

Some people like it, some don't.

As for 5e? I don't really care. Right now I'm playing 4e, and the programs WoTC offers help me play 4e. I don't NEED them to play the game, they just add support. If they go away, yeah it won't be the best day, but it's not detrimental to my ability to play 4e.

And if 5e ends up being really fun, and they offer support for that I might not even notice!

 

[Irda Ranger]

Everything I've heard says that the CB will keep working, but won't receive updates.

I'd posit the opinion that the person you talked to at WotC didn't really know what they were talking about. It's happened before.

I'd love to see a correction, but here's the Wizards FAQ:

9) Do I need to be online to use the Character Builder?

No, but the Internet is required for several important steps. You will have access to the Character Builder in Demo mode, featuring levels 1 to 3. Subscribers will be able to upgrade their application with the full content for levels 1 to 30 which requires an Internet connection. New content will be updated each month. If you have to re-install the application, you will need to be an active subscriber to upgrade to the full version.

Emphasis mine on the last part. It's pretty obvious that you need to be an active subscriber for full functionality.

The website doesn't say exactly what happens to the software when you cancel, but the phone rep specifically said it was downgraded to the demo version. We exchanged several Q&As on that point and the answers sounded well rehearsed and confident. I did not get the impression that he was uncertain or confused on the matter.

 

[Jack99]

I am calling BS. From someone.

I can access my CB when offline (I just tested). How on earth would they "revert" anything in that case. Send those all-to-famous WotC-ninjas?

I just don't buy it.

 

[BarkingDeathSquirrel]

I don't see how the Character Builder can stop working after you stop subscribing, not like it doesn't require an active internet connection to use, nor a log-in. That's just for getting updates. This could change later... but, eh, I kinda doubt it.

As for the compendium... you can always just copy and paste everything you think you'll need later into a word document, if you are really bothered about it going away. I guess you do lose access to a searchable database, but *shrugs*

 

[Irda Ranger]

With a handy ability to export everything to a less nebulous kind of file (even if in some cases it takes a little bit of finagling), I can save everything I need, if I decide to cancel my DDI subscription.

Do you do anything sexier than print to PDF?