November 16th release for Web-based Character Builder
- Thread starter mudbunny
- Start date
The iOS used in ipads, iphones and newer ipods does not have support for Silverlight. You'll need Windows or the full MacOS (or Linux?) to get a Silverlight plugin for a browser.
The new CB won't have an export function at release, so newer characters made with it won't be usable with iplay4e. The Export function, however, is set for a release in an update, though it hasn't been said if the format of the files will be the same as they are now.
The funny thing I'm seeing is all the people who are saying that the new CB is going to be bad because it has no support for homebrew stuff. But the current CB doesn't either. Sure, you can add a text line, but the "Description" field doesn't show up anywhere in the builder or on the sheet, and these custom elements don't interact with the sheet, so you have to write them in anyway. I'm not seeing this as a valid complaint, except as to say that real support for homebrew elements should have been in the CB two years ago. But as a comparison? I don't buy it.
Obryn
Hero
As a PC user who's kept a subscription active for a few years, and loves the Character and Monster Builders, I see this as a hindrance for me.
I have an 8-month-old, and prepare for most of my games during lunch at work. Offline tools are super-helpful given work's firewall restrictions.
I am glad my sub doesn't expire until late in the month so I can check it out, but I'm not a very happy customer right at this moment.
-O
I have an 8-month-old, and prepare for most of my games during lunch at work. Offline tools are super-helpful given work's firewall restrictions.
I am glad my sub doesn't expire until late in the month so I can check it out, but I'm not a very happy customer right at this moment.
-O
Ah yes... the madness that WotC no longer is going to let people scam the system by buying a single month's subscription to DDI and gain access to the entire suite of crunch and keep it for as long as they want without paying anything further.
What are they thinking?!?
Yeah, people are scamming the system by using it the way it is obviously intended to be used. For shame! Come on people. WotC knew that people could download tons of content for a one month subscription. They had to know this. It was practically a selling point for the CB. They could have made you pay for each months' updates separately, but they didn't. People bought subscriptions and updated their CB. They paid for a service and received the service. No scamming anywhere to be seen.
I note that you've been a member since '02. I assume you sat around with RPG books for six years just wishing you could play but for the overwhelming cost of ink and paper.
Seriously though, I lose zero functionality with this change. When I went to play, I hit print on the character sheet. One of my players, uses a sheet of notebook paper and a pencil. I'm pretty sure he isn't worried about the roughly 2 cents it costs him.
That being said, I understand the complaint for those who travel a lot and take their laptops with them and like to play around with the CB. That is a legitimate concern. However, I also think that this is a pretty small percentage of the actual usage of the CB. To me, this smells a lot more like the "Oh my god, WotC created a new edition and its not the exact same as my favorite edition!" arguments.
The only "lack of functionality" this really creates is for those who only want to play with their laptop running and are not able to play in an area with internet. I still think this is a pretty small segment, especially considering how long D&D has been around. Additionally, while I realize everyone's mileage is different, pulling players away from their laptops, iPads, phones, etc. is not particularly bad since those items in my experience only tend to distract people at the table.
Yeah; Microsoft is quite willing to make a Silverlight plugin for iOS (they've done so for MacOS).
Mr. Wilson
Explorer
Given that my players did all play with Laptops, I'm terribly disappointed with this announcement, especially given that the current CB could track everything as you played.
I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep my DDI sub, if I do it will only be for the compendium, which cuts down on my book carrying. I WILL advise the rest of my players to stop paying for their DDI, and we will just freeze things at the classic CB (so no essentials, no Dark Sun).
I'm also going to guess the bugs in Classic CB will never be fixed. Awesome.
This is the close to the worst news I could have received about the DDI.
I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep my DDI sub, if I do it will only be for the compendium, which cuts down on my book carrying. I WILL advise the rest of my players to stop paying for their DDI, and we will just freeze things at the classic CB (so no essentials, no Dark Sun).
I'm also going to guess the bugs in Classic CB will never be fixed. Awesome.
This is the close to the worst news I could have received about the DDI.
SteveC
Doing the best imitation of myself
Well it looks like this is the end of the road for my DDI account. It's still not coming due for a few months now, but I don't expect to renew it at this point.
I don't have free and open access to the web during the day: my employer doesn't mind if I use the CB over lunch or on a break, but no WotC website (or EnWorld for that matter) during the day. That and the fact that my FLGS where I play at doesn't have wifi.
I love the character builder, it's a killer app for 4E that puts it (in my opinion) far ahead of anyone else. The move to get people who aren't subscribing now back into the fold will largely fail, because people who share their character builder accounts and downloads will just do the same thing with this. I suppose it will get the HUGE Mac market who doesn't already run Windows to do something, so I hope it's worth it.
Time to build my own character app, methinks...or find another alternative.
I just have to say, and I don't say this lightly, that this is the absolute worst decision coming from WotC in years: take the one app that people, by and large, really liked (it had some problems, I'll grant you) and dump it with no real warning.
Sigh.
Hey but if you're a Mac user, bravo for you!
--Steve
I don't have free and open access to the web during the day: my employer doesn't mind if I use the CB over lunch or on a break, but no WotC website (or EnWorld for that matter) during the day. That and the fact that my FLGS where I play at doesn't have wifi.
I love the character builder, it's a killer app for 4E that puts it (in my opinion) far ahead of anyone else. The move to get people who aren't subscribing now back into the fold will largely fail, because people who share their character builder accounts and downloads will just do the same thing with this. I suppose it will get the HUGE Mac market who doesn't already run Windows to do something, so I hope it's worth it.
Time to build my own character app, methinks...or find another alternative.
I just have to say, and I don't say this lightly, that this is the absolute worst decision coming from WotC in years: take the one app that people, by and large, really liked (it had some problems, I'll grant you) and dump it with no real warning.
Sigh.
Hey but if you're a Mac user, bravo for you!
--Steve
jodyjohnson
Adventurer
Cancelling sub, burning books, killing current group... then playing 1st ed AD&D in the big house with the homies from high school.*
Maybe it would be a bigger deal if most of the group weren't already playing WoW, surfing the web, watching ESPN3 or monitoring Farmville on Facebook while we are playing. It might even cut down on the extracurriculars.
* Just a TPK.
Maybe it would be a bigger deal if most of the group weren't already playing WoW, surfing the web, watching ESPN3 or monitoring Farmville on Facebook while we are playing. It might even cut down on the extracurriculars.
* Just a TPK.
buddhafrog
First Post
I am the guilty party
I am the guilty party.
I downloaded a pirated copy of DDI, with several pirated updates. As a player who hadn't played for 25 years but wanted to return to the hobby, I wasn't going to invest hundreds of $$$ into the hobby without knowing if it would be a good investment. At that time, I didn't know that I could pay for only one month and keep the info - I would've done that.
Both of these actions are what WotC are trying to avoid. I understand this and certainly am not bitter. Yes, I "stole" their products. However, b/c I had easy access to the game, I have ended up spending many hundreds in other D&D products this year:
I probably would have bought almost none of these if I didn't have easy access to DDI -- I was strongly considering playing one of the re-skinned versions AD&D. In this past year, I have introduced about 30 kids to D&D 4e. I'm positive many will continue in this hobby and spend much money over the years.
What does this all mean? In general, I think that when a company makes entry into a hobby easy and finds additional ways to create profit, that company is heading in the right direction. Unfortunately RPG's might be slightly different b/c such a small % of profit is from new users. I do think WotC is doing some things to try to change this, and I really hope they succeed.
There have been a few EnWorld threads asking whether one should get a DDI subscription. I've recommended to some of them to get a one month DDI subscription b/c the CB is so useful, and then they can cancel and keep what they've downloaded. (I recommend everyone does this now before the switchover to web-based). This isn't "cheating" - there are tons of people who want to play D&D but can't afford the cost of monthly subscriptions. Some folks want all the info as soon as its available (including errata). Others are willing to pay far less but still get the bulk of info and allow them to play. As a company, a goal would be to make your product good enough that when these one-monthers have enough money, they will put their disposable income into your products (DDI or otherwise). I now use the DDI so much that I was going to get my first official subscription and keep it going. With the new info, I won't be doing that of course. I also won't be subscribing to the new web-based version -- I'll be content to keep what I have in my current DDI version and simply play with that. For me, I have enough 4e material to play the game I want. If WotC continues to make good enough products, this might change - but not for now.
I'm a D&D fanboy - I love it. There are good reasons for WotC to go this route, but on the other hand it does hinder people like myself from getting into the hobby - people who simply won't start playing if they know they'll have to keep a monthly subscription to generally make it possible.
I am the guilty party.
I downloaded a pirated copy of DDI, with several pirated updates. As a player who hadn't played for 25 years but wanted to return to the hobby, I wasn't going to invest hundreds of $$$ into the hobby without knowing if it would be a good investment. At that time, I didn't know that I could pay for only one month and keep the info - I would've done that.
Both of these actions are what WotC are trying to avoid. I understand this and certainly am not bitter. Yes, I "stole" their products. However, b/c I had easy access to the game, I have ended up spending many hundreds in other D&D products this year:
- maybe $400 in minis
- Eberron 4e book - b/c it's cool and I wanted the feeling of flipping through a book like the old days
- Essentials DM tool kit (to give to my son)
- Essentials Compendium
- Essentials Monster Kit (to share with my son)
- lots of dungeon tiles sets
- plus tons of non D&D, but hobby related products like dice, maps, etc.
I probably would have bought almost none of these if I didn't have easy access to DDI -- I was strongly considering playing one of the re-skinned versions AD&D. In this past year, I have introduced about 30 kids to D&D 4e. I'm positive many will continue in this hobby and spend much money over the years.
What does this all mean? In general, I think that when a company makes entry into a hobby easy and finds additional ways to create profit, that company is heading in the right direction. Unfortunately RPG's might be slightly different b/c such a small % of profit is from new users. I do think WotC is doing some things to try to change this, and I really hope they succeed.
There have been a few EnWorld threads asking whether one should get a DDI subscription. I've recommended to some of them to get a one month DDI subscription b/c the CB is so useful, and then they can cancel and keep what they've downloaded. (I recommend everyone does this now before the switchover to web-based). This isn't "cheating" - there are tons of people who want to play D&D but can't afford the cost of monthly subscriptions. Some folks want all the info as soon as its available (including errata). Others are willing to pay far less but still get the bulk of info and allow them to play. As a company, a goal would be to make your product good enough that when these one-monthers have enough money, they will put their disposable income into your products (DDI or otherwise). I now use the DDI so much that I was going to get my first official subscription and keep it going. With the new info, I won't be doing that of course. I also won't be subscribing to the new web-based version -- I'll be content to keep what I have in my current DDI version and simply play with that. For me, I have enough 4e material to play the game I want. If WotC continues to make good enough products, this might change - but not for now.
I'm a D&D fanboy - I love it. There are good reasons for WotC to go this route, but on the other hand it does hinder people like myself from getting into the hobby - people who simply won't start playing if they know they'll have to keep a monthly subscription to generally make it possible.
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