I seem to be missing the point on the online CB

[No Name]

How big is a DDI character PDF anyway? And that is the largest the file can be. As data in a database, a character would be trivially small.

Size matters not.

A long, long, long time ago, I played EverQuest. We were limited to 8 characters per server. Those who paid a premium were allowed 10. When friends wanted to try out the game, it was easy enough log into a different server and let them have at it. But when a new race or class was added to the game, an old character had to go if you wanted to play something new on the same server with your friends.

Hopefully, WotC won't pull some nonsense like this. It just popped into my head when I was thinking about them storing my characters.

The CB sold me on the game, I don't want to go back to pencil and paper. Having everything from all the resources (books, Dragon, Dungeon, etc.) in one spot and with all the errata spoiled me. I tend to support the things I like. I was a yearly subscriber. I own most of the books and quite a few of the minis.

I can't imagine going back to pencil and paper and building a character with feats, powers, magic items, etc., from multiple sources. I have no problems with the math, its having a sword from AV2, armor from AV1, feats and powers from PHB1, MP1, MP2, HotFL, and Dragon - and then trying to reference this stuff when a question comes up. I love the CB, but I don't want the thing to be online only. So it's either restriced access to the CB, or restricting myself to a few sources when character building the old school way.

I too will have to vote with my pocketbook. My account won't auto-renew, and if there's no offline CB when my subscription runs out, then I'm done.

 

[OnlineDM]

Well, at this point it is unknown whether or not WotC will refund any subscription money to those people who are paid up through some amount of time past Nov. 16th... but PaoloM's Q&A seemed to indicate that it's something you'd be able to take up with their Customer Service department. So if you didn't want to pay for DDI if the CB was now web-only... there seems to be a chance you could get the rest of your money back for the time remaining.

If that happens... then problem solved.

I think the earlier poster's point was that this change negatively impacts people who have been full-time subscribers, even though WotC has no reason to be targeting them. Those people are collateral damage in the fight against people who pirate the software or do the occasional one-month subscription for updates. I think that point is valid - good customers have been negatively impacted, which feels bad.

I don't think the point was, "I'm no longer happy with DDI and I wish to unsubscribe." I think it was, "Well gee, I'm a GOOD customer and yet I've been negatively impacted by this change. That feels lousy." That's how I feel, personally. Not so lousy that I'm going to unsubscribe (I still support D&D and I think DDI is still a useful product) - it's just not quite as attractive as it was before, which is a bummer.

I'm hoping that the future improvements (export capabilities, new tools) will come quickly and exceed our expectations. That would make this change a net positive for me. But at the moment, it's a negative.

 

[bagger245]

So the only ones happy are MAC users and internet-available people? I can't access the WOTC forum, can anyone tell me how is the response over there?

 

[No Name]

So the only ones happy are MAC users and internet-available people? I can't access the WOTC forum, can anyone tell me how is the response over there?

The main post in D&Di General about this subject is over 100 pages long and is closing in on 50,000 views. It's getting some attention.

 

[Mavrik]

The big issue for me is all the add on's our group use to play at the table

I use iplay4e at the table
Our dm or when i dm uses combat tracker
Sometimes i use my ipad and my character from that

With no export non of these products work, and so our game will be diminished until ' these features like export' become available

But i wont hold my breath

 

[Prism]

I still print my characters out from CB so being able to access during play isn't so important to me. However its possible that the new web version will provide a decent in play set of options to replace iplay4e to some degree. I'd prefer the export option to allow choice though.

Changes to the monster builder could concern me but I would assume this would come out ready to go with an export option. Otherwise there wouldn't be much point to it

Using silverlight is a shame for ipad/mobile users but I fully understand why it was used to reduce dev costs and time. I couldn't think of a better or cheaper current way of doing it, especially for a team already skilled in .NET

If the new version is better than the old I will be happy
If the new version provides better future integration with other gaming tools I will be happy

 

[Enaloindir]

I'm a Mac user, and I'm not happy with the online-only move...

 

[evilref]

I'm sure you can. I'm waiting to see how good the new CB is, though. It's quite possible that it'll knock my socks off, in which case I'm happy to stay subscribed. Change is inherently scary, but it doesn't make much sense to sabre-rattle until you know what you're getting.

But seriously, guys. Silverlight?

PaoloM has spelled out pretty well why they used Silverlight. They had knowledge of it, it works for content delivery and will facilitate their needs for future tools.


HTML 5 et al would have taken longer. As for ipads/iphones, it's apple's fault that it doesn't work on them as there's no hardware reason. Jobs et al just don't want a distribution method that can sidestep the app store. I know android functionality is on a 'to do' list at Microsoft (and probably before the olympics 2012 which is using Silverlight), but MS is baffling sometimes (windows 7 tablet...hello...anyone?).


As for the original question in the thread:


1) Resolves the many legacy issues with the kludged-together existing Character Builder which had reached its limits.

2) Facilitate new tools (Monster builder first, other tools apparently on the way). Having everything integrated is obviously an intended feature. Personally I'm hoping for encounter/campaign planning tools that let me stick the characters/monsters straight into them.

3) Limit the amount of pirating of the character builder which was rampant. By which I mean outright piracy, not sharing the builder around the group which was/is also common but at least someone's paying something.

As an additional point, PaoloM has stated that the new builder will (when export is added) create .dnd4e files so I don't see why existing tools such as iplay4e won't work. Moreover he requested 3rd party app developers to PM him which bodes well for integration.

 

[SabreCat]

I announced it to my group last night as a piece of good news. Before, we had a tendency to hit the 5-updates-a-month barrier, and the Mac users couldn't run it. Now, with a single login everyone can get online and create characters, which is fantastic!

I'm not familiar with Silverlight, though. What about that makes it unusable on iPads? Would it work on an Android device? I'm trying to decide what kind of tablet/laptop/netbook to purchase in the near future, and this could make a difference in what I decide on.

 

[Riastlin]

I think the earlier poster's point was that this change negatively impacts people who have been full-time subscribers, even though WotC has no reason to be targeting them. Those people are collateral damage in the fight against people who pirate the software or do the occasional one-month subscription for updates. I think that point is valid - good customers have been negatively impacted, which feels bad.

I don't think the point was, "I'm no longer happy with DDI and I wish to unsubscribe." I think it was, "Well gee, I'm a GOOD customer and yet I've been negatively impacted by this change. That feels lousy." That's how I feel, personally. Not so lousy that I'm going to unsubscribe (I still support D&D and I think DDI is still a useful product) - it's just not quite as attractive as it was before, which is a bummer.

I'm hoping that the future improvements (export capabilities, new tools) will come quickly and exceed our expectations. That would make this change a net positive for me. But at the moment, it's a negative.

Unfortunately, the few bad apples always ruin things for the vast majority who are good. This happens everywhere sadly.

That being said, as I mentioned in the other thread, I really don't see this as being a big deal. I don't necessarily see it as a positive step (in and of itself) but I also don't see it as a negative. Of course, if the new version comes out riddled with bugs, lacking updates, etc., etc. that is an entirely different issue and one at least partially unrelated to being online.

The "big news" to me would be more tools, not just online versions of current tools.