D&D 5E The shape of DDI for 5e

[Kzach]

Given that Silverlight is basically going the way of the dodo and HTML 5 is on the rise, do you think WotC will remake the Character Builder in HTML 5 for 5e or do you think they'll just hack the current version to shoehorn 5e in?

Further, what do you think the rest of DDI will look like in the future? Or do you think it should just finally die? Will the Monster Builder ever get out of beta? Should we hope for HTML 5 versions or some sort of OGL that allows for character and monster builders and VTT's?

Personally I always thought that Silverlight was a poor choice and never quite understood how intelligent geeks at WotC could be sold on it as a solid option. I'd love to see totally new HTML 5 versions of all the tools, but mostly the character and monster builder, not to mention a massively overhauled Compendium that has better search options.

Plus, in HTML 5, it'll work on iPhones and iPads. Yay!

 

[vagabundo]

I'd like if WotC could give us an idea of what they are thinking about with DDI.

Sliverlight is terrible. Esp since I use Ubuntu on all my machines.

 

[Stoat]

I hope they keep the Compendium around. I'm glad that I don't have to juggle a half-dozen or more books to DM 4E, and I'm glad that I can spend a few idle moments at work prepping my game.

I think its safe to assume that Dungeon and Dragon will stay around, given that completely pulling the plug on them will piss off a big chunk of the fan base, and WotC doesn't want to do that this time.

I the idea for a VTT was a great one. Back in 2005 or so. By this point, I'm of the opinion that WotC has lost the VTT market to MapTools, Fantasygrounds, d20 Pro, etc. etc.

 

[renau1g]

I
I the idea for a VTT was a great one. Back in 2005 or so. By this point, I'm of the opinion that WotC has lost the VTT market to MapTools, Fantasygrounds, d20 Pro, etc. etc.

If they came up with a fully integrated VTT (with compendium/monster builder), access to their library of maps/tokens, etc. I think it would blow the others away. Problem is the market size for a VTT might be too small for them to invest the resources in, and they've had such a poor record of subbing out work that I'm not sure they'd want to go down that route either.

Either way I really hope they don't use Silverlight....

 

[IronWolf]

I never really understood their decision to go Silverlight, especially with the rise of tablets at the gaming table.

At this point though I am not sure how much work it would be to convert it to a more flexible setup. I suspect if the conversion to a broader technology were to take a significant chunk of time that they will simply put the 5e stuff into their existing technological framework simply for it being the path of least resistance.

 

[Alzrius]

Given that Silverlight is basically going the way of the dodo and HTML 5 is on the rise, do you think WotC will remake the Character Builder in HTML 5 for 5e or do you think they'll just hack the current version to shoehorn 5e in?

The latter. WotC has shown a deep distrust of contracting outside companies to develop their web presence (though to be fair they did get burned on more than one such exchange), and have an equally bad history of going it alone. I think they'll just tweak the current version out of fear of what'll happen if they try and make any major changes (at least for the foreseeable future).

 

[Kzach]

I suspect if the conversion to a broader technology were to take a significant chunk of time that they will simply put the 5e stuff into their existing technological framework simply for it being the path of least resistance.

This is my fear.

It's corporate-think of the worst sort. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the market. It's the same mentality that leads to DRM. It reminds me of an architectural and planning documentary I watched years and years ago. City planners kept finding that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't force people to walk where they wanted them to walk. Entire parks were ruined simply because people would create their own paths. So the designers enlisted computer technology to mimic human behaviour and designed the parks to fit people, rather than trying to force people to fit the parks. The same philosophy was then applied to all sorts of public works projects and architectural design and they found that, funnily enough, people loved it.

Corporations need to understand that short of 1984, they are not going to control the majority of people and instead of working against them, should work with them and if they can manage that, they will be a resounding success. If WotC would just realise this, then they wouldn't have so many people using CBLoader instead of DDI.

 

[Umbran]

It's corporate-think of the worst sort.

It is corporate-think, but not the worst sort. The worst sort leads to things like chemical spills. This is just the sort that looks at the balance sheet and goes, "The extra effort to use a new platform doesn't pay off."

In terms of software and electronic offerings, RPGs have a very simple problem - small market. Development of good software is not cheap, and making an application for one specific RPG pay off on the corporate scale is a tall order.

 

[Kzach]

It is corporate-think, but not the worst sort. The worst sort leads to things like chemical spills. This is just the sort that looks at the balance sheet and goes, "The extra effort to use a new platform doesn't pay off."

The point I was trying to make, though, was that numbers on a spreadsheet don't equate to real-world solutions. They need to understand that people will just find another way if the way being offered is a poor option.

 

[Hussar]

For the total non-tech guys here, what's wrong with Silverlight? And use small words, pretty please.