D&D 5E D&D Beyond Announces Combat Tracker

"We're happy to announce the Alpha release of the Combat Tracker tool to subscribers of D&D Beyond! Try it out in your D&D games and your feedback will be used to make this the best it can be!"

D&D Beyond has just announced the alpha development version of a combat tracker. You can track monsters, initiative, and access quick reference information. This functionality is similar to that offered by Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds.

You can read more about the combat tracker here. The Alpha version is available to DDB subscribers.

"We have been using the Combat Tracker in our home games for a few weeks, and although it is certainly not in a finished state yet, we experienced enough value that we have decided to go ahead and release it now - even in its unfinished state - to both 1) let subscribers gain some of that value and 2) get feedback as early as possible.

Please keep in mind that this is not a finished product, and we invite subscribers to help us make it the best it can be!

Who can use the Combat Tracker?

All D&D Beyond Subscribers. The Combat Tracker is in full active development right now. We will be allowing early access to NEW Combat Tracker features to our Subscribers first, to prove out concepts and new functionality. We took the same approach with the Alpha version of the Encounter Builder with much success. This delivery method allows us to digest feedback in bite sized chunks and perform testing to figure out the best user experience possible.

What is a Development Alpha?

The Development Alpha of the Combat Tracker allows us to test features and user experience.

• Functional but expecting a lot of bugs
  • Should be no core functionality bugs
• Core functionality could change with feedback
• Functionality could appear or disappear at any time

We will be working on validating bug reports and cleaning up the Combat Tracker. Once these tasks have been completed we will release to Beta, essentially meaning the Combat Tracker tool is complete."

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I dont use D&D Beyond but Im assuming to make full use of this Id have to buy the DMG, PHB and MM at the very least on top of the subscription? Otherwise you only get certain PC, monsters and magical item options?

I mean, in order to use those features of the game, yeah.
Or you could wait until the alpha is done, and use it with no subscription.
Or, you could buy the things you need piecemeal.

Or, you could input everything manually for free as homebrew content, and then use it.

Otherwise you’ll be stuck with the SRD stuff.

 

[dave2008]

More importantly and more to my original point, I have as many issues WITH THE GAME as with the players when it is complex enough that software BECOMES A SEEMING NECESSITY in order to keep up with play, and is then understandably used by players to avoid actually learning the rules.

But that's just me.

Sorry for jumping in late, but what game or edition are you talking about? I have never found a software program a necessity in any version of D&D that I have played (1e, 4e, & 5e). As a DM I have found software helpful in many areas of game prep though.

 

[R_J_K75]

I mean, in order to use those features of the game, yeah.
Or you could wait until the alpha is done, and use it with no subscription.
Or, you could buy the things you need piecemeal.

Or, you could input everything manually for free as homebrew content, and then use it.

Otherwise you’ll be stuck with the SRD stuff.

With the few players I have and the amount of time we play I dont think its worth the investment of time and money. Probably be more economic to do it the old fashioned way but thanks for the information.

 

[3catcircus]

Maybe then you should go do so and not worry about this one so much?

Did they screw something up? Sure.

Should this have been a surprise to anyone? Nope. Not a whit. They presented it specifically as a work in progress. And these guys are not what we'd call a major development house at this point.

You have a choice - beat the crap out of them for a mistake*, or you can shrug, notice that the only real harm they did was to themselves, and move on.




*And while that may encourage them to not make mistakes, it may also encourage them to not give you new features, for fear of your reaction - negative stimuli have unpredictable effects.

That isn't the point. Whether alpha or beta, it shouldn't have been released to begin with. If they didn't know that it broke existing functionality, they didn't test it enough before releasing it.

In my industry, you always regression test new software functionality to both make sure it works and that it doesn't break anything that was working before. You know there will be bugs that you aren't aware of, but you don't deliver software you know isn't working. Failure to do so before delivery of new software could end up injuring or killing people (and has) in my industry.

 

[dave2008]

Failure to do so before delivery of new software could end up injuring or killing people (and has) in my industry.

That isn't the case with DnD Beyond though. I think it is worth keeping that in mind.

 

[Panda-s1]

That is not what I even suggested. If you want to take it that way, go ahead.

uh

You wouldn't think so at first glance, but YES, it is. Moreso for those who were gaming PRIOR to the internet, smart phones, tablets, etc. Books ARE different to use. IF, however, the book is badly organized that is when digital approaches work better.

so books are just somehow inherently better organized than digital information? superficial differences aside, is a pdf of a book not the same as a physical book to you?

I just did.

okay let me clarify, what's an actual real world example of a tabletop gaming software that obscures underlying math? I can only think of computer RPGs which I want to assume is not what you actually mean.

The moment they don't have access to the software, yes.

if they don't have access to the software then why are they playing?

As always, mileage varies. I never suggested I speak for everyone. Just relating MY experience. Not YOURS. Not the world at large. Not reciting the Gospel of Gygax. IT'S JUST ME. PLEASE don't suggest that when anyone does that - presents their OPINION, or PERSONAL experience that it is the same thing as demanding everyone play my way or that no other opinion or experience is possible.

And once again, MY experience - which is all I'm presenting - is different. You believe differently. Great. Live and be well. Please don't insist anymore, however, that you actually know my experience better than I.

okay you can't just make blanket statements about something and defend it with "it's my opinion it's my experience" when people try and question it.

And if more players actually read the manual...

well good thing the manual comes in digital form, that means people have choice between what version they're not going to read thoroughly :^)

Oy. I never said that ever, nor suggested it. MY experience as a DM has been that players who start using software to play D&D cease reading the books, actually learning the rules, and even completely flounder when they don't have access to the internet or the particular software they lean on - all while the physical books are right in front of them.

okay but people are saying this isn't necessarily the case. even if it's in your experience that's not always the case. but just because this has been the case for you doesn't mean you can say digital tabletop assistance is going to lead everyone to not know the rules.

I just prefer that players who are going to be in my campaigns use the book because of that experience. Not even DEMAND that they own the book. Prefer. Because as you say some people can do just fine without a book, some may spend money on software or get used to it, or whatever. It's not a hill I'm shouting that I shall die upon. I just want players to NOT want to depend on software to play - and I want a game that doesn't drive players to using software in order to COPE with the game.

look at this point I'm just convinced you're worried that digitizing tabletop games is just going to ruin tabletop gaming. I don't really play RPGs online, but the times I have the software does a reasonably well job at emulating the rules. even if someone were to make a tabletop rpg that relied on a digital assistant I don't see how that's any different from owning the required books or dice to play.

And none of this even gets into the question of what's so complicated about the initiative order? Young whippersnapper DM's today got it easy compared to Ye Auld Dayes when initiative was rerolled every round and we had 10 players at the table, plus NPC's, henchmen, pets, AND all the opponents to track - and combat rounds went by faster than they do now.

uhhhhhh, keeping track of an exact order of 5+ things is hard to do? especially when things take a long time to resolve and there's a thousand different variables to consider? pre-3rd edition combat had the advantage of not lasting as long and you get a new order to go through once every turn. that's not the case in a post-3.x world where you cycle through the same order over and over and things like status effects last for a specified number of rounds. I've seen countless solutions to keep track of initiative. hell, one of the best regarded products Paizo ever made was this combat pad, even I bought one (to use in 4e lmao).

 

[3catcircus]

That isn't the case with DnD Beyond though. I think it is worth keeping that in mind.

True, but it begs the question of their ability to pay attention to detail.

 

[Panda-s1]

That isn't the point. Whether alpha or beta, it shouldn't have been released to begin with. If they didn't know that it broke existing functionality, they didn't test it enough before releasing it.

In my industry, you always regression test new software functionality to both make sure it works and that it doesn't break anything that was working before. You know there will be bugs that you aren't aware of, but you don't deliver software you know isn't working. Failure to do so before delivery of new software could end up injuring or killing people (and has) in my industry.

okay, my joking about John the rules lawyer aside, no one's gonna die because the initiative tracker went down for a little bit. I also have no doubt they did do regression testing, but not every variable will be accounted for. that's just life.

True, but it begs the question of their ability to pay attention to detail.

not really? no. a single crash, especially on newer software, doesn't mean they don't pay attention to detail?

 

[dave2008]

True, but it begs the question of their ability to pay attention to detail.

Sure, but I don't find that to be much of a concern in an app that is simply to help play a game. Maybe I would feel differently if I owned the app, but I don't. I have considered purchasing the app though, and to be honest this who fiasco has made no difference in my decision process.

 

[3catcircus]

okay, my joking about John the rules lawyer aside, no one's gonna die because the initiative tracker went down for a little bit. I also have no doubt they did do regression testing, but not every variable will be accounted for. that's just life.

not really? no. a single crash, especially on newer software, doesn't mean they don't pay attention to detail?

Yes. For something as obvious as just running the new software and seeing it has broken existing functionality. The math don't work right, or it's swapping initiative order 1 time out of 20 - no big deal. But to break existing functionality because you didn't do a quick check before releasing is just plain lazy, stupid, or both.