D&D (2024) Early access to 2024 books in DnDBeyond is tied to subscription tier.

[mamba]

Because their points are wrapped up in how they feel about buying a product vis a vis the size of the company. It’s not false.

no, the points are very clear and you addressed none of them

• access to the full DDB catalog for subscribing: fail
• UA with only DDB subscribers: fail
• Access to the new core rules without having to buy them on DDB (more or less the same as 1): also fail

Size of the company has nothing to do with any of these, the only one where it matters is

- support someone to work on stuff you like that they otherwise could not afford to

This clearly does not apply to WotC / DDB, everything else very much does and they do none of it

 

[mamba]

It is not a restriction, but a benefit.

the restriction is that you could preorder and not be a subscriber and still get early access… explain how limiting that to subscribers who preorder is a new benefit at all

 

[darjr]

I no longer subscribe to DnDBeyond. I dint plan to start again. I’m not planning on buying any 5e books nor the revisions from WotC either.

But I dint see the early access based on tier, individually, as crappy. I don’t get it.

Is enshitification going to happen, yea, it’s a corporation. Has it happened at all, yea, I think so.

Is it still a fantastic service for folks who want its functionality? Yea.

Is it for me? Even if I were to go back to WotC 5e? No. Give me PDFs.

Still I don’t see it with early access. It’s like doing a kickstarter. You get early access. Even IF non backers could pre-order the product outside the kickstarter.

 

[Cadence]

As an aside, I just pulled up mine to check my tier, and for a second I was wondering what the heck "Beyond Hero Tier" and "Beyond Master Tier" were for D&D. Putting the Beyond with D&D really makes a difference!

Is Master Tier scheduled to stay at just $5.99/month?

 

[darjr]

And I’m serious, explain to me why this particular thing is bad?

 

[mamba]

Okay. I’m talking about early access. You’re talking about something else.

you were talking about how this is no different than subscribing to a patreon, I pointed out that it is nothing like a patreon… glad that we now agree that the two are ‘something else’

Or as you apparently see it, if I ignore 95% of what a DDB subscription is for and 95% of what a patreon is for, the remaining 5% are kinda similar

 

[DarkCrisis]

Pretty much yeah it just this meme:

View attachment 367922

I mean, I guess the idea is the Beyond is less bad than some services? But come on, let's not pretend it hasn't started getting crappier, one step at a time. This is just another step on that road.

(As an aside, still absolutely no news about the 3D VTT huh? When did we last hear about that? Seems like quite a while ago.)

Why would they need any excuse to push their digital platform? Is there a reason they shouldn't push their digital platform?

I still say given enough time, they will all but remove print books. Like at most it will be "buy digital and a print on demand book from us!" Why give your FLGS a cut when they can make all the profit?

"It will never happen."

Yeah because Capitalism is known for its altruism.

 

[dave2008]

the restriction is that you could preorder and not be a subscriber and still get early access… explain how limiting that to subscribers who preorder is a new benefit at all

It is a benefit to people who pay for the Master tier. That seems fairly clear.

Not getting something 2 weeks early is not really a restriction IMO. You can still get it, you just have to wait like almost everyone else.

 

[TiQuinn]

you were talking about how this is no different than subscribing to a patreon, I pointed out that it is nothing like a patreon… glad that we now agree that the two are ‘something else’

How is that any different from any company or designer with a Patreon who gives early access as a benefit to supporters?

I’m not playing your game, man.

 

[darjr]

I’m not playing your game, man.

Or gives tiered access to their products based on subscription level.