D&D (2024) D&D Pre-orders; this is sad

[Velderan]

IMO the problem is not Capitalism, the basic problem is the concept of "intellectual property".

IF we lived in a world where someone could legally copy and sell another's ideas or code or art or publications then we would not have the problem we have today with gouging and monetizing products. Companies would be prevented from doing this because other companies would undercut them on their own product.

I realize this position is unpopular but for the life of me I can't understand how it benefits society to say that only WOTC is allowed to publish a D&D Players Handbook or how it helps society that I can't copy someone's artwork and sell it myself. IMO the only people this helps are the people who own that "intellectual property".

WOTC could not send Pinkerton thugs to someone's house if they did not own exclusive rights to the content to start with.

I have no idea what you do for a living, but I'm assuming based on your post that you'll have no problem doing it for me for free. Please DM me your resume so I know what skills I'm about to have free access to.

 

[Velderan]

When I bought my copy of the Theros book from my FLGS, I was given a discount code for the DDB version. It would be nice if they would continue that practice, especially for the FLGS exclusive versions.

Really? That's the first I've heard of them giving a discount code for a FLGS book purchase. I know they had coupon codes in the Essentials Kit to give you the included adventure "Dragon of Icespire Peak" for free as well as a discount (50%?) off the DDB PHB but that was a sealed boxed set. Interestingly enough, that was prior to them purchasing DDB so the 2 companies had to work that out.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I'd love to support DDB but their functionality for actually doing anything but giving WOTC money is hot, wet garbage.

Make a custom class and want to let your players create a character with it? Too bad!

Want a longsword that deals 2d8 for whatever reason? Nope!

Want to just make a spell scroll? Get ready for a 5 minute process that still has a pathetic end result. Know how you make a spell scroll in The Forge? You drag a spell to someone's inventory and it makes it, with hyperlinked spell descriptions, DC's, etc. Takes 5 seconds.

Running a campaign in DDB? God help you, you can't even load anything beyond whatever crap you can put in their public/private notes text block. That's it!

D&D beyond sucks so hard it's astounding. It looked like something someone banged out over some lunch breaks when it was released 7 years ago and hasn't gotten any better!

 

[KYRON45]

Considering the Pinkerton debacle was about physical product, I'm not sure how intellectual property rights actually figure into it.

I don't want to derail the conversation (but i'm going to).....Didn't the evil megacorporation send the private security company (also evil for turning a profit) to recover stolen goods?

 

[pukunui]

Really? That's the first I've heard of them giving a discount code for a FLGS book purchase. I know they had coupon codes in the Essentials Kit to give you the included adventure "Dragon of Icespire Peak" for free as well as a discount (50%?) off the DDB PHB but that was a sealed boxed set. Interestingly enough, that was prior to them purchasing DDB so the 2 companies had to work that out.

Yep! As far as I know, that was the one and only time they did that discount scheme. I guess they decided it wasn’t worth it.

 

[Parmandur]

My issue isn’t so much the tiers and early access and all that. My issue is that I want the special FLGS covers, which aren’t part of the preorder.

So if I want both hard copies and the DDB versions, I have to pay full price for both because the digital + physical bundle with the discounted prices only applies to the standard cover books.

When I bought my copy of the Theros book from my FLGS, I was given a discount code for the DDB version. It would be nice if they would continue that practice, especially for the FLGS exclusive versions.

I don't do Beyond, but I would probsvly get a Digital+physical bundle if I could get it from my FLGS. And I prefer the standard covers, usually.

 

[Velderan]

Yep! As far as I know, that was the one and only time they did that discount scheme. I guess they decided it wasn’t worth it.

Interesting, what form did the discount code take? Was it a preprinted card (like a trading card) or something they printed at the register? Just noticed you're from New Zealand, so that probably explains why I hadn't heard of this when I bought my copy of Theros from my FLGS.

 

[KYRON45]

I would love the alternate art covers. I haven't seen a local game store in decades. They all got overrun by MTG.

 

[Stalker0]

This is the top of the slippery slope that adds to videogames being funded by microtransactions, to the point that otherwise good games (like Diablo Immortal) are basically rendered almost unplayable due to being choked with them.

None of the individual things happening right now are a problem. It's just that this exactly resembles the start of the path the videogame industry took.

The OP and others who are worried believe this road will inevitably lead to the Diablo Immortal-ification of D&D.

This can either be no big deal because WotC won't ever go further or because the proverbial frogs get used to the water heating up as it approaches the boiling point.

No one really knows for sure at this point, but the OP works in the videogame industry and it's giving him bad flashbacks.

Yeah.....except this ISN'T microtransactions. There is no indicator from this one image that you are being forced to buy a subscription to dnd beyond or anything of the sort.

You pay X you get Y. If you want to pay a bit more for a bundle, you get a bit more. That is nothing new.


Now sure, we could get a point where a product becomes "digital only". Maybe you start getting new content that is "exclusive to dnd beyond members" with no physical equivalent. At that point, sure, feel free to light the torches and get out the pitch forks. But goodness gracious....this is an image of a bundle offering and you all act like the Cthulu has just walked in the door.

Aka people see a tiny bit of smoke, and are fanning the hell out of it and telling people its fire.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Aka people see a tiny bit of smoke, and are fanning the hell out of it and telling people its fire.

The thing is that, in our experience, almost every time we saw a tiny bit of smoke, it turned into a roaring inferno.

Does it mean this one will turn into one? Maybe one. Is it illogical to be worried that it will? I don't think so.