D&D 5E For those playing 2014 5e, how are you reacting to the 2024 update?

[Belen]

When using DDB I don't usually use the search bar, I tend to just go to the respective book or the section of 'Game Rules' that has what I'm looking up.

But I also don't find taking the one or two seconds to look down the list of options when making a search bar 'Incapacitated' search to find the Free Rules entry to be such a hardship that it matters to me. I never need my information that fast that having to go past some 5E14 compendium entries actually irritates me. YMMV.

It is bad web design and also awful for accessibility compliance. It takes multiple steps to find the correct entry even using your method, it requires multiple steps.

For the glossary in DDB, it is a awful design. There is not quick search for the entry. You either scroll or run control F. That is it.

In 5.0, you could search and find it immediately. Each entry in their appendix A: Conditions, was searchable. It also had a clickable entry on the right side to go immediately to a condition if you wanted.

5.5 on DDB is just worse from a technical standpoint and it is terribly designed for accessibility.

 

[DEFCON 1]

But one should be able to search and bring it up immediately, even that's not your personal preference.

And one can't.

And what's funny is, one could with the old DDI for 4E. There's no earthly (or programming) reason this should be difficult.


It's not as simple as that though. You have to first realize that the initial entries are wrong, which a lot of people won't do, or won't do until after they've clicked into them.

Most people who are using DDB for reference are using it at the table, I would suggest, and as per YMMV, their mileage varies considerably from yours, because it is important to them to have the right info come up. Plus, it should be trivial for that to happen, and should have been a design priority with DDB for that to happen.

But DDB's search has always been trash. They "improved" it a couple of times, but it's still very bad in an impressive number of different ways.

That's fine, and I don't discount other people's needs. But @Belen quoted me directly to talk about this (rather than just make an individual post saying they didn't like DDB's search functionality)... implying that they had a conflict with my use of DDB. As though my feeling on DDB should be considered incorrect.

That's the issue many people have when they directly Reply to posts... the person being responded to thinks it's now a conversation to be had or a comment to defend, rather than just an arbitrary statement that really has nothing to do with the quoted text.

 

[DEFCON 1]

It is bad web design and also awful for accessibility compliance. It takes multiple steps to find the correct entry even using your method, it requires multiple steps.

For the glossary in DDB, it is a awful design. There is not quick search for the entry. You either scroll or run control F. That is it.

In 5.0, you could search and find it immediately. Each entry in their appendix A: Conditions, was searchable. It also had a clickable entry on the right side to go immediately to a condition if you wanted.

5.5 on DDB is just worse from a technical standpoint and it is terribly designed for accessibility.

Okay, fine. You wanted to make a comment about your issues with DDB. Fine. No big deal. But that has nothing to do with my post, so why did you quote me then?

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

Just gotta wait for SRD 5.2 to come out so that fans can make/release tools that actually work.

 

[kayakingpoodle]

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to switch when they first announced the change, mostly because I have so much 5e14 stuff to play through but as more information became available I knew i wasn't buying any of the 24 books.

After Monsters of the Multiverse and Phandelver and Below came out I did see the writing on the wall, and was able to fill out my physical book collection at quite a discount.

When the 24 players handbook came out I knew I wouldn't be using DDB much longer and started buying things to get back to pencil &paper books at the table games.

DDB went from a great tool to get new players started to a compleat fiasco in the time wizbro has owned it.

I have read through the new books thanks to content sharing on DDB and that has only confirmed my initial feelings.

 

[Belen]

Okay, fine. You wanted to make a comment about your issues with DDB. Fine. No big deal. But that has nothing to do with my post, so why did you quote me then?

I pinged on the rules glossary and DDB points in your thread and it reminded me of my recent experience.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I pinged on the rules glossary and DDB points in your thread and it reminded me of my recent experience.

Okay. Although maybe next time let me know as part of your response that you weren't quoting me to argue with me but merely that my post triggered an idea you had... that way I don't bother responding back to you as though you were looking for a fight, LOL!

 

[Belen]

Okay. Although maybe next time let me know as part of your response that you weren't quoting me to argue with me but merely that my post triggered an idea you had... that way I don't bother responding back to you as though you were looking for a fight, LOL!

Good point.

 

[Dausuul]

We are making the switch. Currently we have no plans to import bits of the 2014 rules... but that may change depending on what we encounter, and we will certainly have some house rules, we always do.

And I'm with @Belen on usability in DDB, it's a hot mess right now. The search feature has always been mediocre at best, but dumping the 5.5E stuff into it alongside 5.0E has made it dramatically worse, especially for looking up the actual rules. When it's as much work to look up a rule in the online system as it is to physically flip through the book, that's a pretty poor showing... which is par for the course at WotC where e-tools are concerned.

 

[Wolfpack48]

When the 24 players handbook came out I knew I wouldn't be using DDB much longer and started buying things to get back to pencil &paper books at the table games.

I find electronic tools useful for prep but have decided to stop using all of them at the in-person game table. I found I was distracted by the electronics and not focused on the players and game.