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A Few More Tidbits About D&D Beyond From The Developer

Adam Bradford, the senior product manager of upcoming D&D digital toolset D&D Beyond has answered a few questions about the product over at the Tribality website. You can read the full interview at the link below, but here are the highlights. Nothing major, but a few bits like filtering content, roadmap features like initiative trackers, color-coded tabs, etc.

Adam Bradford, the senior product manager of upcoming D&D digital toolset D&D Beyond has answered a few questions about the product over at the Tribality website. You can read the full interview at the link below, but here are the highlights. Nothing major, but a few bits like filtering content, roadmap features like initiative trackers, color-coded tabs, etc.


dnd-beyond-monsters.png



  • Alpha testing is finished.
  • Beta testing emails go out "very soon".
  • The software has table with colour codes (see images above and below) to make it easy to tell where you are.
  • Adam has played D&D for 20 years.
  • Additional features later will include "encounter builder, combat/ initiative tracker, dice rolling and automation, stream integration, and much more".
  • There will be easy ways to filter content - for example "Want to see every spell that requires a Charisma saving throw in the game? Or every healing spell? Every spell that does force damage?"
  • Their license does not restrict them on delivery mechanisms. They "are fully aware of the offline capability concerns and are working to mitigate those concerns". A few days ago, WotC's Greg Tito confirmed "D&D Beyond will work without an internet connection. That's a big deal for the devs!"
  • You an read the full interview here.


dnd-beyond-spells.png
 

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dave2008

Legend
Why is there no info on the pricing yet.

Can you at least give us a clue of the pricing model? One time purchase plus add-ons? Monthly subscription? 1 per group, or 1 per player?

Why do companies hide the pricing, but show off everything else? You're gonna have to tell me the price before I buy it. You're going to include lots of people in beta testing the product to see if it works like we want. Why is our opinion on the product valuable but our opinion on the pricing not wanted until its too late?

There is pricing info in the original thread. Off the top of my head I remember:

1) not a micro-transaction model
2) there is some basic free content
3) you can pay for additional content ad-hoc (cost TBD)
4) you need a subscription for advanced content (cost TBD)
 

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dave2008

Legend
A subscription model or a one time purchase model would have to be built into the application. They know more than they are telling us.

Per the previous thread it is both and more:
1) free content
2) one time purchase content
3) and subscription content
 

dave2008

Legend
The real question is will the client be stand-alone, or will it shrivel up and die once WotC turns their attention elsewhere and shuts off the servers?

I'm not a tech guy, but since it can operate offline wouldn't it continue to be functional even without the servers?
 

ddaley

Explorer
Sorry, but the pricing model needs to be discussed early on. Pricing model can have a significant impact on the product development. I am working on a project now where the complexity of the billing model outweighs the complexity of the application itself. They may wait to decide on the actual pricing, but the model needs to be determined early... You cannot develop an application and distribution strategy thinking it'll be a one time, upfront cost and at the last minute decide to switch to a subscription model.

Companies discuss pricing throughout the development. They don't have to finalize pricing until they begin to put together marketing materials for direct sales.

Source: My 20 years in web design and development.
 


darjr

I crit!
I don't understand the impatience either. It's not like anyone has to make a decision now. Maybe if they want to be a part of the beta?
 

ddaley

Explorer
I am not being impatient. I am just saying that the pricing model needs to be determined early on, because it most likely impact development. Developers generally don't want to deal with billing/licensing... they just want to focus on the application logic. Unfortunately, the company needs to make money though. Also unfortunately, billing/licensing can end up being complicated. You may have different levels of subscriptions and/or licenses that enable/disable certain features. You may need to be able to deactivate the product if the license expires or if the customer ends their subscription.

EDIT: However, I am not saying that the company needs to reveal their model at this point.


I don't understand the impatience either. It's not like anyone has to make a decision now. Maybe if they want to be a part of the beta?
 


TheSwartz

Explorer
i keep

It's amazing how Wizards really tries to get D&D involved in the digital age and yet they still will not do the most basic thing such as release their books in PDF at a lower price like Paizo.

I keep repeating this same thing. Amen brotha.

We... still... can't... buy... legal... PDFs...

It's crazy.
 

dropbear8mybaby

Banned
Banned
I have to say I'm disappointed in the UX. It's just...a bunch of fields. It's like they used Rails to generate the UI then slapped on some CSS.

Sure, sure...you can ignore most of them and only type in the boxes you care about. And yet, that's the sort of thinking that led to your typical TV remote control.

I've been using the Grimoire and so far haven't ever wished for any additional features.
Pretty sure that Grimoire you linked is illegal.
 

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