Character Builder WTFs per minute

[fanboy2000]

The old CB was buggy and bloated too. I think the new one is prettier, and I hope the bugs will be sorted soon.

True, but I'm not sure the solution to that is to replace it with another buggy and bloated tool.

The only thing I really take issue with is the 1gb+ print spooling, and printing to a pdf helps with that a little.

The size of the files are rediculous . No wonder we only got 20 characters per account!

20 characters would be like 150 MBs of space. I know that the cCB didn't have space problems like that.

Here's what I've been wondering: the underlying character is just an XML file. (And it's making the OP's eyes bleed. Poor guy, you should know better than to open the Ark of the Covenant. ) But the character sheet seems to be an image of some kind. None of the text is selectable, which suggests image to me.

Which seems kind of weird to me. The only thing I can think of is that someone didn't think people used to the features of the character sheet on the old CB.

 

[Ryujin]

From the sheer size of it you'd swear that the character sheet is a 16 bit TIFF, but it's probably just a native Microsoft BMP.

 

[BobTheNob]

I feel sorry for people still paying WotC good money for this level of service.

What an odd thing to say. The only reason a person would continue paying is because they are satisfied with the product and are happy to do so.

I still subscribe. The builder is working nicely for us and I enjoy the content we get and access to the compendium.

Im happy with the product, but you feel sorry for me? Strange

 

[interwyrm]

the character sheet seems to be an image of some kind. None of the text is selectable, which suggests image to me.

I think this is a silverlight issue, and outside of the hands of the wizard devs (short of switching to a different programming language).

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

I think this is a silverlight issue, and outside of the hands of the wizard devs (short of switching to a different programming language).

Yes, Silverlight prints to bmp format only unless you've got some kind of workaround. (See also this thread, which contains this link to the official Silverlight forum.)
The actual character data (xml format) should be around 50-100 kB.

 

[hayek]

Also, please allow us to take powers from lower levels. I still can't believe that doesn't work.

I am able to do this now. There's some checkbox you have to check when looking at the available powers. It's called something cryptic and uninformative like "Show Additional Options", and it's very small, but it's there, just above the power list. If you check it you'll see lower level powers as an option.

 

[Mad Hamish]

Yes, Silverlight prints to bmp format only unless you've got some kind of workaround. (See also this thread, which contains this link to the official Silverlight forum.)
The actual character data (xml format) should be around 50-100 kB.

If you use the Export Character option you can save them locally.
I've exported a few characters and I think they might be in the 100-250 kB range (the level 30 ranger with a shopping fetish -20 different types of magical footware - was the largest).

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

If you use the Export Character option you can save them locally.
I've exported a few characters and I think they might be in the 100-250 kB range (the level 30 ranger with a shopping fetish -20 different types of magical footware - was the largest).

I meant a workaround to print them without having to deal with up to 1 GB spool sizes. Printing to pdf at 144 dpi takes up less space (for both the spool file and the character sheet), but you still can't edit the text.
Exporting them to your hard drive doesn't help with that. (It helps with the 20 character limit, though. )

For the xml file size I was going from my stash of characters with the Classic CB. Higher level characters take up more space, that's true - I don't have many of those.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

I am able to do this now. There's some checkbox you have to check when looking at the available powers. It's called something cryptic and uninformative like "Show Additional Options", and it's very small, but it's there, just above the power list. If you check it you'll see lower level powers as an option.

I've tried what you suggest many times since the launch. It has never worked for me.

 

[KarinsDad]

What an odd thing to say. The only reason a person would continue paying is because they are satisfied with the product and are happy to do so.

I still subscribe. The builder is working nicely for us and I enjoy the content we get and access to the compendium.

Im happy with the product, but you feel sorry for me? Strange

No. I feel sorry for people like my friend who went to use it and it errored out on him multiple times. He is still paying for it, so he is basically getting screwed at times. It's cool that it is working for you. It's not always working for everyone else (it works for my friend fine sometimes, other times, not so well).