D&D Beyond admits that blocking Drops sharing "was not the right decision," will release yearly bundles of Drops content for sale for non-subscribers

D&D Beyond is addressing complaints about its new Drops programs. Today, D&D Beyond made a new post providing some updates about its D&D Beyond Drops program, which releases weekly content exclusive to subscribers. The updates were intended to address major complaints about the new program, namely that subscribers could not share the content with their campaigns and that non-subscribers had no way to purchase Drops content outside of a subscription. "It’s become clear from your feedback that there were two main things we got wrong with D&D Beyond Drops: content sharing and non-subscriber access," the post reads.

In the post, D&D Beyond admitted that not allowing Drops content to be shared via campaigns "was not the right decision." Although no immediate solution was announced, D&D Beyond stated that they expected to have more information about content sharing in the coming weeks. Additionally, D&D Beyond also announced that they would be releasing Drops content on their marketplace for sale via a yearly bundle, with the first bundle set to be released next May. This content will be available to all D&D Beyond users, regardless of their subscription status.

 

[AlViking]

Are we just going to keep repeating "Less filling! It's purchased!" vs "Tastes great! It's a benefit of the subscription!" for another 20 pages?

 

[SothFan]

That is the most bad faith take of what I actually said that I can possibly imagine. I think I'm about done.

You called people that disagreed with your view "trivial" and "not normal", how else would one take that statement other than as an insult?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

On the whole, we aren't great at allowing anyone to learn they made an error and change their mind/approach. We don't give much credit for correction.

Also, changing ones mind should never mean that the old stance was factually wrong.

One can change from one good/correct thing (opinion) to an even better version.

 

[Imaro]

This is incorrect. DROPS are intended to groom players into paying for the Drops content because what else do you really get with a subscription?

Groom? Incentivize is the word I'd use and yes in order to get people to subscribe to a service it must offer value... Im not sure what exactly is incorrect in my statement.

It was even advertised as "incentive" for Hero tier subscriptions.

So they were clear about its purpose...thats a good thing in my book.

A total insult to the games players, thinking they were stupid and not able to understand,

Huh? Being clear and transparent about an offering is now...an insult? Make it make sense.

just as the sematics arguement about "bought"; but also to the "shareable" extant. Some online have said the wording reeks of "irrevocable" im both cases in their comparisons.

I have no idea what my post or your reply have to do with irrevocable but I can tell you so.e of the things I already get with my Master Tier sub since I am a DM and dont have a heroic sub.

With my subscription I get ..
I get to share all of my purchased books with my players regardless of whether they themselves have a paid sub.
I get access to assets for Maps
I get access to the Encouunter builder tools
I get access to an unlimited number of character slots for the CB
I get all of my purchased books integrated into the tools
Etc...

 

[Dire Bare]

Are we just going to keep repeating "Less filling! It's purchased!" vs "Tastes great! It's a benefit of the subscription!" for another 20 pages?

Yeah. Personally, I don't care whether we "should" consider drops a "purchase" or a "subscription benefit".

It doesn't bother me that WotC is trying to provide a benefit exclusive to a DDB subscription, for both players and DMs. The way drops works currently doesn't bother me in the least.

WotC changing course at least a little and making a yearly drops bundle something non-subscribers can purchase . . . that's okay too.

Making drops content shareable for DMs with a master tier sub . . . I'm okay if they don't enable this, but I wouldn't mind if they do . . . of course, the trick is providing us what we want and making it worthwhile for WotC.

If WotC throws up their hands and quietly ends the drops program . . . that would be a shame, but I'd just chalk it up to "this is why we can't have nice things" . . . the amount of content we're arguing over is just so small . . .

 

[Morrus]

So anyone that disagrees with your view are not normal people, and therefore wrong because they do nit agree with what you think. I fully understand the type of person you are now.

I should hope @WotC do not agree with you.

I think we’re bored of you now. Please leave.

 

[Imaro]

sigh The download isn't free, the download is included in your subscription. You don't get that download without paying for your subscription. Just because it's not increasing the cost of your subscription doesn't mean that you aren't paying to get it. You are paying -- your subscription cost. Without that payment, you don't get it.

Bigger SIGH...My subscription cost what it cost before Drops came along... it didnt go up in price to account for Drops. Its a free (since there was no price increase for it) incentive for subscribers. Now if they had raised the price when Drops was inteoduced I might see your point but right now it cost me nothing extra and was added to my sub.

 

[Blue]

Bigger SIGH...My subscription cost what it cost before Drops came along... it didnt go up in price to account for Drops. Its a free (since there was no price increase for it) incentive for subscribers. Now if they had raised the price when Drops was inteoduced I might see your point but right now it cost me nothing extra and was added to my sub.

Again, you are mistaking "they've included something new in the subscription price" with "free". If you want to say it's free, then tell us how to get it without paying anything.

Can anyone get it without paying for a subscription? No. If you cannot get it without paying, it's not free. Just because they shifted what is included in the description doesn't mean that anything in the subscription is free -- you are paying for it. That they sweetened the deal doesn't change that.

 

[Mort]

It's a long thread and I think, at least my, point about drops got lost among all of the attempts to classify what Drops is.

Drops seems to be a great add-on (value add) for Master tier subscribers - the maps alone are a REALLY good bonus. the monsters are nice (I actually really liked the angels and plan to use them) too. Point is at $5.99 a month it's a good deal and Drops make it better.

But the stated purpose of Drops was to add more Hero tier subscribers and, I just don't see it. Players get a few feats, some spells, some subclasses - that kind of thing. Pretty thin IMO. I just don't think it will come close do attracting someone to fork over even a few $ a month. Point is $2.99 just doesn't seem worth it, and the player facing Drops aren't enough to change that -at least IMO.

 

[Dire Bare]

It's a long thread and I think, at least my, point about drops got lost among all of the attempts to classify what Drops is.

Drops seems to be a great add-on (value add) for Master tier subscribers - the maps alone are a REALLY good bonus. the monsters are nice (I actually really liked the angels and plan to use them) too. Point is at $5.99 a month it's a good deal and Drops make it better.

But the stated purpose of Drops was to add more Hero tier subscribers and, I just don't see it. Players get a few feats, some spells, some subclasses - that kind of thing. Pretty thin IMO. I just don't think it will come close do attracting someone to fork over even a few $ a month. Point is $2.99 just doesn't seem worth it, and the player facing Drops aren't enough to change that -at least IMO.

If we get a small handful of player options every month . . . over time, the drops library could potentially become decent sized.

With your hero tier sub, you get access to the entire drops library . . . which isn't much right now, but this time next year and moving forward . . .

I'm already a subscriber, so this is a small, nice value add for me . . . but yeah, if I wasn't already subscribing, this probably wouldn't push me over the fence. But later maybe, when there is more in the drops library.