D&D Insider: Losing your toys

Yes, but I expect that if a large portion of the user base started subscribing for one month a year to grab all the updates and then canceling for the next 11 months, WotC would either alter the program to require regular subscription activation checks, or would discontinue the product entirely as unprofitable.
I think they already have something in place to combat this: monthly book releases. I think they've already thought through how to handle that and would probably not resort to the above.
 

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I think they already have something in place to combat this: monthly book releases. I think they've already thought through how to handle that and would probably not resort to the above.

Yeah I think a lot of people like comming up with the "loophole" maybe as a way to prove they're smart enough to beat the system. The reality is, however, most people are impulsive. At under 8 dollars a month, I can see a TON of people who planned to wait to upgrade once a year that just "HAVE" to have a new power, feat, item, etc for their game suddenly deciding an extra 8 bux won't hurt...
 

Hey guys, I just wanted to jump in and clarify the way the Character Builder interacts with your subscription. Anyone can download and use the Character Builder as a demo at any point. If you are a current subscriber you can run the update and get all the most recent information and open up all 30 levels of play. If you stop being a subscriber you are no longer able to get new updates but it does not change what you already have access to. If you need an update or []lose your copy you can always subscribe again and get a fresh update.


- Chuck
Chuck, thanks for stopping by. That's better than the guy at tech support led me to believe, but I have to admit that I don't like the bit high-lighted in orange, since it means that if I ever have any computer problems or want to install the CB on a new system then I have to (a) hope Wizards is still in the business of providing CB installs, and (b) pay money again. I really don't see (a) as likely to be true as long as I'll want to be playing 4e D&D and don't think (b) is too fair.

Just in case anyone's wondering why I feel this way, it's because I consider the CB to be 90% of the value of DDI (though I haven't tried the monster builder yet). I don't get a lot out of Dungeon or Dragon magazines, but I know I'm not "normal" in that way, since lots of people obviously love them.

Thanks again for stopping by. The main reason I started this thread was hopefully to get some feedback from WotC. :)
 

(b) pay money again. I really don't see (a) as likely to be true as long as I'll want to be playing 4e D&D and don't think (b) is too fair.

Jeesh. Paying a whole freakin $8 upfront . . . and then maybe another whole $8 down the road to reinstall . . . I can see how that'd put a crimp in your RPG budget.
 

Jeesh. Paying a whole freakin $8 upfront . . . and then maybe another whole $8 down the road to reinstall . . . I can see how that'd put a crimp in your RPG budget.

The question since the beginning has been one of entitlement; if you pay for a service which includes free software that you can run offline, are you
1) entitled to a copy of the installer to reuse as needed?
2) entitled to all updates indefinitely, or only while your subscription is still active?

The USD16 is not the issue yet... though, I do wonder how much the people interested in the character builder and compendium offline would pay for the application itself, and for separate update packs.
 

if you pay for a service which includes free software
Pardon? Did that make sense when you typed it? Because it doesn't really parse when I read it. Once I "pay" for something it's no longer "free", IMO. Do you feel differently somehow?


though, I do wonder how much the people interested in the character builder and compendium offline would pay for the application itself, and for separate update packs.
Right now I'm considering paying $56, since I know I'll want the PHB2 rules, as well as the Arcane and Divine Power books. I might even renew for the next year depending on what rules previews are out in Feb '10.

This isn't a money issue. Even while (temporarily) unemployed I can afford the $5/month. I just have had to reinstall purchased software (like MS Office) often enough that I like having backup measures in case of computer failure. Bad HDD sectors and crappy OS problems happen more often then I care to admit. I've also seen plenty of companies go out of business or suddenly decide one day to stop supporting a product long before I was done using the product. It's an unhappy, glass-half-empty way of looking at things, but I see this as "common sense preparedness".

I mean, c'mon people. If the CB had been established in 2004 using 3.x rules, do you think it would still support a 3.x option? It might, but the fact is probably not (no more than Dragon Magazine). Wizards would want to have moved on. But how many of you would still want to make 3.x characters occasionally?

If (as a paying subscriber) WotC allowed me to download the "current ruleset" (whatever that means on a given day) as a ZIP file at any particular time so that I would point the demo installer at that file instead of WotC's server (or really any other solution that gets me the security I'm looking for) then I'd be happy as a clam and sign up today.
 

As an entirely-too-crazy idea, get yourself a copy of Microsoft Virtual PC (Linux users, you don't need my help, go get VMWare or something; you already know how to do this ;)), install your old copy of XP that you're not using (wink wink) anywhere else into a Virtual PC, then install character builder into that. Run the update/activation cycle, test to make sure it all works, then shut down the virtual PC. Poof. One (well, two if you want to save hassle) .VHD file to back up, and no need to worry about restoring missing registry keys or anything, they're all there in the VM. Make a new backup every month after you update. Now if you reformat your PC (which appearently some of you must do twice a month, I swear), just reinstall MS Virtual PC (it's free!), load your .VHD file from backup, and go to town.
 


Pardon? Did that make sense when you typed it? Because it doesn't really parse when I read it. Once I "pay" for something it's no longer "free", IMO. Do you feel differently somehow?

The software is free - anyone can download it. The data provided by the service however is not free as you say. As it stands I think wizards are being pretty decent by allowing access to previously downloaded data even if you or they drop the service - plently of other companies would try and lock this down (usually unsucessfully it has to be said)

Infocynics idea about virtual PC is good however as he alludes to, the os you install into the virtual pc is not free unless you use Vista Enterprise as your usual OS

Has anyone worked out which files to backup yet? Thats probably the easiest option
 

Of course, you would only use a legal copy of Windows XP that's leftover from the 10-year-old computer sitting in your closet because you upgraded to a Quad Core system just so you could play Crysis. :) Or use a beta of Windows 8, although you're asking for trouble when the beta expires. Go raid your university's store for cheap copies of MS products, use an MSDN subscription, etc.

Alternatively, I'm told you can run the CB on Linux with enough effort, so presumably that could be done for free.
 

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