D+D Insider

[Arnwyn]

D&D Insider Magazine, online magazine with new content updated daily, including:

-Product Previews (articles showcasing upcoming D&D products)
-Dungeon Master's Tower (articles and columns devoted to expanding and enhancing the fine art of Dungeon Mastering)
-Class Features (articles expanding existing character class options and debuting new character and prestige classes)
-Strategy and Tactics (articles relating to D&D roleplaying combat and spellcasting, and to D&D Miniatures Skirmish play)
-Design and Development (articles and columns exploring the many facets of the D&D experience, written by game designers in D&D R&D)
-Behind the Arcane Curtain (a special and exclusive section of the online magazine available only to Dungeon Masters)
-D&D Humor (comic strips devoted to the D&D experience)

D&D Product Enhancements (expanded content for D&D products you bought, including interactive content such as searchable indexes, extra features, behind the scenes articles, game designer and developer commentary, and more)

Exclusive Content that expands your favorite campaign world

-Eberron and Forgotten Realms ongoing content

Ah. It looks like they're moving what we currently get into a for-pay model.

 

[Henry]

Some of these things (or similar content) are already offered at wizards.com for free:



Are they considering replacing free content with a subscription service?

Also consider that "for free" means "cheaply." Consider what quality that might come out when they are getting paid for it.

As Mike Mearls has said, for instance, his web articles are almost LAST on his priority lists, because he's got to get his other workd done first. A subscription service may well mean better content offered. Of course I'd be upset to pay for the same quality of content on the web enhancements, but a for-pay service may well turn out something of higher quality, just like I find three times as much use out of Dungeon and Dragon as I do the web content, consistently.

 

[atom crash]

Also consider that "for free" means "cheaply." Consider what quality that might come out when they are getting paid for it.

That's true, but considering I would probably not pay any amount for an online subscriber service -- I've had problems in the past with services that automatically charge my credit card, even after I've unsubscribed to the service -- I'd rather continue to receive the free content.

Even without that consideration, an online subscription service would mean that I would not be getting something else instead -- probably one or two hardbacks a year, depending on how expensive the subscription fee would be -- because my budget for my D&D hobby is fixed and not likely to increase. On the other hand, I get my money's worth out of the free content every month.

 

[Jdvn1]

MyCampaign.Com pages that you can design and populate, dedicated to your ongoing D&D campaign, with a Premium Customization Kit that includes D&D art, frames, and icons

Also, webspace tends to cost money.

D&D Character Builder, a program that helps you create and manage your D&D characters. This program allows you to create a character for any D&D game, walking you through the process of rolling the dice and assigning your game statistics, as well as creating a visual version of your character using "paper doll" models and "drag and click" selections of armor and weapons. At the end, you can save your character and print out a character sheet, as well as go to any D&D tournament and call up your character for use, or use the character at the Virtual Gaming Table (see below). With this package, you get to create and store up to 3 different characters or up to 3 different versions of one character (your character at different levels).

DM Tools, a suite of online tools to help you manage and run your D&D games, including:

-Encounter Generators
-Dungeon Mapping Utility
-XP Calculators
-Treasure Generators
-Initiative Tracker
-and more!

Web tools too.

 

[Henrix]

Am I alone in not being able to get this survey started?

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I am sorely tempted, but I have lost trust in WotC in starting up mini-publications over the years. I was an enthusiastic charter subscriber to the old FR newsletter. Canned. I was an enthusiastic charter subscriber to Living Greyhawk Journal. Canned. Still, I'm like a moth to the flame on things like this... still, my general demeanor right now could be summed up with :\

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Anyone have a direct link to this thing?

 

[JVisgaitis]

Now that I'm actually home from work I can comment. Granted, I don't like having to pay for more content, but I do think that this is an awesome idea and something that can really help to make D&D stand up to World of Warcraft. The only other thing I would like to see incoporated into this, would be some sort of web-based gaming client that would use something like teamspeak to play games online. The possibilities for this are huge. If you can imagine something like MySpace designed for D&D players, you can see the possibilities are almost limitless. I really hope this pans out and works. This could be huge for the RPG hobby.

 

[Sammael]

Am I alone in not being able to get this survey started?

As usual, it only triggers for Americans.

 

[Ranger REG]

Yet another biased survey that does not want to offer any service to d20 Modern and Star Wars roleplayers. :\

Although I would decline any such subscription service -- unless the charge is $0.00, domestic and international -- I'd rather they acknowledge the games mentioned above.