D&DI What's up with it's opening?

[Wotansman]

I thought that the Beta of D&DI would be unveiled on Friday along with the core books. I see that Dungeon and Dragon have been more fully supported, but I haven't seen any functionality being opened to the public, as far as the system.

I think that a great deal of people are going to be either happy or upset at this, and none of it good for the propagation of 4E. I know a dude that was planning on playing with his group "back home" on Friday, and now has to wait a still unreleased amount of time, he's not happy.

Anyone know anything about this, were we expecting too much, or was anyone else led to believe (or misunderstood as the case may be)?

 

[Propagandroid]

According to WotC, individual features will be rolled out "over the next few months," as they become ready.

So, it could be 6 months, or never, that your friend can play D&D online with his group.

 

[Scribble]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dramp/20080507a

D&D Insider’s free beta period coincides with the launch of 4th Edition. You get to try out the first digital components without paying the subscription fees, and you can provide feedback to help us improve your experience. The initial rollout includes Dragon and Dungeon online magazines, and the D&D Rules Compendium. This powerful online resource for players and Dungeon Masters alike will be updated with each new D&D release (whether it’s an analog game product or a digital magazine), making it the place to go in order to find what you need, when you need it.

As other components become available, including client-based applications such as the D&D Character Builder and the D&D Game Table, they will be added to the mix. I’ll talk more about these digital offerings in my next column.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

The e-mail I got regarding the D&D Insider beta first said that they were planning on doing initial beta testing in May for those who applied using the application at D&D Experience. Then I received an e-mail in late May saying that they had changed their mind and were instead doing a public beta starting the day that the books came out.

The same e-mail said that they'd be rolling out the DDI slowly. The initial version would JUST have the Rules Compendium. Then, over time, each of the other programs would roll out as it became ready.

It looks like they weren't even able to get the Rules Compendium ready for the release date, however.

 

[Wotansman]

Nice, I think that might be a slight mistake on their part... depending of course on how long their beta period.
My opinon of course.

 

[Propagandroid]

Nice, I think that might be a slight mistake on their part... depending of course on how long their beta period.
My opinon of course.

I think the beta period will last as long as 4e is the current edition, then 5e will give up on it all together.

 

[Scribble]

It looks like they weren't even able to get the Rules Compendium ready for the release date, however.

Whats weird is it was up and running late Thursday night. I was online and messing around with it using the search feature.

Maybe I broke it.

 

[Gargoyle]

Whats weird is it was up and running late Thursday night. I was online and messing around with it using the search feature.

Maybe I broke it.

Welcome to beta tests. It's probably going to be incomplete/intermittant for a while, so I wouldn't get your hopes up.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I think the beta period will last as long as 4e is the current edition, then 5e will give up on it all together.

That's not far from where my expectations really are. So I won't be disappointed when something better happens.

Plus, I have a Mac so my expectations of what I could do were rock bottom just on that.

 

[Graf]

I think wizards will be ruing the decision to pour all their money into flashy graphics for some time.

They had a chance to do something awesome and it looks like they've squandered it...