DDI Monster Builder

[the-golem]

The new Adventure Tools is officially up and running. They boasted a new design for the Monster Builder, but it looks an aweful lot like the old one from my quick glance.

Plus: It has a level slider which automatically scales the monster's stats for you.

Minus: You can only rename an existing monsters powers. There aren't any options that I could find to let you change the flavor text, or modify the attack stats. In my honest opinion, this new version is a pale comparison to the old version. I was hoping for at least as many options as the old version, but it looks like that won't happen (yet). I should probably have taken a hint from the character builder.


In short, I'm not impressed.

Share your opinions on it.

 

[superpriest]

Agreed. It's pretty useless if you have the old Monster Builder.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Well, after a quick poke-through...

* You can customize names, but not mechanics. Fail.
* Slow and laggy as hell. Fail.
* Import feature. What format does it take? Will it pull custom critters from the old AT? Judgement Pending.
* You can save your "custom" monsters. How many? Judgement Pending.

EDIT:
Here is a link to it: New "Improved" Monster Builder.

 

[Baz King]

No cut and paste either. Not text, or image, means I can't use it to write my own adventures. Which is arse.

 

[Baz King]

Agreed. It's pretty useless if you have the old Monster Builder.

With one exception, this builder uses the newer formatting, by action type.

 

[Dannager]

* Import feature. What format does it take? Will it pull custom critters from the old AT? Judgement Pending.

XML .monster files, the same ones that you get when you use the export function from the old Monster Builder. So yep, you can import from the old AT.

 

[captainspud]

This is totally useless. It's not a monster "builder", it's a monster "minor superficial adjuster".

Ugh.

EDIT: Wow, you can't even do anything with the stat blocks once they're built except print them-- can't copy the info to a Word document to print multiple blocks to a page.

This thing is a total dud. Epic fail, WotC.

 

[Dannager]

No cut and paste either. Not text, or image, means I can't use it to write my own adventures. Which is arse.

This is the Monster Builder. How were you planning on using it to write your own adventures?

Though it would be nice if they could include the ability to, y'know, build monsters.

 

[webrunner]

I would consider a bug that basically means the application doesn't do what it's name is would be a show-stopping delay-the-release sort of bug.

Imagine if Microsoft Word didn't allow you to type actual words, or Photoshop didn't let you work with photos.

 

[Obryn]

Plus: It has a level slider which automatically scales the monster's stats for you.

That'd be great if it worked right.

It's still using the old formulas for advancing monsters. It's not changing damage enough.

-O