DDI Progress

[Delta]

I don't think anybody can say that a company with their resources and a year plus timeframe couldn't put together a working product of the limited scope of a game table even in beta form by this timeframe... and they are losing real money in overhead every month they can't charge even if you ignore the opportunity cost of running servers for games.

The problem is that WOTC's resources in software development are nil, because they're not a computer-game company. And software development is a relatively difficult business (as compared to toy and book publishing).

 

[soulcatcher78]

there will be working versions of the applications you'll be able to try at GenCon

I'll be wanting to see that on the 16th, make sure you have plenty of terminals for us to play on.

 

[lkj]

This should be of interest:


http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/insidernews/20080806

 

[Mike_Lescault]

there will be working versions of the applications you'll be able to try at GenCon

To clarify, we plan on having a working version of the Character Builder and Character Visualizer for people to try out. I'm not sure if we'll be able to let people mess around with the Dungeon Builder and D&D Game Table. (Although perhaps The Rouse is more up-to-date on this than I, as he usually is) =)

 

[Scott_Rouse]

To clarify, we plan on having a working version of the Character Builder and Character Visualizer for people to try out. I'm not sure if we'll be able to let people mess around with the Dungeon Builder and D&D Game Table. (Although perhaps The Rouse is more up-to-date on this than I, as he usually is) =)

There will be four stations in the booth 2 will have the char viz and 2 will have the char builder. You'll be able to get on them and mess around.

In the RPGA hall (Sagamore ballroom) will be a few seats for the Game Table. There will be regularly scheduled demos and the last I heard people will be able to sit down and go though an encounter or two as a demo.

 

[lrsach01]

I understand that, but on the flip side how much money does it cost to run the Dungeon/Dragon side of DDI that they're eating up right now? It seems to me that last year someone pitched a business model and right now they're eating some major costs for dungeon/dragon/wizards.com when some basic management would've made DDI viable.

Again, I'm working on a VERY limited bit of knowledge so if someone has more info, PLEASE step up. But again, I gotta say, serving up static pages, pdfs, and data base searches is NOT the same as running an online gaming table. I could care less if my pdf takes a minute or two to download during high traffic times. But If I'm running a game that is constantly hammered with disconnects and downtime, I'm gonna be cheezed. The level of complexity is at least an order of magnitude greater and I would guess the over head is much higher too.

 

[lrsach01]

There will be four stations in the booth 2 will have the char viz and 2 will have the char builder. You'll be able to get on them and mess around.

In the RPGA hall (Sagamore ballroom) will be a few seats for the Game Table. There will be regularly scheduled demos and the last I heard people will be able to sit down and go though an encounter or two as a demo.

Wow...the system CANNOT be working well if all that can be spared is 2 stations for the character builder and 2 for the char viz (which I assume is the "virtual table"). How many computers are running Magic: The Gathering every year? Not to mention the computers for signing up people for Gleemax last year (which are no longer needed). I know Scott isn't responsible for the delays, but since he is posting he's gonna get the flack....so, the DDI was the BIGGEST portion of the announcement last year and this is the best WotC can do?

Edit: I JUST finished reading the WotC announcement...so the Viz is NOT the game table. Wow....just wow....very disappointing.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Wow...the system CANNOT be working well if all that can be spared is 2 stations for the character builder and 2 for the char viz

What you say makes no sense.

 

[Umbran]

Wow...the system CANNOT be working well if all that can be spared is 2 stations for the character builder and 2 for the char viz

I suspect how the stations are set up has nothing at all to do with how well the system works, and has a lot more to do with Gen Con infrastructure. At a large con, you don't get to throw up as many workstations as you want, wherever you want.

I know Scott isn't responsible for the delays, but since he is posting he's gonna get the flack....

Civilly stated disappointment with WotC is understandable and to be expected. But we should be clear - giving Scott, or anyone else, personal flack is not acceptable.

 

[lrsach01]

I suspect how the stations are set up has nothing at all to do with how well the system works, and has a lot more to do with Gen Con infrastructure. At a large con, you don't get to throw up as many workstations as you want, wherever you want.



Civilly stated disappointment with WotC is understandable and to be expected. But we should be clear - giving Scott, or anyone else, personal flack is not acceptable.

First off, I didn't give Scott any personal flack. His company gets it. Implying that I did, or am going to, insult him is not a polite thing to do. But if he is going to make statements on behalf of his company, he should expect to catch the flack from someone who IS disappointed.

Second of all, WotC can MAKE more stations available. Do you think that they could have LESS stations available that last year? Gleemax is soon to be buried so you won't need all those "please sign up here" computers that were available at GenCon 2007. What about the stations for Magic: The Gathering stations? Really? The only time I saw anyone using them was to get the "coveted" initials for the d20 die role. THOSE could be trimmed down. 4 total stations for two parts of something that was THE big part of last year's announcement IS a disappointment. Argue all you want as to whether WotC should have the full advertised version of DDI out by now all you want, BUT, at the very LEAST, they should be demo-ing MORE of those functions.