DDI Progress

[lrsach01]

Flame away if you feel incensed.

And just for the record, I was never incensed....just very, very, very disappointed...resulting in a large degree of incredulity.

 

[Aeolius]

...very, very, very disappointed...

You're getting more than the Mac users are.

 

[Maggan]

Again...see my disappointment?

I remain undissapointed with this news, since the fact that WotC hasn't got a functioning DDI yet has been the worst kept secret in the world for like ages.

So the news of four workstations just seemed like the size I was expecting for a demo at this time.

But I understand your disappointment.

/M

 

[DerekSTheRed]

You're getting more than the Mac users are.

You have to realize that developing for multiple platforms adds more complexity and results in much more time to develop. Apparently WotC decided to go with an application using DirectX since it contains already built-in APIs for 3D graphics, networking, input, and sound. Mac and other OSes really only have OpenGL which gives a 3D graphic API. WotC would pretty much have to write the other stuff from scratch. Yes it's taking too long now, but the delay is nothing compared to what it would take for doing it on multiple platforms.

My only real complaint is the over ambitious technical promises. This caused the neglect of Gleemax and IMO the publishing of 4E one year too early. I believe things would have been much better for WotC if they had delayed DDI and 4E by one year, but I have the advantage of hindsight. Regardless the project is still salvageable and I look forward to playing on the virtual game table when it's available.

 

[lrsach01]

You're getting more than the Mac users are.

Only because I left windows on my system and dual boot on occasion. Primarily, I'm a linux user.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

The thing about the 3D application is ... why the heck do they have any 3D development to do at all? Aren't there enough 3D engines out there that they could take one off the shelf, and plugin in their tile and figure models, and attach the character visualizer to that?

This has been answered by them before. They didn't have to write a 3d engine as they already owned one. It was implied that due to their connections with Hasbro, they already had a fully functional Direct3D engine in house. They were simply using this engine and modifying it for the applications they were creating. This used to be listed(I don't know if it still is) in their FAQ about why they weren't developing it for the Mac as well. They said that they'd have to rewrite the engine they had in order to do that.

They already have a complete 3d engine, all the problems they are having now is in modifying that engine to allow network play, synchronizing it with the data from the Rules Compendium, and modeling minis.