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<blockquote data-quote="malraux" data-source="post: 4798507" data-attributes="member: 24352">Honestly, I think WotC is doing their best to make it easy to play DnD.&nbsp; They've done a huge amount of work to make the current edition easy to run for the DM.&nbsp; Through their electronic resources, they've also made it stupid easy to be a player.&nbsp; Taking the work out of those aspect of the game does a huge amount to expand the game.Doing the VTT though, may or may not help expand active players.&nbsp; First, WotC isn't the only one offering an online table, so they'd just be duplicating other work that's out there.&nbsp; Second, offering a real-time interactive 3-d platform isn't easy; it would involve a fair amount of coding, server maintenance, paid 3-d modelers, etc.&nbsp; To do that, WotC would need to increase the cost of the DDI subscription, probably at least to the $15 a month that had been mentioned in their run-up to 4e info.&nbsp; Now I recognize that many of the people would want the VTT would be willing to pay that to get the VTT, but all of us who currently subscribe would see our costs double.&nbsp; That would probably be enough to get me to drop my subscription, and I suspect many others would as well.&nbsp; So while it would expand the hobby to some, it would also drive out many others.&nbsp; Now especially since WotC's only advantage for competing in the online play area is their name and the ability to offer nice minis (ie they can do a mini of a beholder), while they'll lose out on price and possibly drive customers away, the VTT really isn't the best area they have to compete in right now.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="malraux, post: 4798507, member: 24352"] Honestly, I think WotC is doing their best to make it easy to play DnD. They've done a huge amount of work to make the current edition easy to run for the DM. Through their electronic resources, they've also made it stupid easy to be a player. Taking the work out of those aspect of the game does a huge amount to expand the game. Doing the VTT though, may or may not help expand active players. First, WotC isn't the only one offering an online table, so they'd just be duplicating other work that's out there. Second, offering a real-time interactive 3-d platform isn't easy; it would involve a fair amount of coding, server maintenance, paid 3-d modelers, etc. To do that, WotC would need to increase the cost of the DDI subscription, probably at least to the $15 a month that had been mentioned in their run-up to 4e info. Now I recognize that many of the people would want the VTT would be willing to pay that to get the VTT, but all of us who currently subscribe would see our costs double. That would probably be enough to get me to drop my subscription, and I suspect many others would as well. So while it would expand the hobby to some, it would also drive out many others. Now especially since WotC's only advantage for competing in the online play area is their name and the ability to offer nice minis (ie they can do a mini of a beholder), while they'll lose out on price and possibly drive customers away, the VTT really isn't the best area they have to compete in right now. [/QUOTE]

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