Draw Steel General Thread [+]

[Kichwas]

Every other VTT has gotten rid of per player costs. It doesn't work. It's a terrible model.

Yeah that'd be a dead in the water issue for most GMs.

GMs have a pain of a time just convincing players to show up for anything other than their system of choice. And that's when you have a regular group.

I can't imagine listing a game online somewhere and saying "My game is 'free/paid' - plus you need to buy access to the VTT from this place, just to log into the game I am hosting"
- At present there's not enough content to make a GM want to switch off Foundry, roll20, Owlbear, whatever. But if they start doing exclusive content on their VTT that's going to be a tough sell for both paid and free GMs.

 

[zakael19]

GMs have a pain of a time just convincing players to show up for anything other than their system of choice. And that's when you have a regular group.

I've had players buy me roll20 subscription time; most of my Daggerheart players across (2) groups had bought the book before we started playing (significantly more $!) including some with Collectors Editions; folks have offered to defray costs across a wide variety of outlays I've done.

For like, a random pickup game on r/lfg or the LGS? Yeah, Owlbear Rodeo or whatever. But IME when people get invested in a group + GM they're happy to shell out some $$ for things.

 

[ffanxii4ever]

One big thing that I don't think anyone mentioned is that everyone that purchased the Heroes book in Hardcover from MCDM already (or before April 1)? They get it for free (provided they redeem the code in a timely fashion). Only got the pdf? You get it for half-off (again, provided that you redeem the code in a timely fashion). That's a pretty significant user base already.

 

[Kichwas]

One big thing that I don't think anyone mentioned is that everyone that purchased the Heroes book in Hardcover from MCDM already (or before April 1)?

Is there somewhere that lists the exact cut-off date on that?

As someone who has not purchased knowing if it's too late or if April 1 is the date would have a big impact.

I'm still doubtful because I've never had the kind of players, in over 40 years, that would buy stuff past a tiny fee just to sit down at the table. They either already had a book from the games they ran, or they wouldn't.

 

[Zetesofos]

Is there somewhere that lists the exact cut-off date on that?

As someone who has not purchased knowing if it's too late or if April 1 is the date would have a big impact.

I'm still doubtful because I've never had the kind of players, in over 40 years, that would buy stuff past a tiny fee just to sit down at the table. They either already had a book from the games they ran, or they wouldn't.

There's no cutoff date for the discount - you buy the hero's book anytime, you get a discount on the codex.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

There's no cutoff date for the discount - you buy the hero's book anytime, you get a discount on the codex.

There’s no cutoff date. But there is a cutoff quantity. In either a stream or a vid Matt mentioned Steam gave them 30,000 codes based on the size of their crowdfunder, or some benchmark of sales.

Once the codes are gone they’re gone. But the codes go to folks who respond to an upcoming email. I think they go to long term Patreon supporters, and crowdfunders, then those or ordered from their store. They know only a percentage of Patreons and crowdfund backers will respond to get a code, and not all who receive their code will redeem. I think I recall it explained they expect to have a good number of codes for those who bought direct.

Still, once the codes are used up, then it’s full price.

 

[Staffan]

There’s no cutoff date. But there is a cutoff quantity. In either a stream or a vid Matt mentioned Steam gave them 30,000 codes based on the size of their crowdfunder, or some benchmark of sales.

Once the codes are gone they’re gone. But the codes go to folks who respond to an upcoming email. I think they go to long term Patreon supporters, and crowdfunders, then those or ordered from their store. They know only a percentage of Patreons and crowdfund backers will respond to get a code, and not all who receive their code will redeem. I think I recall it explained they expect to have a good number of codes for those who bought direct.

Still, once the codes are used up, then it’s full price.

As I understand it, they will send out a discount code to everyone who bought the Heroes book, whether or not that was via the crowdfunder or in the store. This discount code is for their own store, and you can use it for anything there. One of the things you could buy is a Steam code for the Codex, and those are the ones in limited supply. But you could also use it for anything else in the store. I don't see myself using the Codex, so I'll probably use mine on Fall of Blackbottom or something instead.

 

[zakael19]

I’m curious what the bundle pricing will look like. If it’s like $20 for additional licenses, I paid more then that total to support my table in a year of Roll20 D&D play and got a product that was endlessly frustrating.