Forked Thread: V-minis and DDi (was Gamespy interview)

[Tervin]

So to do it as pormised, game time must stand still while the renderings are downloaded. This is not a good model for a smoot game.

Not really. Look at Magic Online. (The main reason I don't trust them with online projects, but that is another story...)

Everybody has all the art of cards and avatars downloaded onto their computers, whether they own them or not. When new cards come out, you download them in a patch. Once you own the digital objects, you can use them. That way you have no problem with playing with people who own other cards and avatars. The virtual minis would basically work like the avatars. You see them if someone is there who own them and uses them. Otherwise not, since noone else can activate them - even if they have the code for them on their computers.

On the other hand, I suspect that this is one of the reasons why they are hesitant when it comes to user created content - that would cause all the problems that you described.

 

[Heselbine]

Does this remind you of the much vaunted character generator software where a free preview was included in the D&D 3E PHB with the new improved version out any day now? That never materialized, either.

Funny you should say that. I've been thinking about that for a while.

It was supposed to be 'nearly finished' when the PHB came out and we got an 'advanced preview'. The software was pretty unusable at that point I seem to remember. All sorts of goodies were promised. I am getting a terrible feeling of deja vu.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Funny you should say that. I've been thinking about that for a while.

It was supposed to be 'nearly finished' when the PHB came out and we got an 'advanced preview'. The software was pretty unusable at that point I seem to remember. All sorts of goodies were promised. I am getting a terrible feeling of deja vu.

With DDI they can work on 1 project at a time and then release it for use where before it all had to be done when released.

So every 3 months expect some new feature that was promised years before.

 

[Xyxox]

Not really. Look at Magic Online. (The main reason I don't trust them with online projects, but that is another story...)

Everybody has all the art of cards and avatars downloaded onto their computers, whether they own them or not. When new cards come out, you download them in a patch. Once you own the digital objects, you can use them. That way you have no problem with playing with people who own other cards and avatars. The virtual minis would basically work like the avatars. You see them if someone is there who own them and uses them. Otherwise not, since noone else can activate them - even if they have the code for them on their computers.

On the other hand, I suspect that this is one of the reasons why they are hesitant when it comes to user created content - that would cause all the problems that you described.

But then that goes back to my original supposition. IF you get the v-minis locally when you purchase them, then everybody has to purchase them to have them locally. Otherwise, if everybody gets to use the minis if one person has them, then all you need to do is hook up with one person and you'll end up with the v-minis local to your machine.

At any rate, I doubt it will ever be an issue because I seriously doubt if they will ever deliver on what they've promised.

 

[Tervin]

But then that goes back to my original supposition. IF you get the v-minis locally when you purchase them, then everybody has to purchase them to have them locally. Otherwise, if everybody gets to use the minis if one person has them, then all you need to do is hook up with one person and you'll end up with the v-minis local to your machine.

At any rate, I doubt it will ever be an issue because I seriously doubt if they will ever deliver on what they've promised.

I must have been too unclear for you. Everyone will get everything on their machines locally. They will not be able to use special v-minis unless they own them, or someone that they are gaming with owns them. Very much like how it works on Magic Online for example. I can see cards and avatars that others use, even if I don't own them. Just because you have the code for the v-minis on your machine doesn't mean that you can use them. This is how all special items are normally treated in online games, and it would be very surprising if WotC decided to do something worse and more complicated - when they already have code that works that does exactly what they want.