Getting randomized miniatures from online boosters- Get real

[AdmundfortGeographer]

So what about the majority of us who don't buy DnD minis. What do I pay $10 per month for?

Absolutely nothing at all. You'll pay $10 bucks a month for completely nothing.

 

[Delta]

However, to apply this model to ONLINE items that are nothing more than a model and a skin? What on earth are they thinking?

They're thinking they can make more money.

Randomized playing pieces solve a bricks-and-mortar inventory problem, but they do more than that: They entice people to buy more, hoping for the big score, something like a lottery. Also, they contribute to a tighter community by requiring people to seek each other out and make trade arrangements.

Consider "Magic: the Gathering Online". Even though it's online and has zero marginal production costs, they still sell the virtual cards in randomized packs. There's no attempt made at giving codes in physical Magic packs to unlock the same stuff online. It's still good business because of customer behavior; of course, they charge nothing to play the game other than cost of cards. (Full disclosure: I worked as a software engineer at a company that did the same thing predating Magic the Gathering Online, so I saw the business model up close, about 8 years ago. As a side note, all the 3D models for our Star Trek-branded game were made by a single artist over about 3 months time.)

http://wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin...nNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

So basically Wizards is thinking if they can sell randomized digital stuff in Magic the Gathering Online, why not the D&D Game Table? Of course, the fact that there's also a monthly subscription fee in addition pushes this into uncharted territory, but personally I wouldn't be surprised if enough gamers are willing to swallow even that to make it marginally more profitable.

 

[Drkfathr1]

And the sad thing is they'll probably get away with it if this is indeed the route they wish to take, because despite the moaning and groaning, too many will swallow their pride and fork over the money. Well, at least those who'll be DM'ing will. Players won't have to worry about it so much.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I'm good with tokens.

I use tokens in my home games, anyway.

The way I used to do it, I built tokens for the monsters and I bought "Close Enough" commons from D&D Minis to represent the player characters. And we played on TactTiles. That was pretty much it.

My current group is really REALLY into terrain and minis, so they build terrain and paint minis and we have modular pieces and whatnot that we build into any set-piece combats taking place. I even have a custom mini one of the guys built for me for my character (which is pretty awesome).

If I can get the 3D minis at a nominal cost, I'll buy more of them.

If I can get an unlock code from the card a physical mini comes with, I'll buy more of those. ONLY if the unlock is a 1-to-many and one Skeleton gives me as many skeletons as I want to put on my game board.

I will not buy a randomized digital mini-pack. Period.

I will not buy digital minis on a 1-1 basis. Period.

If it is a feasible business model for them, well, huzzah for that. But it simply isn't for me. I don't have the disposable income and I've been conditioned not to fork out for patently scrounging activities.

Same reason I don't buy collectible action figures where they have a "foil" in every other box. Same reason I don't buy Magic. Same reason I only buy DDMinis in singles after-market.

-fje

 

[JediSoth]

It's becoming more and more clear to me that I am NOT the target audience for the Digital Initiative. I'm married with a clearly defined gaming budget, and that budget will never include something as patently absurd as randomized virtual miniatures.

JediSoth

 

[Simplicity]

Well, if you want to use a miniature, you just have to own the miniature. Likewise, if your player wants to see the miniature... he'll have to own the miniature too. The pricing could be even worse.

Personally, I'd be fine if there were non-randomized online miniature "packs" that only the DM had to buy (although the core package needs to come with some basics)... especially if you got a discount after buying the physical minis. The problem with getting it all when you get the subscription is that there is no incentive for Wizards to ever create new minis online. And so they won't. You'll be stuck using the same goblin figure for every monster you have until the end of time.

 

[Korgoth]

I don't buy the "well it costs money to make 3D models" argument to justify additional cost for 'minis' in the VGT. DDI already costs money.

That's like buying Quake and finding out that your 50 bucks paid for the game engine and the basic player model. But if you want guns, bullets, monsters and other player models you have to buy them individually. I mean, somebody has to create the texture for that rocket ammo, right? That costs money.

DDI should probably also make you pay for bonus sets of "virtual polyhedra". It costs money to apply the "sparkly purple" filter over your basic set of dice. And don't get me started on "special tiles" for the dungeon layout!

 

[Simplicity]

I don't buy the "well it costs money to make 3D models" argument to justify additional cost for 'minis' in the VGT. DDI already costs money.

That's like buying Quake and finding out that your 50 bucks paid for the game engine and the basic player model. But if you want guns, bullets, monsters and other player models you have to buy them individually. I mean, somebody has to create the texture for that rocket ammo, right? That costs money.

DDI should probably also make you pay for bonus sets of "virtual polyhedra". It costs money to apply the "sparkly purple" filter over your basic set of dice. And don't get me started on "special tiles" for the dungeon layout!

Get serious. How many enemies do you face in quake? Maybe 10-20 different models?
How many miniature models would you like to see for the DDI? If you're happy with 10-20, great. But that isn't going to satisfy most people. To cover the MMI, you'll need hundreds of models.

Do you think the World of Warcraft has enough enemy models in it to make you happy? They charge a much larger monthly fee, and they probably have fewer enemy models than there are entries in the Monster Manual I.

Of course, you should get some basic set of miniatures for your $10 a month. But I don't expect (and neither should you expect) that $10 a month is going to get you hundreds of miniatures online. It almost certainly won't.

 

[Dragonblade]

I thought I was a lock as a subscriber to D&D Insider, but now I have to pay EXTRA for digital minis?!?!?! And they will be randomized too!??!?!

And the whole notion of using tokens if I don't want to pay for digital minis is frankly insulting! Stuff your tokens, WotC!

Looks like I won't be subscribing after all.

My true thoughts on the matter are not suitable for Eric's grandmother so I won't post them.

 

[Dragonblade]

Get serious. How many enemies do you face in quake? Maybe 10-20 different models?
How many miniature models would you like to see for the DDI? If you're happy with 10-20, great. But that isn't going to satisfy most people. To cover the MMI, you'll need hundreds of models.

Do you think the World of Warcraft has enough enemy models in it to make you happy? They charge a much larger monthly fee, and they probably have fewer enemy models than there are entries in the Monster Manual I.

Of course, you should get some basic set of miniatures for your $10 a month. But I don't expect (and neither should you expect) that $10 a month is going to get you hundreds of miniatures online. It almost certainly won't.

If WotC wants to charge a one time upfront fee for getting access to the MM minis, I can swallow that. But randomized digitial mini packs is totally ridiculous.