Matt Colville weighs in.

[darjr]

I was speaking to the general outrage over the $30 rumor (which is frankly still baseless at this point and hasn'tbeen forwarded by anybody reputable, we don't even know what it would supposedly be for).

I don't like D&D Beyond, personally, because I like analog pen & paper. So any digital service ain't for me. But I wouldn't "trust" any company beyond the terms of service at the time of purchase.

Eh.

When they'd say things like "we'll make sure you can walk away with your content if we go away" I trusted them. I trusted that was more than PR. Even if it was an "app" with all the problems that would face.

 

[Parmandur]

Eh.

When they'd say things like "we'll make sure you can walk away with your content if we go away" I trusted them. I trusted that was more than PR. Even if it was an "app" with all the problems that would face.

Wow, yeah, I wouldn't bet on that, though if they had gone belly up in 2019 WotC probably would have done something (give people vouchers for another service, what have you). At this point, the service probsvly won't go away anytime soon because of inertia, but nothing lasts forever.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Oh I get the difference. Fair enough.

But they are both still subscription systems.

Like, at this point we should be clear about what we are talking about. When people talk about what "subscriptions" they have nowadays, we're talking about what essentially amounts to our access to rental archives: Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, etc. The money does not give ownership, it simply gives access, and you have no right to what you viewed afterwards. When we're talking about the rumored subscription tier, that's what thta is.

That's not really comparable to what Paizo calls their "subscription service". It's not even really like a magazine service anymore: I subscribe to their Core Rules releases and I don't pay every month or on any strict schedule, but rather upon completion of the product. If there were no releases in a year, I would pay nothing. While you could call it a "subscription service", it's not like that in the modern sense and is more of a preordering service than anything. It doesn't feel at all comparable to the stuff we are talking about now.

 

[Orius]

For sure, and it's not an either/or sort of thing. People will probsvly use both.

I won't. I usually find digital tools to be limiting and I'm not particularly interested in 6e in the first place.

 

[darjr]

View attachment 273915

Like, at this point we should be clear about what we are talking about. When people talk about what "subscriptions" they have nowadays, we're talking about what essentially amounts to our access to rental archives: Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, etc. The money does not give ownership, it simply gives access, and you have no right to what you viewed afterwards. When we're talking about the rumored subscription tier, that's what thta is.

That's not really comparable to what Paizo calls their "subscription service". It's not even really like a magazine service anymore: I subscribe to their Core Rules releases and I don't pay every month or on any strict schedule, but rather upon completion of the product. If there were no releases in a year, I would pay nothing. While you could call it a "subscription service", it's not like that in the modern sense and is more of a preordering service than anything. It doesn't feel at all comparable to the stuff we are talking about now.

Yes this. Profoundly different.

 

[mamba]

My bet is they'll want to integrated the databases so you can go from ddb into the vtt and not "switch" systems. Monster stats and encounter handling with initiative etc. Unless they silo them as completely separate web sites and/or apps some integration will be needed. And even some by surprise can be a nightmare. Or at least a ton of extra work.

All of this could be easily replicated in the VTT, or retrieved from DDB (the stats, anything else you would do in the VTT itself, why would DDB handle the initiative for an encounter in the VTT? not really familiar with DDB, but I see no good reason to), neither is particularly complicated.

Integrating databases is the least of your worries for a seamless integration from a user perspective

 

[Parmandur]

I won't. I usually find digital tools to be limiting and I'm not particularly interested in 6e in the first place.

Nor I. But people will. Neither precludes the other.

 

[darjr]

All of this could be easily replicated in the VTT, or retrieved from DDB (the stats, anything else you would do in the VTT itself, why would DDB handle the initiative for an encounter in the VTT? not really familiar with DDB, but I see no good reason to), neither is particularly complicated.

Integrating databases is the least of your worries for a seamless integration from a user perspective

Ha!

Says every manager.

After all they've thrown 200+ new programmers at it right?

Then again it is possible and Chris Cao did do Magic Arena. So we'll see.

 

[darjr]

Please note i actually think they will get decent software out.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Hope you are right. As to how do they enforce it? If you don’t allow people to enter certain data into a VTT, it’s enforced.

They can't enforce the ability of the player who purchased the "loot" actually being allowed to use it. Which will lead to customer disatisfaction, and regular requests for refunds. At best.

Are you suggesting they cannot block no official content from their virtual tabletop?

Not without huge pushback. See; Skyrim. If the fans expect and are used to being able to make the game their own, they will not tolerate losing that ability.

I say they can.

Will they? We shall see.

As to not being loot crates…maybe not at first. But if they can get the VTT popular and insert pay for advantage things in there they most certainly would if allowed.

Nah, come on, again, how would they ensure the player can even make use of what they've paid for? No, they'll sell access to content and assets, especially special assets you can't get otherwise.

Unless the backlash means it’s not worth it. I don’t care on some level. I have dice minis and terrain. It’s not me I am worried about. I just worry people might lose interest in the traditional game.

Never gonna happen. The VTT scene doesn't scratch the same itch. if it were that easy to get people to ditch TTRPGs, video games would have killed our hobby before wotc bought DnD.