New Character Builder from WotC!

[Herschel]

Although at first glance this may seem like people are cheating, what generally happens, such as in the case of MMO accounts, is that the "other" members generally find they enjoy the service, and then go on to subscribe on their own.

Except WotC gave out the first three levels in the original CB for free to anyone who wanted to download it and they got what they got, so your point loses validity based on proof in the market in this instance.

 

[Sunseeker]

Except WotC gave out the first three levels in the original CB for free to anyone who wanted to download it and they got what they got, so your point loses validity based on proof in the market in this instance.

Except it doesn't because I wasn't talking about a singular program. Not to mention a program you can use offline, and one that is easily cracked open and made full for free.

I was talking about their new service, where everything is online.

 

[Herschel]

And gamers are going to change how?

 

[Sunseeker]

And gamers are going to change how?

I don't recall suggesting they would. You simply can't hack an online-subscription service, where no data is stored on your computer.

 

[MarkB]

I don't recall suggesting they would. You simply can't hack an online-subscription service, where no data is stored on your computer.

Except by sharing the account. But you're suggesting that players who do that will be inspired to sign up new accounts themselves, when players offered similar tasters in the past did not. What's the new factor here?

 

[renau1g]

Players will have all the rules instead of a small subset of them? Wasn't the demo pretty limited (as most demos are) with its content? Heck I know the HeroLab demo is very limited and doesn't really inspire me to buy it.

 

[Sunseeker]

Except by sharing the account. But you're suggesting that players who do that will be inspired to sign up new accounts themselves, when players offered similar tasters in the past did not. What's the new factor here?

As renau1g says, because they'll have access to all the features, not just a quick glimpse at them. Think of it like those 10-day trials for games. The only thing you're limited to, is time, you could(and for many games there are guides on how) beat the whole game in one day. You see enough of the content to know it's fun and you enjoy it, so you buy it.

Don't tell me that you've never bought a movie you rented first?

 

[The Little Raven]

It's YOUR account, and as such, short of outrightly violating the terms of the account, you're entitled to use it as you please. If you wish to make it a group account, then it is a group account, if you wish to allow 5 different people access to it, then 5 different people have access to it.

You may not ... share your Account with anyone, unless you are a parent or guardian, in which case you may permit one child to use the Account instead of yourself.

Sharing is an outright violation.

 

[Hussar]

RLBURNSIDE - You want to keep up with current gaming information right? And you want to be able to share that with the group. What's stopping you from buying the books? It's a one time cost, gains you access to all the information and it can never be taken away from you.

Oh, right, you can't do it for ten bucks once in a while...

Look, at the end of the day, WOTC has to ask itself, does it want someone like RLBURNSIDE as a customer? What do they get out of it? Their entire library downloaded for ten bucks every six months or so? It's not even worth the accounting costs to make that available. Now, I'm picking on RLBURNSIDE here, but, there's been more than a few people make the same comment. That not being able to download the entire library means they won't play the game anymore.

Really?

REALLY?

It's THAT important to you to have an entire library before you'll play the game? What did you do in 3e? Or any other RPG that certainly never gave you any access even remotely like this?

As I said, why on earth would any RPG company want to keep these customers?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Why did they want them before?

RLBURNSIDE - You want to keep up with current gaming information right? And you want to be able to share that with the group. What's stopping you from buying the books? It's a one time cost, gains you access to all the information and it can never be taken away from you.

Oh, right, you can't do it for ten bucks once in a while...

Look, at the end of the day, WOTC has to ask itself, does it want someone like RLBURNSIDE as a customer? What do they get out of it? Their entire library downloaded for ten bucks every six months or so? It's not even worth the accounting costs to make that available. Now, I'm picking on RLBURNSIDE here, but, there's been more than a few people make the same comment. That not being able to download the entire library means they won't play the game anymore.

Really?

REALLY?

It's THAT important to you to have an entire library before you'll play the game? What did you do in 3e? Or any other RPG that certainly never gave you any access even remotely like this?

As I said, why on earth would any RPG company want to keep these customers?