New Character Builder from WotC!

[Chronosome]

My main issue:

I play more intermittently than I like, and only subscribe to DDi when my game is active (for me, this was an expensive lesson to learn). I do like to use Character Builder and Adventure Tools during interims to work on my game, but if I'm going to have to pay for the privilege I'd just as soon not.

I don't mind paying for content, but having to pay to access what is essentially (ha) a character spreadsheet is a deal-breaker for me.

 

[Ourph]

So far I've been a big fan of the CB because I knew I could keep what I was paying for once WotC moved on to another ruleset or online model. Now that WotC has changed that particular fact, I don't see any reason to keep my DDI subscription going. I'm not interested in renting my character building software.

 

[Canor Morum]

Some more clarification from the FAQ...

"Q: If I end my subscription, what happens to the characters I’ve created or imported to the Character Builder?"

"A: Characters you’ve created on the new version or imported from the older version of the Character Builder will remain in our database for twelve months after the subscription expires. If you renew your subscription within that twelve month period, you will be able to access your characters again."



OUCH.

Source: FAQ for Character Builder

 

[renau1g]

A few subsidiary questions occur:
[*]Can I export a character and send it to someone else, to be view on their Character Builder? One of the boons of the Character Builder has been sending characters via e-mail or memory stick, so that the DM can review them in advance, or simply so that the players without printers can have someone else print out their character.
[/LIST]

Paolo mentioned you currently can't do this, but soon you will be able to send to other users.

100 PCs? Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd guess you're rather in excess of what they expect from the typical gamer.

No business model works for all customers. So, clearly, this one has a flaw if you have over 100 PCs that you don't print out to hard copy as you update them. Compare that to the ease of not having to support an installed client, and gaining... all the Mac users, and I expect it is still a win for them.

Oh, I'm not saying I'm the typical user, just happen to DM a few games and keep all the PC's on my computer for safekeeping. I also expect it's a net win for them long term, but that also doesn't mean I can't be disappointed. I build a lot of PC's/plan games while traveling for work, many times with intermittent/non-existent internet. Now I can't. That reduces my benefit, so I stopped my sub. Now, I also realize that gaining the 10% of comp users who use MAC's is a boon, although I suspect that many(all?) of those users can Boot Camp or Dual Camp or whatever you call it to access the program in the past. I'm thinking they're hoping to gain those ppl who jumped on every 6 months or so to grab an update, plus remove pirates and when they make their new edition remove the competition of their prior edition, thereby continuing to protect their revenues.

 

[falcarrion]

this new CB with run on silverlight. Bang ! Another foot shot.
And here is why:

Looks like HTML5 caught Microsoft’s full attention this past week. The company announced this week that they will be shifting away from Silverlight and focus on HTML5.

Microsoft’s Server president, Bob Muglia, confirmed that the company will be focusing their web efforts/support on HTML5. “HTML is the only true cross platform solution for everything, including the iOS platform,” he said.

 

[whydirt]

Considering how much trouble I've had getting the standalone CB to update correctly, I think this is great news. I'm sorry that other people see this as a bad move, but I think a web-based application will be more convenient for most paying customers.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Stupid, stupid, stupid move.

Steam works because 1) It's free, and 2) it has offline capabilities. This has neither. I and most people I know play directly from the CB because of how convenient it is to have a living character sheet right there in front of you. Even assuming the servers will never go down (which is a pipe dream for any form of software), no offline capabilities means that this method of gameplay is shot.

This is all assuming servers will never go down. I'm fairly certain WotC has proven by now that they aren't that good with their web-based software.

Also tying the character sheets to it is an equally bad move. I'm going to wager that most if not all people on these forums have old character sheets from perhaps years ago lying around. Not anymore! After 12 months, it's sunk.

Lastly - and worst of all - if a new edition was made, then people could still fire up the ol' CB and make their character. Not anymore! Once/if a new edition comes out, the CB is dead, dead, dead.

Oh, and I wonder if this is why they weren't putting Dark Sun and Essentials stuff on CB - to add an extra "incentive" to buy this new service? Despicable.

I can see the desire in having this so that people don't have to download the CB. So they don't have to program for Mac or whatever else. But this is by and far not the answer. The CB was one of the major selling points of 4e - it was quite frankly brilliant.

They just shot it in the face.

 

[Sunseeker]

Also tying the character sheets to it is an equally bad move. I'm going to wager that most if not all people on these forums have old character sheets from perhaps years ago lying around. Not anymore! After 12 months, it's sunk.

If we're going to defame WotC, lets defame them for the right things shall we?

It's 12 months AFTER your subscription ends, assuming it does NOT get renewed in that time. Assuming your subscription does not end, or you renew it within that time, nothing will ever be lost.

 

[Scribble]

100 PCs? Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd guess you're rather in excess of what they expect from the typical gamer.

No business model works for all customers. So, clearly, this one has a flaw if you have over 100 PCs that you don't print out to hard copy as you update them. Compare that to the ease of not having to support an installed client, and gaining... all the Mac users, and I expect it is still a win for them.

Yeah- my guess is the amount of increased subscribers they gain from users who can now use the CB, users who now decide they want a full time subscription, will offset the amount lost because of the switch.

It might also push more people into buying books instead of doing the one month download all the new stuff at low cost, trick- which nets them more gains.

Some might leave D&D altogether out of spite, but I don't think that will be a huge thing... Although angry gamers never do failt o amaze me...

All in all I think it pushes the DDI closer to what it was intended to be... A way to support the physical products, as opposed to a way to get 12 months worth of books for 10 bux.

As for me... I'm happy with the change. It allows me to access the CB from many more computers, and not have to worry about brining my character on a thumb-drive or something. Once they enable export/sharing characters even better.

All my friends that I game with have internet access, and I'm pretty much always in a location that has it... And if not I have a phone with an unlimited data package that can link to my comp and give me access.

I also have been paying for a yearly subscription from the start, so not being able to buy a month long subscription every few months doesn't bother me either.

 

[falcarrion]

Heres my opinoin of what they should have done.
Webbase cb with a one time cost to access it. If you want updates unlocked small fee like 1 to 2 dollars.
The Ablility tp print out a pdf.
An apple app that lets you down load character from the cloud to an iphone, itouch or ipad.
An android apk that does the same thing for the tablets and phones.
Sell pdfs of the books again.

They would make a nice amount from the app and apk alone.
They would be making money off the pdfs.
They would make money off the website.