No Character Builder Update

[Infiniti2000]

From this thread clearly Wizards should reduce the cost on the CB and add a cost for other DDI elements. The total cost would then be more but then all the people whining about the refund would also not be able then to access everything else for free.

 

[P1NBACK]

From this thread clearly Wizards should reduce the cost on the CB and add a cost for other DDI elements. The total cost would then be more but then all the people whining about the refund would also not be able then to access everything else for free.

Many people have asked for exactly this, an a la carte based subscription program.

If I want Dungeon, I pay for that. If I want Dragon, I pay for that. If I want both, I pay for both. If I want Dragon and the Character Builder, I pay for that. Etc...

And, get what you pay for.

I'd be fine with this. That way when Dragon sucks (as it has the past couple months), I don't have to waste my money. I can just buy the update to the CB and get all the crunch.

Will WotC do this? Probably not.

 

[True_Blue]

If I were them, I wouldn't split it up. They would probably make less money if they were to do so, so it doesn't make sense to do it.

Most people (in my opinion) get DDI so that they can update the Character Builder. Everything else is mostly just extra. So they would have to lessen the cost of the DDI, and then add in a model to charge for Dungeon, Dragon, etc. And I dont think many more people would pay for the magazines, so overall they would lose money.

Also, from a financial standpoint and book keeping, its easier on them to just have one on/off switch. They can flag all this material as needing a subscription and they only need to worry about that one flag.

 

[P1NBACK]

Most people (in my opinion) get DDI so that they can update the Character Builder.

I subscribe for the updates to the CB and access to the Compendium.

I like the Monster Builder and it's a nice bonus. Same with the magazines. But, I don't subscribe for them. If they fixed some of the problems with the Monster Builder (bugs/templates/MM3 stats for all) then I'd be subscribing for the MB also.

 

[wedgeski]

Will WotC do this? Probably not.

If they did you can bet that the new, combined cost of all of the features would be far in excess of the few dollars a month we already pay for the whole lot. "Be careful what you wish for" and all that.

Honestly, I can't fathom the notion that a DDI subscription is in any way not already *huge* value for money. A missed CB update hardly puts a dent in that record as far as I'm concerned, so I'm quite happy to cut Wizards some slack.

Demanding compensation seemed miserly to me in the first instance, but actually *receiving* it showed a surprising level of generosity from Wizards IMO.

 

[P1NBACK]

If they did you can bet that the new, combined cost of all of the features would be far in excess of the few dollars a month we already pay for the whole lot. "Be careful what you wish for" and all that.

Honestly, I can't fathom the notion that a DDI subscription is in any way not already *huge* value for money. A missed CB update hardly puts a dent in that record as far as I'm concerned, so I'm quite happy to cut Wizards some slack.

Demanding compensation seemed miserly to me in the first instance, but actually *receiving* it showed a surprising level of generosity from Wizards IMO.

We all have opinions.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Do I just email the customer support or what? Also, what is the proper way to go about asking?

I ask partly because I've been attempting to get the CB to update at all, let alone for this month(and the CB was the deciding factor in my purchasing a DDI sub in the first place), and would like to get an extension so I can hopefully rectify the issue, but I want to make sure I'm not rude or anything.

I just hit the 'contact us' link on the D&D main page - I didn't use much in the way of the 'automated' responses just made sure it was going to the D&D guys and made my own subject line - something like "Character Builder September update".

this is the email I sent

Hi!

Like many D&DI subscribers I was deeply disappointed with the announcement yesterday that there would be no update to the Character Builder or Adventure Tools programs this month. My groups and I get a lot of use out of these programs and were even starting a Dark Sun game this month which is now on hold until October. I was hoping that there would be some kind of compensation to subscribers for the inconvenience of this missed update. Thank you for you time and consideration.

Within 24 hours they had sent a full refund for September - more than I was expecting as Dragon & Dungeon are still on time. I felt my email was polite and to the point. Anything you write should be brief and clear, imo and above all polite! I'm sure they are getting dozens if not hundreds of emails about this alone so being polite costs you nothing and probably makes someone else's day easier - win/win imo.

Hope you get your CB problems sorted out as well.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Demanding compensation seemed miserly to me in the first instance, but actually *receiving* it showed a surprising level of generosity from Wizards IMO.

Aw c'mon! That hardly seems fair to anyone calling them 'miserly'.

And I am the first to laud WotC for their willingness to pay back people who felt cheated out of what they wanted from DDI this month. The fact a simple email will get you a full refund is very generous - I expected a partial refund at most, nothing at worst (but sending the email was free so what the hey!).

Lets not drop to name calling m'kay?

 

[jelmore]

But it *does* make sense to give the Human a choice on what they would like to do, gain an extra at-will or gain an encounter power that gives a +4 to one roll. I have no idea why someone *wouldn't* want to see that in there.

In the errata document that I linked, the Human gets to choose between the racial power from HoFL and taking an extra at-will from their class.

 

[badmojojojo]

I (and, presumably, every DDI subscriber with a WotC Community account) just received notification that adding the new rules systems to incorporate Dark Sun (presumably Themes) and Essentials builds hasn't been possible in time for a 21st September update, so it doesn't look as if there'll be a September update at all. The message says that they hope to update in 'early October'.

I have a subscription & community account and I received no such notice.