November 16th release for Web-based Character Builder

[UngainlyTitan]

This is sort of a weak explanation for a 20 character limit. First, one would presumably need to have a DDI account to start uploading characters with a credit card on file. But let's go ahead and say this hacker that want's to take WotC down gets his stolen credit card number, signs up for an account and then proceeds to run this malicious script from 20 computers simultaneously.

It looks like from other posts that a fair number of dnd4e files are around 200kb in size. The same information in a DB table is quite likely to be less than that, but we'll go with 200kb. So 20 machines running the same script for an hour will generate 1.4GB of data. Working from there, rounding up to 1.5GB per hour means it would take 682 hours to generate 1TB worth of files. And even if the size of file is double the 200kb I worked with you are still going to need 341 hours to fill 1TB. Or even if the script runs in half the time, one still needs a good number of hours to cause harm via this method being used to justify the 20 characte limit.

So a 20 character limit seems to do nothing to really prevent an overnight attack of this manner other than frustrate the legitimate users of this system. It seems limiting simultaneous logins would do more to circumvent a scripted attack as described in the above quote.

And finally, anyone that wants to attack the WotC DDI servers is going to find a more traditional DDoS attack on their network and servers much more expedient than trying to fill up their disk space by uploading a multitude of fake 20th level characters.

Agreed and if it really was a concern, one could run a script on the database that could alert the admins of the massive build up of characters comming from one subscriber account.

It seem a week reason and I suspect that the real motive is either they want to sell more slots later or there were concerned about the volume of data that would be uploaded when it goes live. I have 48 characters on this machine right now.
Still 20 characters at 200kB each by 41k users is about 150GB which is not alot

 

[Jor-El]

I don't really want to add fuel to the fire here, but I can see the next phase of all of this being slight increases in price, and like has been suggested, additional costs for more space/functionality/features/etc.

 

[rjdafoe]

My understanding is that silverlight has an offline mode. Does anyone know how easy/hard it is for a user to switch an application to offline mode?

Granted there would be no data available for an offline version of the builder since that's all seperate. But all WotC would have to do is release some sort of a data app and *poof* offline CB.

I don't see them doing this. At all. But it remains an option, especially down the road when 5e comes out.

They have said no. I also believe they went one further and said an offline version not an option anymore.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I don't really want to add fuel to the fire here, but I can see the next phase of all of this being slight increases in price, and like has been suggested, additional costs for more space/functionality/features/etc.

Their upper limit is set by WoW, the thing no-one needs DDI to play D&D. We have managed it for 40 years with out electronic aids and we could manage it for another 40 if we had to.
Now WoW and games like it offer an immediate play experience. Pay yer money, install the client and within 10 - 15 minutes you are playing WoW.

At no point in the current incarnation of DDI can you be playing D&D within 15 minutes of subscribing so, If they charge too much they will loose subscriptions.
They are also competing with free stuff, masterplan, maptools and so forth.
So I think the basic subscription will pretty much remain at its current level (adjusting for inflation, etc) but they could offer premium content, or they could go the microtransaction route. Pay this much an unlock some features.

So if they provide an integrated VTT, Character and Monster Builder and campaign manager, mapper, that would consitute the base package. Now this stuff is nothing that one cannot already get from third parties for free or low once off charge.

So the premium stuff would be, prefabbed 3-D maps and minis for adventures that have appeared in Dragon. $10 for keep on the Shadowfell. So now, you have your choice, do the maps yourself and used 2-D counters that come with the VTT for the module or buy the premium content.

Custom 3-D models of your character by the WOTC in house artists. Probably costs losts but there are gamers that could affoard it.

I could also see the rise of a DDI market place where third parties could make a few bob providing custom stuff for their fellow gamers.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

They have said no. I also believe they went one further and said an offline version not an option anymore.

Pretty much but I do believe that an offline viewer for existing characters is possible.

 

[Ahrimon]

They have said no. I also believe they went one further and said an offline version not an option anymore.

I was mainly asking since I've heard Silverlight supports offline. I didn't know if it was something that could be enabled client side. If it was, I could see someone scraping the compendium and building a DB to connect to it. I would hope that people wouldn't do that. But in this day and age, if it can be done, it's out there.

But as long as the option is there, it does offer the capability to go offline (with a separate data package) when the inevitable 5e comes out down the road. That way, those who wish to stay with 4e wouldn't be left in the cold. Will WotC do it? Doubtful, it'd cut into their 5e sales.

Who knows. If the uproar and cancelled subscriptions pans out to be more than the just the saber rattling that I predict it is, it gives them the option of changing direction without a major re-write.

 

[Blastin]

I've been pretty ambivalent about the change up to this point. I don't like that I won't be able to use the CB off line, but I do see the potential of this switch to really integrate a bunch of new options in the future.

The 20 character limit is the first thing that has me upset. I am also one of those people that likes to make characters up as experimentation. I also like to make/save the same character at different levels to see how they might advance. I'm going to go through 20 slots FAST.

The 20 character limit, if it isn't increased pretty quickly, would be the first thing about this that would make me consider canceling my ongoing subscription.

Edit: upset enough that I just turned off auto renewal. I guess that means they have till 3/11 to make this work.

 

[Truename]

The 20 character limit, if it isn't increased pretty quickly, would be the first thing about this that would make me consider canceling my ongoing subscription.

Yeah, I can understand the rest of it... two and half years with no new tools while they rewrote their software, the move to online-only, even characters in the cloud.

But the 20-character limit just feels cheap. It's a literal insult added to the injury of something that was obviously created for WoTC's benefit (DRM, paying off technical debt), not ours.

Man, they need a product manager. They should have released one of their new tools first, for crying out loud, instead of giving us this warmed-over retread that so clearly takes away rather than adds.

 

[Kobold Boots]

So here's a question. 20 character limit, ok.

Will there be an import/export feature? Because if so, I don't care what my online storage is. I could fill up a 250GB drive with whatever I needed and upload to work actively.

 

[The Little Raven]

Will there be an import/export feature? Because if so, I don't care what my online storage is. I could fill up a 250GB drive with whatever I needed and upload to work actively.

There will be an import feature from the get-go, they say, but the export feature will come in an early update. From what I understand, it will be the same format as the current CB.