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<blockquote data-quote="bbbmmmlll" data-source="post: 5368369" data-attributes="member: 12114">I still think character builders should be free. They make the game more accessible and with all the rules to track it's a bit of a nightmare to try to build characters. This was such a big time sink in 3/3.5 and now it's showing up in 4E with multiple PHBs, Powers, settings, Essentials, etc... As a long time DM and player who now plays a couple times a month it just doesn't seem worth it anymore. I've already spent many hundreds of dollars on 4E and now I have to pay monthly for a tool that I use for less than an hour a month or waste hours leafing through poorly organized rule books. That's a pretty poor return and pretty much eliminates most casual players.Between Essentials and the CB changes I'm really turned off. Buying regurgitated rulebooks, WotC making the game management more complicated and charging you to work around their system along with the rescinding of the PDFs (I don't want to lug around two backpacks full of books anymore - I want to use my Kindle, iPad or laptop) has pushed me to the edge.The sad part is that we're getting an inferior product and it's going to cost them more in the long run. It won't reduce piracy, it will eliminate casual gamers and their web service will need to be a lot more robust. I haven't been impressed with WotC's IT department and running a 24x7 service that people depend on to use their product is a lot different than keeping a web site up. People can live without their forums, access to the latest Dragon/Dungeon, etc... but when it's Friday night and you can't get your character and your game is about to start it will be ugly.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="bbbmmmlll, post: 5368369, member: 12114"] I still think character builders should be free. They make the game more accessible and with all the rules to track it's a bit of a nightmare to try to build characters. This was such a big time sink in 3/3.5 and now it's showing up in 4E with multiple PHBs, Powers, settings, Essentials, etc... As a long time DM and player who now plays a couple times a month it just doesn't seem worth it anymore. I've already spent many hundreds of dollars on 4E and now I have to pay monthly for a tool that I use for less than an hour a month or waste hours leafing through poorly organized rule books. That's a pretty poor return and pretty much eliminates most casual players. Between Essentials and the CB changes I'm really turned off. Buying regurgitated rulebooks, WotC making the game management more complicated and charging you to work around their system along with the rescinding of the PDFs (I don't want to lug around two backpacks full of books anymore - I want to use my Kindle, iPad or laptop) has pushed me to the edge. The sad part is that we're getting an inferior product and it's going to cost them more in the long run. It won't reduce piracy, it will eliminate casual gamers and their web service will need to be a lot more robust. I haven't been impressed with WotC's IT department and running a 24x7 service that people depend on to use their product is a lot different than keeping a web site up. People can live without their forums, access to the latest Dragon/Dungeon, etc... but when it's Friday night and you can't get your character and your game is about to start it will be ugly. [/QUOTE]

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