Pre-Alpha, really?

[pallen]

From the front page:

The build we saw was "Pre-Alpha," and represents the current version of the software.

So WotC claims that a big part of their 4th edition business plan is built around a series of online applications that make up part of D&D Insider. This is something that they (nor the software development team they've contracted for these tools) have any significant experience with. It's a little over three months to launch.

And they're still in pre-alpha?

If I told my boss that we weren't ready to beta test a business-critical application three months before launch, I'd probably be unemployed. And they're not even ready for internal alpha testing? This can only be explained by:

a. D&D Insider tools are much further along than advertised, WotC just wanted to concentrate D&D XP on the tabletop game, so they're fibbing about their timeline.

b. Behind the scenes, heads are rolling and management is marching towards the software developers with pitchforks and torches at the ready, and their PR machine is successfully covering it up.

c. No one at WotC knows jack-all about software development, and we shouldn't expect any of the tools to be working until 2009 or 2010.

 

[Jorunkun]

I share your suspicion that all is not well at WotC's online division. What we've seen of the character generator and the virtual game-table is underwhelming, and their website isn't anything to brag about either. I still believe they will get enough subscribers who sign up for access to Dragon, Dungeon and the rules database though.

 

[Wolfspider]

Sounds like par for the course as far as WotC and their electronic endeavors go....

 

[Voss]

Hmm. It was crystal clear back in December that non of their web-based... products... were going well. Since its apparent that they dropped the GSL ball as well, I just hope that the rules get done, and are solid, well playtested and clear.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

c. No one at WotC knows jack-all about software development, and we shouldn't expect any of the tools to be working until 2009 or 2010.

Given WotC's proven track record with electronic applications *cough* Mastertools *cough*, I vote C.

 

[Harr]

Haha, that was exactly my train of thought as I read the news post, and I was coming over into the forums to start the exact same thread. 'Pre-alpha'... very iffy, suspicious stuff.

 

[Mistwell]

Nobody said they are in pre-alpha internally. They said they showed people a pre-alpha version. That is not the same thing. There might well be good reasons to show an earlier version than the current one.

 

[Nytmare]

Yeah, it was that the ugly screen captures that made me cry were pre-alpha. I don't hold out much hope for it though, either.

 

[VannATLC]

From the front page:

c. No one at WotC knows jack-all about software development, and we shouldn't expect any of the tools to be working until 2009 or 2010.

Am I the only person that plays MTG:O?

OR that thinks the implementation (If not the price point, which leads into another DDI thread that somebody already started) is absolutly brilliant?

 

[AZRogue]

WotC seems to always screw the pooch, unfortunately, when it comes to electronic tools. I still remember the Master Tools debacle with more than just minor anger. That they finally came out with the weak E-Tools just made it worse, for me.

Hell, the Master Tools for 2E weren't that bad. I liked those, with the build in (licensed) Campaign Mapper that worked with the Forgotten Realms Atlas, and the way you could plug and play house rules into them with ease. Damn it, they haven't been able to match that product and that's some old stuff. They should just bite the bullet and work on functional at the cost of all else, admitting that they can't do a quality electronic product, or license it out to an actual company that knows what they're doing (and, yes, pay the money that it would take).

I still have my Master Tools disc and I use it now and again, just to remember how amazing a roleplaying utility can be when the bar is raised to "mediocre".

Er, sorry. Flashback to the Master Tools there. My single greatest 3E hatred was the handling of that thing. Hell, they could have found people to do it for free on the internet as open source that would have done a thousand times better ... after one weekend.