So will 4th edition REQUIRE an online subscription?

[Transit]

Has Wizards confirmed that the online content is OPTIONAL?

Or is the 4E player handbook going to give character creation options, and then say "to finish creating your character, you MUST sign in to your D&D Insider user account and use the online character creator to print out a character sheet"?

Anyone know?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

All the information is in the books...the DI and all that stuff is extra stuff to help out but isn't at all required.

 

[Glyfair]

Has Wizards confirmed that the online content is OPTIONAL?

Dave Noonan has posted that the highest tech he used in his Eberron playtest group was a 3 ring binder.

 

[Transit]

Cool. Thanks.

 

[Aaron L]

That's a big relief. I'm a long way from a technophobe, but I prefer my RPGs to be with pencils, paper, books, and people sitting around a table or lounging in a living room on couches and big comfy chairs, with nothing to get in the way besides snacks, pizza, and pop (or soda to some of you weirdos.) Laptops and computers only serve to distract and slow things down, in my experience.

 

[BlackMoria]

This is most likely how it works.

The books are complete. There will be optional material available 'to enhance play experience' offered on the DI which the owner can access by entering a license key found in the book.

Now...after discussion with my friend, here I believe is the kicker in all this.

To use the DI Virtual Game Table, you will need to actually own the book for the options you use in the online game. So, if you don't actually buy the PHB, don't expect to create a character online because your ability to create a character is most likely completely tied to the license keys you have uploaded.

In essence, WOTC has dealt with the issue of one person in a group buying a book and sharing it around the table to play or groups playing off the SRD alone. They can't control the usage of books around your kitchen table but they certainly can (and I think, will) control who gets to play on the virtual game table. You want to play prestige class X for your DI online character? Then you better have bought the book (with the license key) with that prestige class you want in it because it will be needed to activate that capability for your online character.

 

[Vigilance]

This is most likely how it works.

The books are complete. There will be optional material available 'to enhance play experience' offered on the DI which the owner can access by entering a license key found in the book.

Now...after discussion with my friend, here I believe is the kicker in all this.

To use the DI Virtual Game Table, you will need to actually own the book for the options you use in the online game. So, if you don't actually buy the PHB, don't expect to create a character online because your ability to create a character is most likely completely tied to the license keys you have uploaded.

In essence, WOTC has dealt with the issue of one person in a group buying a book and sharing it around the table to play or groups playing off the SRD alone. They can't control the usage of books around your kitchen table but they certainly can (and I think, will) control who gets to play on the virtual game table. You want to play prestige class X for your DI online character? Then you better have bought the book (with the license key) with that prestige class you want in it because it will be needed to activate that capability for your online character.

Which all seems perfectly reasonable to me.

 

[BlackMoria]

Which all seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Yes. I wasn't dissing it. It makes perfect sense and if you want to fully use the DI, you better be prepared to buy the physical book. I don't have a problem with that but I can see people being unhappy about that.

 

[Pyrex]

You want to play prestige class X for your DI online character? Then you better have bought the book (with the license key) with that prestige class you want in it because it will be needed to activate that capability for your online character.

Personally, I don't have the slightest problem with this.

It's long been an informal guideline in our group that if you want to use material in a book that you should pick up a copy of said book.

(with exceptions like campaign-specific stuff like character options in the Expedition books, which only the current DM really needs to own)

Every player at our table has a PHB, 2/3's own a DMG, and each of us own whichever supplements we find the most valuable.

 

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

Good news. I'm glad that WotC have maintained their right wits in this case. I'm still not touching the DI unless given a VERY good reason.