The biggest issue with the new Character Builder:

[Holy Bovine]

Yep. I certainly don't have any kind of ulterior motives here. I want WotC to succeed, I want 4e to go on for years, and I really don't mind giving them my money. I even honestly like change - I think Essentials is new and daring, and am glad it's a part of 4e now.

Anyways, I can honestly say that the new CB hasn't crashed on me yet. So I don't have that particular critique on either of my systems under any browser. (Tried so far on Win7 x64, Vista x64, Chrome, and Firefox 3.6.) So I'm not seeing that particular problem. It's also attractive, and I like how it changes based on the campaign you're using.

It is, however, quite slow. It's buggy on data and math. Workable combinations don't work. Sheets and cards can't be customized, and there's zero house rule support - not even the minimal support offered in the old one. It sometimes hangs for 10 seconds or so for no apparent reason. And the interface makes me want to scream. Look, the original CB was not a marvel of ergonomics, but I defy anyone to tell me that the new equipment/marketplace screens are an improvement over the old CB.

-O

This is my take almost 100% but I have had it crash about 10 times over the 5 characters I have attempted to make. The pause after each 'click' annoys me to the point that I don't like using the program - where with the old CB I made characters because I found the process fun. The CBC was an actual source of amusement to me - an added and delightful benefit that is now gone. The 'Marketplace in the online CB is a nightmare to me. I do not understand how to find anything in it.

But I guess, according to the OP, I am not qualified to critique a program like this as I wasn't one of the developers. Or some such nonsense like that. Or maybe I'm not the kind of customer WotC needs? At this point WotC isn't doing much to convince me they are a company I need so we'll see how this all pans out.

 

[Mallus]

So I monkeyed around with the new CB a little more. It seems more stable, and I recreated/saved my current 12th level paladin PC without any trouble -- well, except for the "no house rules support at all" thing. I was pleased to discover you can take multiple Domain Feats from different gods by choosing one, then changing your deity, and them choosing another (just like in the old CB).

I can't, for the life of me, understand why WotC didn't make the current version an open beta and let the community bang away at it for a few months. That's really, really, hard to explain.

As for the, ahem, somewhat unprofessional quality of the release code... that just says to me the project was resource-starved. It smacks of insufficient budget, not a lazy dev team (I like to think kindly of dev teams...).

 

[gourdcaptain]

But does it include Essentials classes?

Not yet, but they're not done working on it yet.

 

[Dungeoneer]

But does it include Essentials classes?

They're focusing on Dark Sun for the moment. Which is fine by me, TBH. I don't think Essentials is a product for me. At any rate I have no idea how difficult it will be to square with the existing XML structure.

 

[Obryn]

The pause after each 'click' annoys me to the point that I don't like using the program - where with the old CB I made characters because I found the process fun. The CBC was an actual source of amusement to me - an added and delightful benefit that is now gone. The 'Marketplace in the online CB is a nightmare to me. I do not understand how to find anything in it.

Yep, that's exactly right.

I would sit around and make random characters with cool concepts while watching TV. It feels a lot more like a chore now.

I don't just want a tool - I want a toy. And the flashy graphics imply to me that WotC knows it. Making characters should be fun - a bit of a mini-game in its own right. Right now, it's barely passable as a tool for me, but it's an utter failure as a toy.

Not yet, but they're not done working on it yet.

If they do, sign me up! I need both, not just Dark Sun stuff.

-O

 

[Dice4Hire]

Am I wrong or are we discussing illegal actions here?

 

[rjdafoe]

It's not? How so?

It's all in an unprotected file sitting on your computer. That is all I am going to say about that.

The old CB had encryption for the file. This one doesn't. The content does not sit on their servers as it turns out. This is why alot of people have said that the online CB is basically the same as the old CB.

 

[rjdafoe]

At the point said people have added all of essentials, you'll be right. Until then they've added the 'easy' stuff, which were made easier by the frameworks already being in place in the Classic CB.

So where is the too hard stuff?

Show me something in essentials that is not easily added? I know someone right now that can make an esentials Mage - and it works better than the online CB.

I can add my own custom content right now. We could have had that, through the UI all along.

 

[evilref]

Am I wrong or are we discussing illegal actions here?

The file being distributed has certainly been created using methods that violate wizards terms of use (which may or may not constitute fraud, see US vs Wiseguys), there's also the potential copyright violation with the downloadable file being distributed. There could be a fair use argument for it, but that'd have to be hashed out in a court because it's not a clearcut issue.

Your own modification of the file may be deemed to be a violation of the US DMCA or EU Copyright Directive (if you fall into either jurisdiction). I can read the DMCA in two different ways with regards to this.

 

[Dungeoneer]

Am I wrong or are we discussing illegal actions here?

Yes, you are wrong. Nothing prevents you from modifying programs you legally downloaded that are sitting on your computer.

I suppose that peeking under the hood nullifies the warranty and means that I can no longer get support for the product, but, let's face it, that wasn't an issue anyway.