The biggest issue with the new Character Builder:

[Oldtimer]

Spoken like every other software developer I've ever talked to. Now you know what the end user feels like. Developers always talk about how their product is better and they can do a better job, yet in the end, they're all about the same.

I don't really understand what you're trying to say here. Why do you assume that I don't know end users? I've been a consultant in this business for over three decades. As a developer, lead developer, project leader, systems analyst, system architect, and other roles I've forgotten about. In small companies and in large. I've had my share of good launch days and bad. I've had happy end users and miserable ones.

I just don't get what that dismissive tone is all about.

That said, the program isn't an "epic failure" or any of that other hyperbolic garbage, it has some bugs that are being worked out.

"hyperbolic garbage"?? Sure, we can have different opinions of what constitues a failure, but that hardly qualifies you to dismiss all other opinions as garbage.

The launch of CB2 is an epic failure by most normal standards. If you are happy with paying for that, more power to you. But I don't understand why your are getting so worked up over the fact that other, more demanding customers, think it's a piece of crap.

 

[Herschel]

LoL, I'm not the one getting worked up. I'm not the one screaming "OH GAWDS IT'S TEH FAIL!!!!!!"

See my warning below. ~ PCat

Stuff happens, constructive discourse is good, but this overblown nonsense about how the new Character Builder is a 'direct tool of Satan' or whatever is pretty silly.

 

[Danzauker]

LoL, I'm not the one getting worked up. I'm not the one screaming "OH GAWDS IT'S TEH FAIL!!!!!!"

Stuff happens, constructive discourse is good, but this overblown nonsense about how the new Character Builder is a 'direct tool of Satan' or whatever is pretty silly.

This is a hyperbole of yours.

Most professional people here (developers, IT techicians, softere architects...) are just saying: "by all our experience, this CB crappy". Which I agree, BTW.

You might not agree, you might think it deserves your money or anything, of course.

In any case, I think that something released in that state deserves a beta tag at most, and I would be ashamed of asking money for it.

YMMV.

 

[Piratecat]

Read this before posting further in this thread.

We're at the point where any insulting, condescending, or dismissive posts are going to get their authors booted off the boards for a bit. Attempting to make clever personal attacks while denying you're doing so isn't something we have a lot of patience for. It's fine if you don't agree with someone, but we expect you to treat them with respect.

Post accordingly, please.

 

[Oldtimer]

I'm not the one screaming "OH GAWDS IT'S TEH FAIL!!!!!!"

Neither am I. [Post redacted by admin; crossed over with warning.]

I am merely pointing out that as software launches go, this is a failure. Nothing hyperbolic about that.

 

[Herschel]

This is a hyperbole of yours.

Numerous threads say it's not hyperbole on my part.

The fact remains it's software rolled out that has/had some bugs, bugs that are being fixed as we speak (type?). I don't see anyone saying it's perfect, but I do see some people taking a wait & see approach and that aren't having huge issues with it.

I think an open Beta would have been a better way to go about it, but it wasn't my call and I can see why they didn't go that route. I understand why they didn't keep running updates oin the old Character Builder. If the bugs and issues don't get markedly better when my subscription runs out I'll examine it at that time rather than internet yelling that I'm cancelling it now.

I don't generally consider myself to be more patient than the next person, but the internet is what it is.

 

[Danzauker]

The fact remains it's software rolled out that has/had some bugs, bugs that are being fixed as we speak (type?).

Which is exactly what I'm saying.

It's a software with bug. MAJOR bugs, IMHO. Bugs that causes it to crash, in some cases quite often and predictabily, by various accounts.

I have no doubt that someone is fixing the bugs. I wold be quite surprised of the opposite. But I fail to see how this is a redeeming thing. It's just their job.

The simple hard facts are that now subscribers are paying for a buggy program. I can completely understand why people are upset.

 

[Sunseeker]

The simple hard facts are that now subscribers are paying for a buggy program. I can completely understand why people are upset.

Your expectations for bug-less software are unrealistic. Even some of the the longest running programs STILL have bugs. Software that is tested, retested again and again STILL have bugs. And yes, sometimes those are serious bugs, bugs that cause the program to crash, freeze, or all around perform poorly.

These are programs that have been established for years. To expect a brand new program to work 100% on several different browsers on several different operating systems is like asking for pigs to sprout wings and fly. it's just not going to happen.

Could it had worked better? Probably. Would it be perfect? Not a chance.

 

[Imaro]

Your expectations for bug-less software are unrealistic. Even some of the the longest running programs STILL have bugs. Software that is tested, retested again and again STILL have bugs. And yes, sometimes those are serious bugs, bugs that cause the program to crash, freeze, or all around perform poorly.

These are programs that have been established for years. To expect a brand new program to work 100% on several different browsers on several different operating systems is like asking for pigs to sprout wings and fly. it's just not going to happen.

Could it had worked better? Probably. Would it be perfect? Not a chance.

I don't think anyone is calling for 100% bug free (and it's a little disingenuous that you cut out the part of his post that talks about MAJOR bugs)... I think what most people expected was a program that had at the minimum... less bugs and equal functionality to the one that was replaced... otherwise how is the consumer in anyway not getting less for the money they are continuing to pay?

 

[Scribble]

It's true that a lot of software, even well established software has bugs, but I think what made this a bigger issue in this case is that people were already upset about the two month delay in ANY kind of CB update. They were already upset about the transition from local to web based.

Now combine THIS with the news that a product they were already upset about to begin with would be lacking several features the old one had-

AND they've been asked to be patient while WoTC gets those things updated?

I'm pretty sure they got themselves in a position where they basically had little choice in the matter, but I'm also pretty sure that even they know that wasn't going to happen... People would already be upset.

Now finally combine ALL of that with the fact that the for some reason whether a software issue, or a hardware issue or whatever... The software continuously crashes for a large percentage of users...

The launch was pretty much a failure. It might have been doomed to be a failure from the start because of unhappy customers to begin with, but if they had at least managed to get the thing running without the crashes before launch it would have been easier to get things running smoothly again and get people happy again...


Taken individually none of these things are really THAT big of a deal, and will probably all work themselves out soon enough... But altogether... Oye... I'd hate to be that Champagne guy right about now (I think that's his name...)