Theories/Opinions on WotC's Plan

[Reynard]

Anyone know what the typical technical development time would be for an online magazine plus a user database?

 

[Nightfall]

Reynard,

No clue but if they aren't ready by October, I'll be a tad unhappy...

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

7) Whatever version of the RPGA exists for 4th Edition will be subscriber only.

Possible, but I highly doubt it.

The internationalization of Living Greyhawk made administration of the RPGA a living hell. International credit cards, different currencies, different international rates of online access, and much more. They terminated the subscription fees because it was tremendously difficult based on the resources they had available.

I don't see the RPGA going back to subscriptions ever unless they kill the golden child of Living Greyhawk.

 

[Nightfall]

*chuckles* Golden child...man and I though the only other fiends on here were Shemmy and Al!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Anyone know what the typical technical development time would be for an online magazine plus a user database?

For an online magazine? I know people, and once would have numbered myself among them (internet standards have left me by the wayside as I got out of the business), who could put together a solid layout in a week and finalize it in two. I'm not sure how much Flash - Wizards uses it already, I'm sure they'll continue to do so - adds to that for experienced Flash developers.

On the other hand, I've also known people who would take six months, charging by the hour, just to get a basic working layout. If Wizards was unfortunate and unwise enough to take them up on their 'services,' then it could be any amount of time.

The gripping hand is, Wizards could have had this in production for any amount of time. The survey was quite a few months ago (a year?) and they may have been laying preliminary plans even before then, just as part of pitching the idea. They may have decided to not renew Paizo's license a year ago or more, and the survey's purpose was to determine whether it would be better to make Dungeon and Dragon online or off once they inevitably took them back in-house.

As for databases, I have no idea. Designing the kind of database we're talking about was out of my depth back in 'the day,' and definitely is now.

 

[Nightfall]

Moogle,

I'm patient but if it's not up by October, I'll be MIGHTILY unhappy.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Moogle,

I'm patient but if it's not up by October, I'll be MIGHTILY unhappy.

Absolutely agreed. It would be a disastrous failure on Wizards' part not to get it up and running on time. I don't buy it happening, though. They could have kept licensing Dungeon and Dragon to Paizo on a month-to-month basis (they're already giving them an extra month to finish Savage Tide via probably just such an arrangement) if they had any doubt of being able to go live as soon as needed.

My bet is that the web site itself is already done, since there's no reason it shouldn't be. The more advanced functions may not roll out at launch, though, depending on how soon they got started and how good a development team they hired.

 

[Nightfall]

Moogle,

If I was a betting man, I'd bet against the roll out time you suggest and believe it won't happen until December just so they can start "The Year of the Digitial Dragon and Dungeon."

That's my belief but I could be wrong...and then watch it bug out.

 

[Alnag]

4e will be tested with other games first. Star Wars is the first example. I predict a new d20 Modern before 4e.

I also believe in existence (and preparation) od d20 Modern revision. But it might be called different. First of all - there are no new books for modern line, but the designers have express their intention to continue the line. This discrepancy might indicate the preparation of d20 Modern 2e.

I don't know how much Saga SW is or is not a test of new mechanics, although I hope for aplications of at least some of them.

 

[Nightfall]

*prefers if they tested an online version of Dragon and Dungeon before this mess happened*