Time for the Character Builder to be free?

[OnlineDM]

Just to be clear, I was the one who said I didn't buy Threats to the Nentir Vale or Neverwinter Campaign Guide; that was not OpsKT's fault!

Since I run games using MapTool, I don't use monster tokens. I also don't use poster maps (though I'll sometimes use them as inspiration for maps I draw myself).

I do like getting the monster flavor, it's true, but that alone isn't worth buying the book when I've got the stat blocks in DDI. I mainly use the stat blocks and frequently re-fluff creatures to have the flavor I want anyway. Sure, I might get some awesome inspiration from the fluff in Threats to the Nentir Vale, but I have more fluff to read right now than I currently have time to read it! I might pick it up someday or get it as a gift, but the stuff I want from the book right now is already in DDI.

As for Neverwinter, well, I bought the Shadowfell boxed set and regretted it. It's a great setting if I'm going to run an adventure in the Shadowfell... but I'm not doing that. Same goes for Neverwinter. If I decide I want to run an adventure there someday, I'll buy the book. Until then, I'm mainly interested in the new character options and themes and magic items, and those are in DDI.

 

[MrMyth]

I'm all for a demo mode, but I don't think the product as a whole should be free by any means. I think the approach to selling books that won't be undercut by DDI is to sell ones with other benefits - tokens, maps, etc in some cases, but also often simply flavor and background and other material that won't crop up as mechanics in DDI.

Which many recent books have done a good job of, and been rather well regarded - Gloomwraught, Monster Vault: Nentir Vale, etc. I think any loss of sales has likely been tied more to the overall reduction in content rather than anything else, personally.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

Let them gloat. They're reveling in the imagined downfall of D&D because they are, taken as a whole, insecure in their choice of game, bitter at being "left behind" by D&D (even though that too was their choice), and desperately seeking validation. Meanwhile, D&D is doing fine. There's no need to make such a massive change to the structure (and, indeed, vision) of DDI for the sake of trying to shut up a group of people who will refuse to be shut up anyway. Removing a tremendous amount of utility from the Character Builder for the sake of shifting revenue around a little isn't going to improve the game or the hobby. Efforts should be focused on increasing the utility of the Character Builder, not decreasing it.

LOL!!!! You you somehow have proof of this? I hate to break it to you but lots of people that play Pathfinder could give a rats ass about D&D. It's not like they don't have access to D&D, they choose what they want to play and they prefer Pathfinder over D&D.

Sounds to me like you are trying to defend D&D from Pathfinder. You are coming up with assumptions about Pathfinder's player base that is simply not true. Looks to me like you are the one who is insecure with 4th edition D&D.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I'm also a little tired of seeing D&D hobbled by short-sighted nostalgia. I've been playing D&D for most of my life, but I'd much rather focus on what can make the game more exciting in the future than what used to make it exciting in the past.

How about explain in detail just what you mean by this statement? You seem to imply that anyone who plays a previous edition, or Pathfinder play for nostalgia sake. Prove me wrong here.

 

[Mirtek]

Let them gloat. They're reveling in the imagined downfall of D&D because they are, taken as a whole, insecure in their choice of game, bitter at being "left behind" by D&D (even though that too was their choice), and desperately seeking validation.

Or maybe the other side is reveling in the the imagined domination of D&D because they are, taken as a whole, insecure in their choice of game, bitter at maybe having "embarked on the Titanic" by switching to 4e (even though that too was their choice), and desperately seeking validation.

 

[Matt James]

I already hate this thread.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I already hate this thread.

Because everyone doesn't agree that 4th edition is the best game out there?

 

[Dice4Hire]

Perhaps some of us could cut the edition war before the thread gets closed?

Or the DDI vs Book war that has been overdone to infinity?


For the original idea, I do not see how it would work well.

To make the character you would need to see the full writeups of the powers and feats, even if those are not on the final printable sheet, so WOTC would not want to show that much to a non-subscriber.

I really do not find 4E characters all that complicated to make a sheet for them. The ar certainly easier to make than 3.5 characters were, especially a wizard or cleric in 3.5 with all the spell choices. Most of the problem in 4E is floating and conditional bonuses, which do not show up well on any sheets I have seen.

 

[Mirtek]

Because everyone doesn't agree that 4th edition is the best game out there?

Dannager started it, Dannager has been answered, now let it rest and don't project it on Matt or anyone else.

Por the original idea, I do not see how it would work well.

Why not just make it like with the old builder that everyone can create characters of 3rd level or lower for free, but only subscribers can create characters of level 4+

 

[jimmifett]

I do like getting the monster flavor, it's true, but that alone isn't worth buying the book when I've got the stat blocks in DDI.

In this case, the fluff IS worth the cover price of the book. The inspiration is GOLD.

My players want to try out some FR, so I plan on dropping the dragonborn legion into Tymanther (reduced to the 1-5 range) and staging an invasion of Cormyr as part of a crusade to wipe out dragons across faerun.

In Eberron, I've dropped the Mimic tower in sharn, secretly feeding on the populace for ages.