Bagpuss
Legend
(cross-posted from Wizards boards)
Sorry but I'm not happy that yet again more resources are going to be wasted on a Virtual Table. Perhaps Wizards of the Coast have a really short memory, it's clear as a company they don't learn from their mistakes.
It was only April last year that the results of the D&DI survey were announced. Unfortunately those results appear to have since been removed from wizards site, but thanks to the power of the Internet I can quote them for you here.
In response to that WotC_Trevor said...
They got as far as Monsters, and we got the Monster builder.... and eventually abandoned it in a half-working state. Now we've learned after doing that, they went back and redesigned the Character Builder (into a half-working state) so it could be online to protect their IP better. After that they've gone back to the VT, the VT that was 5th on the desires of subscribers and 4th on the wants of non-subscribers.
The only thing that has changed since that survey is that now there are multiple VT's available both for free and for one off payments, which have been getting better and better.
Where the heck is the encounter builder, map builder, and other campaign management tools they said they would focus on, because we said it was what we wanted?
Don't waste resources on the VT until you can actually get the stuff we want working.
Sorry but I'm not happy that yet again more resources are going to be wasted on a Virtual Table. Perhaps Wizards of the Coast have a really short memory, it's clear as a company they don't learn from their mistakes.
It was only April last year that the results of the D&DI survey were announced. Unfortunately those results appear to have since been removed from wizards site, but thanks to the power of the Internet I can quote them for you here.
D&D Insider recently conducted a large survey to both subscribers and non-subscribers to get more information on what new features and applications would best enhance the value of D&D Insider. Thank you for your feedback -- we received over 4,000 responses!
One message came across loud and clear – you want tools that will make it easier than ever to participate in and run ongoing D&D campaigns. We’ll call them Campaign Tools for now. Here’s what you said:
We asked subscribers how likely they would be to use various new features (they could choose more than one). Top responses included:
We asked non-subscribers what features would make them more likely to subscribe (again, they could choose more than one). Top responses included:
- Tool to create and manage campaign info: 83% of subscribers
- Tool to customize and print monsters: 82% of subscribers
- Tool to customize and print pre-made adventures: 77% of subscribers
- Tool to create character portraits: 69% of subscribers
- Tool to play tabletop D&D over the Internet: 67% of subscribers
- Tool to customize and print pre-made adventures: 56% of non-subscribers
- Tool to customize and print monsters: 55% of non-subscribers
- Tool to create and manage campaign info: 52% of non-subscribers
- Tool to play tabletop D&D over the internet: 46% of non-subscribers
- Tool to create character portraits: 41% of non-subscribers
Based on our analysis of the survey data and customer feedback, we have already begun work on applications for your campaigns. This includes monsters, encounters, maps and adventures.
As the applications progress we will bring you more detailed information about project specifics and timing. For now, we’re working hard to bring you what you want to enhance your 4th Edition game. To all of our current subscribers – thank you! We’re glad that you’re enjoying the benefits of Dragon and Dungeon magazines, theCharacter Builder, and the Compendium, and we’re excited to bring you this next application of D&D Insider as quickly as we can.
In response to that WotC_Trevor said...
I wanted to take a couple seconds to highlight the big points. This is the survey that we asked everyone to take a while ago concerning what you wanted to see from D&D Insider. Both subscribers and non-subscribers who took the survey had tools for managing campaigns, tools to customize and print monsters, and tools to customize and print premade adventures as their top three choices.
Based on that information plus the feedback we were recieving from all our other sources, we began working on applications for your campaigns. As the article states, "this includes monsters, encounters, maps, and adventures."
Now I know you want to know all the specific information about when the next tool is coming out and what exactly it will do, but we won't be releasing any of that information until we get closer to launching the application. We'll make sure to post up information in the articles and here in the forums whenever we have any new details to share, but I did want to make it clear that we are working right now to bring you these applications.
Thanks to everyone who took the survey for providing your feedback, and to all the D&D Insider subscribers!
They got as far as Monsters, and we got the Monster builder.... and eventually abandoned it in a half-working state. Now we've learned after doing that, they went back and redesigned the Character Builder (into a half-working state) so it could be online to protect their IP better. After that they've gone back to the VT, the VT that was 5th on the desires of subscribers and 4th on the wants of non-subscribers.
The only thing that has changed since that survey is that now there are multiple VT's available both for free and for one off payments, which have been getting better and better.
Where the heck is the encounter builder, map builder, and other campaign management tools they said they would focus on, because we said it was what we wanted?
Don't waste resources on the VT until you can actually get the stuff we want working.