Update Surge: Previews, DDI update, Eberron article (threads merged)

[TerraDave]

It was mentioned in a recent podcast that they are hiring...and should have more resources to make all this happen.

Of course, they also admitted they didn't really have enough people before....oh well.

Better sometime then never.

 

[Zaukrie]

I've been as big a critic of WotC's online D&D efforts as most, but at some point you have to acknowledge they are making progress. They are better now than 3 months ago. They are communicating better. They are being more specific in their statements.

I'm done being snarky and negative, i reserve the right to be critical, but I don't get any joy from being snarky.

 

[Joshua Randall]

I don't get any joy from being snarky.

What?! You're dead to me.

Juuuuuust kidding.

I'm looking foward to the big Compendium update. Having the Monster Manual in there will be a big help.

 

[Zaukrie]

heh, I know what you mean....

Yes, the MM being in the compendium will keep me sane as a DM, big, big help. Now if only the art were in there....

 

[malraux]

heh, I know what you mean....

Yes, the MM being in the compendium will keep me sane as a DM, big, big help. Now if only the art were in there....

Now if only they'll add in leveling tools and template additions. You know, so I can just say that I want a feytouched goblin sharpshooter set at level 5 and be able to just print it out.

 

[Shemeska]

It was mentioned in a recent podcast that they are hiring...and should have more resources to make all this happen.

They've been hiring for around two months for some major positions within the DDI, and I've only seen one or two actually filled during that time. I suspect that they might have better luck filling those slots if they didn't ask for local applicants only, because they aren't providing relocation aid.

If they actually hire the numbers and quality that a project like the DDI needs to succeed, they can dig themselves out of their hole of the past year or more. But if they try to do it on the cheap, it's going to hurt. We'll see which they do a year from now or so once things presumably get completed, better later than never.

Still, I do have to question the wisdom of being understaffed yet devoting time and resources to "bonus" tools while the major parts of the DDI have yet to even enter Beta testing. That strikes me as something of a distraction attempt for being seriously behind on the whole thing.

 

[TerraDave]

My coment was really e-mag specific (though I guess they are hiring for other stuff now that, I think, things have gone in house). The "real" DDI (Virtual Game Table), that is a whole other story.

A sad, sad, story.

I hope it has a happy ending. But I am not holding my breath.

 

[Shemeska]

My coment was really e-mag specific

Ah, I missed that. And if I narrow my own feeling on the issue to just the e-mags rather than the whole DDI, it's a good thing if they're hiring extra staff. Hopefully they'll improve the editing, and have a better feedback system for submissions than the current if we're interested we might or might not let you know for months, leaving you in limbo till ultimately you can just assume we'll take a pass on it months later.

And if the editing staff expands, it'll be nice to see the contents expand and the credit list extend beyond the same names month by month, to hopefully give good but new writers an extrance to the field like Dragon and Dungeon historically did.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I think the fact that they actually set a schedule and specifically, put in the public eye, will do a lot for keeping things on time. I think that is the best idea they've had yet with regards to the online content.

The precise time isn't really an issue... set a deadline a day or two before, cron-job at midnight.

The fact that it seems they have a plan now, and it seemed like they didn't before, heartens me.

 

[mevers]

Now if only they'll add in leveling tools and template additions. You know, so I can just say that I want a feytouched goblin sharpshooter set at level 5 and be able to just print it out.

I couldn't agree more. I would be willing to subscribe to the DDI JUST for this, and consider the rest gravy.