With all the ruminations on Essentials, are Power Cards even worth buying any more?

[Minifig]

You claim to be on a limited budget yet you are buying power card packs for what? $10 each? For $10 you can get the Character Builder, Monster Builder, every issue of Dragon and Dungeon published since WotC took over 3 years ago and access to the online Compendium for a month. Your budget looks really weird to me.

It's not so much that Bovine, it's DDI OR Power Cards... I have to make the choice... and this thread helped me go with the DDI when I think I need the information.

 

[Festivus]

I'm not sure what the technical hurdles for this would be, but I'd like some kind of online interface. That way we wouldn't have to download Character Builder updates, and we could access content from any computer (much like what we can do with the Compendium). So an online Character Builder and Monster Builder, is what I'm trying to say.

As far as Power Cards go, I hate 'em. I agree with those who think it's convenient to have power text close at hand, but I hate card format. I don't know why - perhaps I'm channeling CCG hate, perhaps it's because the guy in my group who cuts out his cards and puts them into backings is the guy I'm most annoyed with, or some other ridiculous, irrational reason on my part. I'm just irritated by them. Give me a list of powers, arranged by action type a la monster powers - that makes me happy.

I personally do not want an all online tool. If they ever decide to stop supporting DDI, I sure still want the CB so I can make characters in the future with ease. Thus, I favor the current format, though wish it was java based.

As for card format, it's horribly inefficient use of space, I agree. It would be nice if the CB supported a list style format as an option when printing things out.

I'd also like to see the Essentials style character sheet as an output option, I really like that format.

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

I'd also like to see the Essentials style character sheet as an output option, I really like that format.

While its not perfect (it lacks space for race/class features) the essentials sheet is a huge step forward when it comes to intelligent and attractive design