WotC: Character Builder's effect on Third Party Publishers

[Starbuck_II]

I don't really use the character builder, despite having a DDI subscription. That's mainly because it doesn't support 'house rules' (read: 3PPs) very well/at all.

Any feedback or comments? If you represent a third party publisher, do you feel that this has affected you, and would you release 'house rule packages' for your products given the opportunity?

~ fissionessence

The demo version allows houserules: in regards to money, gear, stats, etc.

So I'm surprised the full version you pay for doesn't.

 

[Morrus]

So long as the DDI exists, I don't have as much use for the 3rd party stuff.

I think this pretty much summarizes the issue I (and other publishers) are experiencing.

And kudos to WotC; it's a great move, and the Builder is fantastic. I can't criticise anyone else for designating it the be-all-and-end-all of allowed material, because I use it that way myself. It's a fantastic product, and it has in a very short time positioned itself as a requirement for the game for a large portion of the market.

I love the Builder, and I'm sure I will never generate another charater without one. It has quickly become so intrinsic to my gaming, that generating a character with paper and pen feels like powering my TV with coal.

 

[Alan Shutko]

The demo version allows houserules: in regards to money, gear, stats, etc.

Well, sort of. You can do certain things: change a computed value which ends up with an untyped bonus. Give yourself extra feats. Add money, gear, etc. You can give yourself powers you don't have the prereqs for.

But you can't create new powers and have them computable. You can create items, but the created thing doesn't really do anything. You can't create new feats. Bigger changes like races, etc aren't possible... you have to then hand-edit lots of fields.

 

[tsadkiel]

This is my Character Builder wish as well - I would love to be able to download a file and add the Advanced Player's Guide or One Bad Egg's Shroud stuff to the Character Builder.

And it has definitely limited my third party purchases. Thing is, it hasn't increased my WotC purchases, so I'm just buying less.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I can't help but think that the DDI's side effect of hurting third party publishers is considered a good thing to some at WOTC. However, that's just a crazy conspiracy theory; or is it?

DUH DUH DUH!

 

[Nightson]

I am certain that they want people to be able to house rule things easily with the character builder. I don't imagine we'll get it anytime soon, but I bet we'll get it eventually.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I would echo many of the other posters and concur that I have less interest now in 3PP books focussed on PC options (I only ever DM rather than play) because of the Character Builder.

In addition to this, my favourite world is the Forgotten Realms, particularly as depicted in the FRCS for 3E. However, the utility of the Character Builder is so high that I have decided to go with 4E's version of the Forgotten Realms despite initially disliking most, if not all, of the changes. The combination of simple PC generation through the Builder and the excellent layout of the Player's Guide as a guide for players (such a radical concept... NOT!... but seemingly never tried before) means that I am simply hooked on FR4E also, as are my players. Now if we could just get some decent maps like the one for Cormyr in Dragon....

I look forward to a decent set of DM tools particularly in relation to monster and NPC design.

 

[Particle_Man]

This is interesting and something I had not considered. It does not affect me directly, because none of my friends use CB, but it is interesting to see how it affects those who do.

 

[CubeKnight]

One potential problem with allowing 3PPs to produce "DataSets" to import into the Builder: If that were available, what's stopping anyone from making a DataSet with the powers/races/clases from, say, Arcane Power? Or any other WotC book? And then upload it somewhere?

 

[fissionessence]

Do you hear this Wizards!? The character builder is great, and people love it [too much], so let us third party publishers ride along with you on the wave of the future!

~