WotC is going online. What do you want the digital initiative to be?

[Jdvn1]

Still, that list was made in October. And, there are some very cool ideas in this thread--so why not take the opportunity to ask for more features, or give ideas for new features?

I'm sure things have changed since October. Still, I do like a lot of the ideas in this thread, though some of them are already in that WotC list.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Supported for a change.

 

[edbonny]

I believe that for this endeavor to be successful the online content must be superlative in execution. It generally has to "out-Dragon" Dragon magazine and "out-Dungeon" Dungeon magazine while also providing neat services that can only be done online. Anything less and the effort is likely to disappoint (it would disappoint me at least).

For me, an ideal "month" of solid online content would include the following:

<<edited after I saw this thread contained much of what I listed: http://enworld.org/showthread.php?t=177162>>

 

[Zaruthustran]

- campaign specific tools such as an interactive online map that calculates the difference between 2 points on the Realms (say distance between Waterdeep and Thay)

Dude! How cool would that be? You could take it a step further, make it a Google Maps type experience:

* Enter start point
* Enter destination
* The software plots out the best route, including points of interest along the way
* It also generates appropriate random monster encounters, complete with stat blocks and where the monsters are met--the DM can hit "reroll" if he doesn't like the particular monsters generated (the DM can also set a range of ELs)
* The software can print out: the zoomed-in start point, zoomed out overland path, zoomed in destination, and randomly-generated (but appropriate for the terrain) battlemaps for any encounters

That would be so rad.

Even something super basic (but setting-specific!) would be fun. Like, real-time weather for the Realms. Just query the WotC site for a particular town or region, and it tells you the current weather for that area (including a cheat-sheet for any rules impacts). That way, every group playing in the same area of the Realms can have the same weather. Admittedly, there are much more important/useful feature but campaign-setting weather would be a fun little toy.

Make it super-accessible, so you could easily grab this info via, say, a phone's limited browser.

-z

 

[TheYeti1775]

Dude! How cool would that be? You could take it a step further, make it a Google Maps type experience:

* Enter start point
* Enter destination
* The software plots out the best route, including points of interest along the way
* It also generates appropriate random monster encounters, complete with stat blocks and where the monsters are met--the DM can hit "reroll" if he doesn't like the particular monsters generated (the DM can also set a range of ELs)
* The software can print out: the zoomed-in start point, zoomed out overland path, zoomed in destination, and randomly-generated (but appropriate for the terrain) battlemaps for any encounters

That would be so rad.

Even something super basic (but setting-specific!) would be fun. Like, real-time weather for the Realms. Just query the WotC site for a particular town or region, and it tells you the current weather for that area (including a cheat-sheet for any rules impacts). That way, every group playing in the same area of the Realms can have the same weather. Admittedly, there are much more important/useful feature but campaign-setting weather would be a fun little toy.

Make it super-accessible, so you could easily grab this info via, say, a phone's limited browser.

-z

For irony's sake Google directions New York to Paris and make sure you read them all.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

For irony's sake Google directions New York to Paris and make sure you read them all.

Nah, just down to line 23 (if I recall).

 

[00Machado]

Searchable content is key. It should be like consumer reports, or a cooking magazine web site. You should be able to search for anything and have it come up.

Even better if they post all the content from Dragon and Dungeon back issues, instead of just new content.

 

[Khairn]

Watch it be IE7-dependent. Gack.

For a price I can see WotC make it Vista only.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

For a price I can see WotC make it Vista only.

I've been trying to keep myself level-headed, clear thinking, and openminded about this whole thing. But if WotC creates something that is not platform (OS/browser) neutral . . . I'm afraid I'd lose it and descend into irrationality and explosive anger like so many others. Oh man, I got a threshold... I'd be becoming a mushroom-cloud-layin' censored, censored! I'd be SUPERFLY T.N.T., the Guns of Navarone!

*cough* Sorry 'bout that . . . brain detail and all that.

 

[caudor]

I've been trying to keep myself level-headed, clear thinking, and openminded about this whole thing. But if WotC creates something that is not platform (OS/browser) neutral . . . I'm afraid I'd lose it and descend into irrationality and explosive anger like so many others. Oh man, I got a threshold... I'd be becoming a mushroom-cloud-layin' censored, censored! I'd be SUPERFLY T.N.T., the Guns of Navarone!

*cough* Sorry 'bout that . . . brain detail and all that.

Platform support is one of the questions I asked WotC in the 'Ask WotC' thread. I do hope I don't hear the Guns of Navarone going off anytime soon