WotC/TSR back catalog poll
Betote
First Post
No, I wouldn't, because I honestly can't trust WotC to not change the conditions or pull out the plug from one day to the next. They've done it far too many times now (d20 license, OGL/GSL, Dungeon/Dragon, Ravenloft, HackMaster, Drivethru/RPGnow, Virtual Gametable, free or nominal-fee pdfs with dead tree version purchases...) to trust their "good will" anymore.
Aeolius
Adventurer
If the DDI had the 1e-3e PDF's formerly available at Paizo and RPGNow, I might take a gander, so long as I could download said items instead of having to log into a DDI account just to view them. As with iTunes, I prefer to own what I pay for, not just rent it.
If the DDI supported all editions of D&D, including splatbooks, and worked seamlessly across all platforms, I might take a look. The dungeon builder would need to support a z-axis. The character builder needs to support all monsters as playable options.
In short, this is what I want:
First, we present “My Monster Manual”. You begin with a database of thousands of entries. Next, you choose which monsters you wish to have in your book. Illustrations, information regarding monster ecologies, world-specific information, and player character racial traits may be included if desired. Then, simply select “Order” and your Monster Manual is printed and shipped to your door.
Next, using the videoconferencing engine from iChat, we present “iGamer”, the Virtual Tabletop for the rest of us. Utilizing the technologies behind QuickTime VR, iGamer presents a real-time three-dimensional interface, where your virtual miniature avatar or Minitar, is placed in a virtual world of the creator’s design. iGamer is compatible with landscapes designed in Bryce, Vue, and associated rendering engines. Minitars may be imported from a host of compatible applications such as Poser and DAZ Studio and may be exported as avatars for use in Second Life. To enhance your gaming experience, GarageBand has been integrated into iGamer, for the inclusion of background music and sound effects. iGamer has been optimized for use with Apple’s upcoming product releases; a 3D mouse that we have dubbed the Flying Fox (a fruit-loving flying mouse), Stereoscopic Display, and Head-Mounted Display.
Moving on, we come to the new iTunes Gaming Store. Electronic files of current gaming books from Wizards of the Coast and participating third-party publishers, as well as digital magazines Dragon and Dungeon, are encoded with proprietary DRM protection and available for purchase. You may share these files with up to five friends who subscribe to our new Mobile Me service, which recently replaced .Mac.
Files created with iPlay ’09 have been optimized for viewing on the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch.
To enhance iPlay ’09, we have created a compilation including the iPlay Jam Pack, a section of sound effects and looping mood music for GarageBand, iPlay web templates for use in creating iWeb blogs, and iChat video effects including dungeon and tavern backgrounds. These limited-time releases are available to all Mobile Me subscribers.
For those who wish to mix elements from their iGamer sessions with their face-to-face campaigns, Minitar data may be exported into a proprietary format, for use with Desktop Factory. Minitars are then molded in plastic and shipped to your door.
Having explored social networking with Facebook and Tiny Adventures in 4e, WotC will turn to Second Life for 5e. WotC will unveil their own “sim” featuring virtual tavern where gamers could meet, above a virtual dungeon that all could explore. Avatars representing various core races and monsters will be available for purchase, along with props for weapons, equipment, and so on. Members may purchase a virtual plot of land in a nearby village, to keep their belongings. Next door, in a virtual castle, gaming rooms are equipped with tables, chairs, dice, and whiteboards for sharing maps.
If the DDI supported all editions of D&D, including splatbooks, and worked seamlessly across all platforms, I might take a look. The dungeon builder would need to support a z-axis. The character builder needs to support all monsters as playable options.
In short, this is what I want:
First, we present “My Monster Manual”. You begin with a database of thousands of entries. Next, you choose which monsters you wish to have in your book. Illustrations, information regarding monster ecologies, world-specific information, and player character racial traits may be included if desired. Then, simply select “Order” and your Monster Manual is printed and shipped to your door.
Next, using the videoconferencing engine from iChat, we present “iGamer”, the Virtual Tabletop for the rest of us. Utilizing the technologies behind QuickTime VR, iGamer presents a real-time three-dimensional interface, where your virtual miniature avatar or Minitar, is placed in a virtual world of the creator’s design. iGamer is compatible with landscapes designed in Bryce, Vue, and associated rendering engines. Minitars may be imported from a host of compatible applications such as Poser and DAZ Studio and may be exported as avatars for use in Second Life. To enhance your gaming experience, GarageBand has been integrated into iGamer, for the inclusion of background music and sound effects. iGamer has been optimized for use with Apple’s upcoming product releases; a 3D mouse that we have dubbed the Flying Fox (a fruit-loving flying mouse), Stereoscopic Display, and Head-Mounted Display.
Moving on, we come to the new iTunes Gaming Store. Electronic files of current gaming books from Wizards of the Coast and participating third-party publishers, as well as digital magazines Dragon and Dungeon, are encoded with proprietary DRM protection and available for purchase. You may share these files with up to five friends who subscribe to our new Mobile Me service, which recently replaced .Mac.
Files created with iPlay ’09 have been optimized for viewing on the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch.
To enhance iPlay ’09, we have created a compilation including the iPlay Jam Pack, a section of sound effects and looping mood music for GarageBand, iPlay web templates for use in creating iWeb blogs, and iChat video effects including dungeon and tavern backgrounds. These limited-time releases are available to all Mobile Me subscribers.
For those who wish to mix elements from their iGamer sessions with their face-to-face campaigns, Minitar data may be exported into a proprietary format, for use with Desktop Factory. Minitars are then molded in plastic and shipped to your door.
Having explored social networking with Facebook and Tiny Adventures in 4e, WotC will turn to Second Life for 5e. WotC will unveil their own “sim” featuring virtual tavern where gamers could meet, above a virtual dungeon that all could explore. Avatars representing various core races and monsters will be available for purchase, along with props for weapons, equipment, and so on. Members may purchase a virtual plot of land in a nearby village, to keep their belongings. Next door, in a virtual castle, gaming rooms are equipped with tables, chairs, dice, and whiteboards for sharing maps.
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ExploderWizard
Hero
Nope. If WOTC offered thier older edition products as pdfs that I can purchase and own, then I will buy them (just as I did at Paizo). If they make access to these products dependent upon an ongoing subscription then I think that I would make an excellent Dread pirate Roberts
Kristian Serrano
Explorer
It depends on the format and access priveleges. If they mean I can subscribe once and download everything permanently, obviously yes, but depending on the price.
If they mean only available online, I'd subscribe as needed, again depending on the price.
If they mean consolidate all the information into something like the D&DI compendium and build all their rules for each edition into Rules Compendiums (and I do mean rules, not just character options), then hell yes.
Odhanan
Adventurer
No. Never.
You know, I didn't go for 4e at all because that's not my thing for various reasons that have nothing to do with this actual thread. I really didn't like WotC's business decisions lately but was still interested in stuff like SW Saga and the occasional box of miniatures.
This is all over now.
Not because of this particular PDF thing, no, nor Dungeon and Dragon mags being yanked off Paizo's hands and no longer in print, nor the hypocritical attitude bordering on lies about 4e not coming in 2008, nor the virtual game table that never came, nor the cease and desist letters reminiscent of Lorraine Williams' era, nor the very existence of a 3.5 edition that was already planned when 3.0 came out, nor the fiasco of eTools... I could go on (and no, I'm not going to nitpick about each particular examples with anybody wishing to defend WotC here - these have been argued over and over, we each made up our minds, and it's not going to change, especially now).
It's simply because I've really had enough.
Enough.
I really don't want anything to do with WotC as a corporate entity anymore. I will not buy any product from WotC from now on, and I will certainly not buy into DDI if they do something like you suggest, which would be like playing WotC's game, doing exactly what they intended me, reluctant costumer, to do.
Nope. I prefer to buy minis off eBay, get copies of vintage gaming books second hand and pay for hard copies a lot more than I would PDFs. If WotC PDFs were available on DTRPG and Paizo tomorrow for the same price as yesterday, I wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole.
I'm really done with WotC.
I wish well to particular employees whose life earnings depend on the company's well being, but I personally don't want anything to do with it. This is final.
Aus_Snow
First Post
No.
The reasons are threefold: 1. I'm not interested in the subscription model for getting access to rules and stuff. Bugger that for a joke; 2. The suspicion would always be there, that they might just pull the whole damn thing from under their customers any old time, alter the terms, or whatever constitutes 'a bright idea' that season; and 3. . . . other.
The reasons are threefold: 1. I'm not interested in the subscription model for getting access to rules and stuff. Bugger that for a joke; 2. The suspicion would always be there, that they might just pull the whole damn thing from under their customers any old time, alter the terms, or whatever constitutes 'a bright idea' that season; and 3. . . . other.
rogueattorney
Adventurer
Nope. If WOTC offered thier older edition products as pdfs that I can purchase and own, then I will buy them (just as I did at Paizo). If they make access to these products dependent upon an ongoing subscription then I think that I would make an excellent Dread pirate Roberts
I have identical feelings on the matter.
Not if it offered as a service, no.
I'll subscribe to a service only if I have a reasonable belief my interest in the service will falter before the service does. In that case, I'll subscribe to a service if the lifetime cost expectation is not higher than purchasing an equivalent (should one exist).
Since my interest in RPGs is going strong after 30+ years, I have no expectation that the service being offered will outlive my desire for it.
Even if sufficient warranties and promises were made, I would only be interested in the pre-4e material that I do not already own or wish to replace. As such, the annual subscription cost would likely exceed the cost of purchasing the product I would want in a year.
I'll subscribe to a service only if I have a reasonable belief my interest in the service will falter before the service does. In that case, I'll subscribe to a service if the lifetime cost expectation is not higher than purchasing an equivalent (should one exist).
Since my interest in RPGs is going strong after 30+ years, I have no expectation that the service being offered will outlive my desire for it.
Even if sufficient warranties and promises were made, I would only be interested in the pre-4e material that I do not already own or wish to replace. As such, the annual subscription cost would likely exceed the cost of purchasing the product I would want in a year.
coyote6
Adventurer
I often use PDFs in places where I have no Internet connection, can't get to (and don't want to go to) gaming websites, or have an Internet connection that's too slow to support downloading large files (and all of WotC's PDFs that I've seen are huge).
Therefore, I would only subscribe to DDI if the material was available to me entirely offline (i.e., no constant Internet connection needed, no activation needed after the initial download), and on any number of PCs (i.e., no "limited to 3/4/5 PCs"-type DRM restrictions; there are two PCs in my house, two laptops, two PCs at work, and the PCs of friends, all of which might be systems I might decide to use to look something up, using a flash drive or USB HD).
Therefore, I would only subscribe to DDI if the material was available to me entirely offline (i.e., no constant Internet connection needed, no activation needed after the initial download), and on any number of PCs (i.e., no "limited to 3/4/5 PCs"-type DRM restrictions; there are two PCs in my house, two laptops, two PCs at work, and the PCs of friends, all of which might be systems I might decide to use to look something up, using a flash drive or USB HD).
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