Comments on: The developer of D&D’s online tools needs to go back to school http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/ Wed, 25 May 2011 02:52:43 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Alan De Smet http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165336 Alan De Smet Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:25:44 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165336 Along with merging the tools, they can add the one freakin feature I really want: generate stat blocks of the sort found in their adventures. The modern stat blocks are wonderfully efficient while simultaneously being easy to use. But making them by hand is time consuming and error prone. When I experimented with doing them by hand, it took about a 30 minutes, in exchange for saving maybe 15 minutes of time at the table. Of course, with 5 players and myself, that works out to saving 90 man-minutes of time, but it's hard to justify spending more of my time to save my players time. Mind you, he fscking Core Rules CD-ROM Volume 2 for 2nd ed did this a decade ago! (Egad, a decade? I was one of the programmers for the CRv2. I feel old.) You got a searchable database of monsters. You could create new monsters or copy and edit existing monsters in the exact same database. You could print out a terse stat block for a monster. It made actually preparing an encounter easy. Along with merging the tools, they can add the one freakin feature I really want: generate stat blocks of the sort found in their adventures. The modern stat blocks are wonderfully efficient while simultaneously being easy to use. But making them by hand is time consuming and error prone. When I experimented with doing them by hand, it took about a 30 minutes, in exchange for saving maybe 15 minutes of time at the table. Of course, with 5 players and myself, that works out to saving 90 man-minutes of time, but it’s hard to justify spending more of my time to save my players time.

Mind you, he fscking Core Rules CD-ROM Volume 2 for 2nd ed did this a decade ago! (Egad, a decade? I was one of the programmers for the CRv2. I feel old.) You got a searchable database of monsters. You could create new monsters or copy and edit existing monsters in the exact same database. You could print out a terse stat block for a monster. It made actually preparing an encounter easy.

]]> By: Rory http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165285 Rory Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:05:37 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165285 You might check out http://www.obsidianportal.com/ My DM has been using it for our 4E game and it's been a very useful place to store information related to the campaign. You might check out http://www.obsidianportal.com/ My DM has been using it for our 4E game and it’s been a very useful place to store information related to the campaign.

]]> By: Exeter http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165284 Exeter Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:48:36 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165284 A couple of years ago, I lurked on a few sessions run by former guild mates where the GM ran a D&D campaign using ventrilo and a program suite called Fantasy Grounds. It seems like it worked out reasonably well for them. A couple of years ago, I lurked on a few sessions run by former guild mates where the GM ran a D&D campaign using ventrilo and a program suite called Fantasy Grounds. It seems like it worked out reasonably well for them.

]]> By: Crwth http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165280 Crwth Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:55:09 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165280 I'm not so pessimistic about the table, which is odd for me. While their Flash apps leave something to be desired, <a href="http://dnd4.blogspot.com/2009/01/character-builder-redux.html" rel="nofollow">I find</a> that their downloadable tool, the Character Builder, is actually pretty solid. I've hit a few little bugs, when making some complex characters up to level 30, but otherwise, it's levels above their Flash products. If the virtual tabletop is a download, then there's hope for it yet. I’m not so pessimistic about the table, which is odd for me. While their Flash apps leave something to be desired, I find that their downloadable tool, the Character Builder, is actually pretty solid. I’ve hit a few little bugs, when making some complex characters up to level 30, but otherwise, it’s levels above their Flash products. If the virtual tabletop is a download, then there’s hope for it yet.

]]> By: Prezzer http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165277 Prezzer Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:48:23 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165277 All of which doesn't bode well for the (eventual) unveiling of the virtual tabletop. On current experience, it's likely to be a bug-filled mess that hinders any kind of effective gaming session rather than aids it. It's all moot anyway if you can get Skype video working around your table - anyone not present can just join in that way. All of which doesn’t bode well for the (eventual) unveiling of the virtual tabletop. On current experience, it’s likely to be a bug-filled mess that hinders any kind of effective gaming session rather than aids it.
It’s all moot anyway if you can get Skype video working around your table – anyone not present can just join in that way.

]]> By: BiggDawg http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165276 BiggDawg Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:41:41 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165276 The issue with their software doesn't come entirely from incompetence, some of it is their business model. The reason they don't have any information online that is in the book is because that is how they make sure you have to buy the book. 4th edition D&D was designed more from a sales point of view then a game point of view in my opinion. Restricting information to just the books is one way this manifests. The issue with their software doesn’t come entirely from incompetence, some of it is their business model. The reason they don’t have any information online that is in the book is because that is how they make sure you have to buy the book. 4th edition D&D was designed more from a sales point of view then a game point of view in my opinion. Restricting information to just the books is one way this manifests.

]]> By: Crwth http://www.mmognation.com/2009/02/08/the-developer-of-dds-online-tools-needs-to-go-back-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-165275 Crwth Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:31:50 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/?p=1713#comment-165275 I'm not sure if you're just using the free portion of the Insider for this, or have a subscription, but if so, you failed to mention the authentication issues with the Compendium, as noted <a href="http://dnd4.blogspot.com/2009/01/insider-treats-you-like-outsider.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. I’m not sure if you’re just using the free portion of the Insider for this, or have a subscription, but if so, you failed to mention the authentication issues with the Compendium, as noted here.

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