Comments on: Is D&D Insider Worth $10? http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10 A blog for all fans of Dungeons & Dragons. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-110676 Anonymous Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:10:15 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-110676 HASBRO!!!NOT MATLE HASBRO!!!NOT MATLE

]]> By: William Smittick http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-98494 William Smittick Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:41:46 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-98494 They seem to be good about adding in functionality that has been requested, albeit they do it at a rather sluggish pace, but they do keep their customers in mind when deciding what to add to their programs. They seem to be good about adding in functionality that has been requested, albeit they do it at a rather sluggish pace, but they do keep their customers in mind when deciding what to add to their programs.

]]> By: Brandan Landgraff http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-94902 Brandan Landgraff Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:51:46 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-94902 As an aside--for people who may stumble across this and take the comments as up to date and accurate--the information in the first comment about the impossibility of customizing languages is completely inaccurate. I was able (with some prodding) to both add additional campaign-specific languages as options to be selected and grant a character additional language slots with which to select it. As an aside–for people who may stumble across this and take the comments as up to date and accurate–the information in the first comment about the impossibility of customizing languages is completely inaccurate. I was able (with some prodding) to both add additional campaign-specific languages as options to be selected and grant a character additional language slots with which to select it.

]]> By: Last Chance D&D Insider On the Cheap « Jonathan Drain’s D20 Source: Dungeons & Dragons Blog http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-70746 Last Chance D&D Insider On the Cheap « Jonathan Drain’s D20 Source: Dungeons & Dragons Blog Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:06:54 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-70746 [...] D&D Insider, but having used it for a few weeks now I’m pleased with the service. I gave an overview last month, but now that I’ve had a chance to use it as a DM, click and read on for my brief [...] [...] D&D Insider, but having used it for a few weeks now I’m pleased with the service. I gave an overview last month, but now that I’ve had a chance to use it as a DM, click and read on for my brief [...]

]]> By: Francis B http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-69308 Francis B Fri, 29 May 2009 20:49:35 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-69308 I think the price hike is reasonable, as long as they use the incoming funds to further the usability of the subscription. If I don't see those Campaign Tools sometime soon, I am liable to get a little disappointed. The one major flaw with a D&DI subscription is of course that those of us with Macs have to pony up $80-150 above the subscription cost to purchase Windows Xp, then partition our hard drives before we can even use the Character Builder. I've asked WotC customer service (this was a couple months back) and thus far they have no plans to support Mac with their software. I think the price hike is reasonable, as long as they use the incoming funds to further the usability of the subscription. If I don’t see those Campaign Tools sometime soon, I am liable to get a little disappointed. The one major flaw with a D&DI subscription is of course that those of us with Macs have to pony up $80-150 above the subscription cost to purchase Windows Xp, then partition our hard drives before we can even use the Character Builder. I’ve asked WotC customer service (this was a couple months back) and thus far they have no plans to support Mac with their software.

]]> By: Jonathan Drain http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-69217 Jonathan Drain Thu, 28 May 2009 00:05:13 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-69217 Colmarr: Ah yes, I noticed this too. I gave a character a million gold pieces, then wondered why he was suddenly under heavy load. Most DMs, it seems, don't frequently apply the encumbrance rules. Colmarr: Ah yes, I noticed this too. I gave a character a million gold pieces, then wondered why he was suddenly under heavy load. Most DMs, it seems, don’t frequently apply the encumbrance rules.

]]> By: Colmarr http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-69216 Colmarr Thu, 28 May 2009 00:02:43 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-69216 By zerosided: "One time I made up a character and the program decided it had 120 lb of encumbrance BEFORE equipment was assigned." I noticed this "bug" as well - mine was worse, 250lbs! - and was initially really miffed by it. Then I realised that the builder was incorporating the weight of thr 15,000gp that the character had. And in that exact moment, I went from "stupid f$$^ing bugs!" to "oh, wow. Just... wow". There are a few bugs here and there, but the DDI character builder is by far the best of it's kind that I have ever seen. By zerosided: “One time I made up a character and the program decided it had 120 lb of encumbrance BEFORE equipment was assigned.”

I noticed this “bug” as well – mine was worse, 250lbs! – and was initially really miffed by it.

Then I realised that the builder was incorporating the weight of thr 15,000gp that the character had.

And in that exact moment, I went from “stupid f$$^ing bugs!” to “oh, wow. Just… wow”.

There are a few bugs here and there, but the DDI character builder is by far the best of it’s kind that I have ever seen.

]]> By: DDI Review « Xero-Sided Dice http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-69108 DDI Review « Xero-Sided Dice Tue, 26 May 2009 00:19:58 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-69108 [...] Jonathan Drain has a breakdown and pseudo-review of the Dungeons & Dragons Insider content up on his website, D20 source. I posted a reply [...] [...] Jonathan Drain has a breakdown and pseudo-review of the Dungeons & Dragons Insider content up on his website, D20 source. I posted a reply [...]

]]> By: MJ Harnish http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-69082 MJ Harnish Mon, 25 May 2009 14:14:21 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-69082 I signed up for a year of DDI when it was first rolled out. At $8 a month for the year subscription it seemed like a fair enough price. Last month I canceled the auto-renew and I definitely won't be renewing. The price hike isn't so much an issue as the lack of true useable content: Dragon magazine is OK, but not enjoyable to read on screen - call me a grognard but my eyes don't like reading large amounts of text on screen and the magazine has no portability either. Dungeon is again Okay but the adventures are very uneven, the adventure path's emphasis is almost purely on encounters at the expense of story (at least one that I'm interested in), and again... if I want to use it I've got to print it out which isn't all that cheap in the long run. The character builder is cool. Fortunately you only really need to purchase a single month and update the data files to get most of the functionality out of it. Sure you won't have all the latest stuff a few months from now but let's face it: The game is bloating at an AMAZING rate and unless you're going to buy every book they produce many of those classes still aren't accessible at the table. If you're really desperate a year from now, just buy another month and update again. So for me the character builder is sort of the "buy one month and then forget" kind of feature. As for the rest of it, who knows? I know I read somewhere that they explicitly states that once the other E-tools are available, there will be a multi-tiered subscription model and those that want the e-tools (including the vaporware game table) are going to pay more. At that point you might be talking about $14-20 per month for a year's subscription which is a very hefty investment, especially for someone like me who tends to just use the core rulebooks anyways. I signed up for a year of DDI when it was first rolled out. At $8 a month for the year subscription it seemed like a fair enough price. Last month I canceled the auto-renew and I definitely won’t be renewing. The price hike isn’t so much an issue as the lack of true useable content: Dragon magazine is OK, but not enjoyable to read on screen – call me a grognard but my eyes don’t like reading large amounts of text on screen and the magazine has no portability either.

Dungeon is again Okay but the adventures are very uneven, the adventure path’s emphasis is almost purely on encounters at the expense of story (at least one that I’m interested in), and again… if I want to use it I’ve got to print it out which isn’t all that cheap in the long run.

The character builder is cool. Fortunately you only really need to purchase a single month and update the data files to get most of the functionality out of it. Sure you won’t have all the latest stuff a few months from now but let’s face it: The game is bloating at an AMAZING rate and unless you’re going to buy every book they produce many of those classes still aren’t accessible at the table. If you’re really desperate a year from now, just buy another month and update again. So for me the character builder is sort of the “buy one month and then forget” kind of feature.

As for the rest of it, who knows? I know I read somewhere that they explicitly states that once the other E-tools are available, there will be a multi-tiered subscription model and those that want the e-tools (including the vaporware game table) are going to pay more. At that point you might be talking about $14-20 per month for a year’s subscription which is a very hefty investment, especially for someone like me who tends to just use the core rulebooks anyways.

]]> By: DarkSchneider http://www.d20source.com/2009/05/is-dd-insider-worth-10/comment-page-1#comment-69004 DarkSchneider Sat, 23 May 2009 23:37:13 +0000 http://www.d20source.com/?p=899#comment-69004 Hasbro, not Mattel. Hasbro, not Mattel.

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