I'll grant that WotC hasn't engendered much goodwill with some of their questionable marketing practices the past few months, but come on people they are entitled to make money for producing extra content.
Generally, yes, but when they advertise that their program is so much better than everybody else's because it's got 3d stuff, I'd be pissed to find out that it only has a couple of 3d models included, the rest is either flat or I have to pay for all the models in addition to all the other things I already paid for.
I mean, without the 3D models, what incentive do I have to choose Wizards' gaming table over any other product out there - stuff that don't force me to subscribe in order to use it?
What I'm saying is that the way I see it, those 3d representations are the big incentive to use DI (and pay something like 120 tacken a year, maybe more - PER PLAYER, and in addition to the extra cost to "unlock" the books-, instead of, say, Fantasy Grounds' 35 bucks one-time payment. But I say that if you have to pay 10+ dollars a month, AND pay for 3d Models, it gets too expensive.
Might as well buy WoW, that has the same monthly cost, and all the extra 3d models, fully animated, are free, as are special effects, and sounds, and all that.
I find it somewhat amusing that we don't bash Paizo for greed since they are producing extra, optional content for Pathfinder (the Pathfinder Chronicles). It's the exact same concept that WotC is doing, yet WotC gets bashed and Paizo doesn't.
Apples and oranges.
Isn't that what the monthly fee is for? And the extra money they get when we "unlock" the books. That should more than cover it, I think.
That depends on the cost of D&D Insider and the size of the subscriber base. Any costs acrued need to be covered by incoming revenue, and each new feature you include in the D&D Insider umbrella raises the monthly cost of D&D Insider. As of now D&D Insider includes Digital Dragon, Digital Dungeon, the Character Creator, the Character Visualizer, the basic Digital Tabletop, and most likely some extra DM tools.
If they were concerned about making people pay for stuff they don't need or something, they wouldn't lump all this into one big package. As far as I remember, there won't be a "Dragon Only" option, or a "Digital Tools Only" option. The only exception other than those models seems to be a guest account option for the virtual tabletop, which you have to pay per session, and you can't open a session with it (so you need at least one subscriber).
If their aim were to provide everyone with the options they need and nothing more, you wouldn't have one big package, but several options.
So why make the only real exception with "virtual minis?" I think it's because they want to cash in on the collectible factor, just as they do with their random boosters of plastic miniatures. They probably think that most people who get the subscription for the virtual tabletop do so because it has 3d models, so they figure they can get people to pay three times for those.
Additionally, If I'm not mistaken unlocking a book will be free.
Nope. It will involve a "nominal fee", and I haven't heard how much it is.
I do, however, have an issue with D&D Insider as a consumer. I want to be nickel and dimed more. When I look at what D&D Insider is offering it looks entirely too much like the 'packages' my cable company offers. There's a heck of a lot being offered that I simply don't want to pay for. I'd much rather be able to buy into D&D Insider without the Digital Tabletop then pay for a feature I don't need.
That's just as I said. It doesn't fit the whole "we have to charge extra for the 3d models but don't want to force anyone to pay that price, so it's optional" argument.
It's probably so they can charge a higher monthly fee, claiming that you do get that big package (and nevermind that many will not use all of it).
Sigh!
I find it somewhat amusing that we don't bash Paizo for greed since they are producing extra, optional content for Pathfinder (the Pathfinder Chronicles). It's the exact same concept that WotC is doing, yet WotC gets bashed and Paizo doesn't.
Besides the fact that Chronicles seems to actually have content (so they say)... I DID kick Paizo around for putting those cards in their subscription. And I CAN buy selections from their line without having the subscritpion.
It's worth bearing in mind that (from everything I've heard about it, at least) the DDI virtual table thingy isn't required to play 4th edition...
Yeah, but I have to pay for it if I want Dungeon or Dragon magazine. That's very disappointing for me.
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Might as well buy WoW, that has the same monthly cost, and all the extra 3d models, fully animated, are free, as are special effects, and sounds, and all that.
I guess if your RP is about on the same level as WoW (or any other MMO), yes that most certainly is a viable option. Go with it and have fun then.
Me personally, I prefer a little more than "i R n ur base, killin ur d00dz" in my RPG'ing.
Generally, yes, but when they advertise that their program is so much better than everybody else's because it's got 3d stuff, I'd be pissed to find out that it only has a couple of 3d models included, the rest is either flat or I have to pay for all the models in addition to all the other things I already paid for.
That was part of my point. Their marketing of 4th edition sucks. But many people are complaining about the fact that WotC is daring to charge money for something they deem as an extra. That's what I had a problem with.
I mean, without the 3D models, what incentive do I have to choose Wizards' gaming table over any other product out there - stuff that don't force me to subscribe in order to use it?
What I'm saying is that the way I see it, those 3d representations are the big incentive to use DI (and pay something like 120 tacken a year, maybe more - PER PLAYER, and in addition to the extra cost to "unlock" the books-, instead of, say, Fantasy Grounds' 35 bucks one-time payment. But I say that if you have to pay 10+ dollars a month, AND pay for 3d Models, it gets too expensive.
Might as well buy WoW, that has the same monthly cost, and all the extra 3d models, fully animated, are free, as are special effects, and sounds, and all that.
You have absolutely no reason to choose Wizard's gaming table. It's your choice. Whether you want to pay for it or not is beside the point. Again I go back to the fact that WotC's marketing sucks.
Apples and oranges.
How so? According to both companies both products are "extras" that don't need to be purchased to enjoy the main product.
"i R n ur base, killin ur d00dz"
That's some classic RP right there.
I think the sentiment goes something like this...
If it's going to cost as much as a subscription to WoW, the Digital Initiative had better be darn awesome, and allow me to play with my friends who are far away just as well as if they were at my table, or else I might as well just play WoW with them, if I want to hang out with those far away people online. It's not as much fun as playing D&D, but it's the best we can do right now.
No, the competitors for the WotC Digital Game Table are products like THIS . Not Wow, Halo, EQ, etc.
You just like trying to be right when you're wrong. ;)
I'm not talking about direct competion for online gaming. I'm talking about competition for the available entertainment dollars. How many people do you know who play WoW or similar games online? All the time?
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I'm not talking about direct competion for online gaming. I'm talking about competition for the available entertainment dollars.
Thats the apples and oranges thing though. You mentioned:
However, the competition for the paper book is also other gaming products that don't come with miniatures.
as part of your argument for competition. Like vs. Like. Then the rule should remain the same, a way to play RPG's on line, not MMO's which are a totally different form of entertainment.
How many people do you know who play WoW or similar games online?
Honestly? Zero.
Admittedly, that is probably out of the ordinary for a gamer, but true.
Purchasing tokens/3d figures/tiles is not a problem - it's fair to charge for their product. What will not be fair is if they cripple the product so that you can't use your own images.
Consider kloogewerks - you can easily turn any image - scanned, grab it on google - into a token. Likewise you can use any image at all for a map. Anybody think WotC will allow us to bypass the purchasing of their graphics and use our own? Granted we have no idea if that is going to happen so it's pointless to complain about it quite yet.
(Actually, the whole thing is moot. Any DM + Players that actually pays a monthly fee to play D&D is dumb considering the excellent one-time fee or even free products out there. Anyone who is arguing that the monthly fee is OK but paying for minatures is not, is really confused.)
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Any DM + Players that actually pays a monthly fee to play D&D is dumb considering the excellent one-time fee or even free products out there.
Agreed. I'm not an on-line player, but if I where I wouldn't use the DI. There are too many other ways without having to pay a subscription.
Unless somehow the DDI tabletop somehow delivers more, which I don't really see how it could.
Consider kloogewerks - you can easily turn any image - scanned, grab it on google - into a token. Likewise you can use any image at all for a map. Anybody think WotC will allow us to bypass the purchasing of their graphics and use our own? Granted we have no idea if that is going to happen so it's pointless to complain about it quite yet.
That is an excellent question DMFTodd.
I am a rabid mapper, if I can't use my own maps when I run a game then the product is totally worthless to me. Of course, I already said I wasn't going to spring for DI, so it's not like this matter is driving me away, but, it certainly throws dirt my coffin as far as WotC getting any of my money.
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Welcome to capitalism. If people buy it it will be brilliant. If people do not then they will drop it.
WotC is not evil. They are not insane. They are in this to make money just like every other company that makes something to sell to others.
I'm curious about your digital movement rate...
If I animate the dead horse you've been beating in every 4ed thread lately, and order said zombie-horse to flee, will you be able to catch it?
If not, can I disintegrate it? Inquiring minds want to know.
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I dunno if this misses the point completely, but the thing that most jumped out at me when I saw the initial footage of the digital gaming terrain is---it doesn't really look all that good in the first place. If the impetus behind the move to digital is to lure players of MMOs, they should probably first think about coming up with better digital images. I wonder if any MMO player is actually intrigued about digital DnD after seeing what it's going to look like. Hmmmm. . .doesn't seem likely to me!
Might as well buy WoW, that has the same monthly cost, and all the extra 3d models, fully animated, are free, as are special effects, and sounds, and all that.I guess if your RP is about on the same level as WoW (or any other MMO), yes that most certainly is a viable option. Go with it and have fun then.
Me personally, I prefer a little more than "i R n ur base, killin ur d00dz" in my RPG'ing.
From what my bro tells me there is quite a large community of RPers in WoW. He is a commited WoW-gamer in the extreme. He calls those people a lot of other uncomplimentary names, but he never seems to lack one standing somewhere to make fun of.
A few thoughts:
The good...
1) I think it's great that WotC is coming out with a way for people to play D&D online. The features they have advertised sound really cool.
2) If the fee structure pays off, D&D will probably generate more revenue for WotC than the D&D name has ever done before.
The bad...
3) Many who are enamored with 4E are still very wary of the online effort. WotC can't even manage to .pdf a series of online articles in a timely fashion, so how can we expect them to have a fully online system with timely content that is worth paying for?
The question:
What are the features, and what are their price points?
Until we get the answer to this question, we can't really judge the service. Virtual minis at $0.02 per (non-random) mini sounds awesome. Virtual minis at $5.00 per mini sounds atrocious. $10/month simply for what we've gotten so far with the "online magazines" would be laughable.
One question I have with the online minis is, if you buy a "troll", does that mean you have use of that "troll" purchase to represent 6 trolls, or do you have to buy 6 different trolls? If 4E really emphasizes "mooks", then you'll need to buy a lot more minis than you would for 3E.
I thought I would add in my two coppers as a neutral voice with some experience with the MMORPG scene.
I have played RPG's, mostly D&D, since 1979. I have seen it evolve from the 1st Edition right to the present point. While I love the game, I have not always been able to play it due to a lack of available gamers in my area. Plus, since I spent most of the Nineties in the Army and most of this decade rearing spawn I haven't been able to stay near the few gamers I DO love to play with.
One of the features of 4e that really caught my attention initially was the DDI. The thought of being able to play virutal D&D with some of my battle buddies who are scattered all over the globe at this point really appealed to me. Currently we only game together in WoW. Since the turn of the millenium we have drifted through various MMORPGs, not because we thought the games were better than D&D (they are certainly not IMHO), but because the MMORPG format allowed us to still game together. I have also met several great people online who I would love to play at a table with, but who live in distant places.
If Wizards does pull off a method to be able to have a true virtual D&D game, I would be all for it. However, I do feel that by making it a pay-as-you-go style of play they will be choking the goose before it lays the golden egg. IMHO most of the MMORPG players will not be coming to tabletop RPG gameplay, virtual or otherwise. They are from a different entertainment background, the vidoegamers. Although there is a lot of cross-interest, your average MMOPRGer is not going to abandon his favorite game and come to D&D anymore than an average D&D fan is going to run to Scrabble because Hasbro has an online tournament.
Once again I am going to be cautiously optimistic until I see the actual DDI in effect and I see what it actually costs. I AM the perfect demographic for them, but if they do price it too high, it will (unfortunately) be back to WoW for the majority of my gaming fix.
PS: Happy 2008 everyone! :)
However, as just one of the millions who value the integrity of our game, our culture, tradition and intellectual history, we hear you on these threds making a clear point that you don't give a damn. Yes, they have found a new way to make money... one electronic piece at a time. And, that's not what many fans of the game expect to be of premier concern from a steward of our game.1) If you do not like it then let them know directly - get a petition going, start a letter writing campaign, something other than gripe as if you are powerless to effect change.
2) they are not stewards - the own the darn thing. If they wanted to hold onto the name and never produce another D&D product ever - that is their prerogative.
Many will agree that not buying 4I (the illegitimate edition) is our right as consumers. Additionally, for those of us who believe that our history should not be treated like "baggage" by a monopolistic and greedy company: [b]can we rally to send a clear message to PAIZO that there are "enough players willing to make a break from Wizards of the Coast and the Dungeons & Dragons brand to sustain a healthy 3.5-based...Go for it. I will support your right to do so until my last breath. But saying that WotC is greedy just because they want to increase sales is saying that all companies are greedy because they do the exact same thing.
Is Paizo greedy for creating a whole suite of products for the Rise of the Runelords?
No. Of course not.
Here's the great thing about capitalism: it is based off of greed. In fact, capitalism (and all of the economic theory we have for it) assumes that entities will be as greedy as possible, which is what makes it such a fascinating social science. So yes, both statements are correct, WoTC is greedy, Paizo is greedy, customers are greedy, and we are all participating in a capitalist system. Great isn't it?
Besides the fact that Chronicles seems to actually have content (so they say)... I DID kick Paizo around for putting those cards in their subscription.
I can attest to that
Might as well buy WoW, that has the same monthly cost, and all the extra 3d models, fully animated, are free, as are special effects, and sounds, and all that.I guess if your RP is about on the same level as WoW (or any other MMO), yes that most certainly is a viable option. Go with it and have fun then.
Me personally, I prefer a little more than "i R n ur base, killin ur d00dz" in my RPG'ing.
My RP is not on the same level as WoW, but I have the gnawing suspicion that Wizards is driving 4e in that direction.
But let me translate what you wrote there into English: "I'm in your base, killing your dudes". I'm not a WoW professional, but does it have a base? Don't you think you're talking about some strategy game, or some team-based shooter like UT? For I've been in their bases in UT and killed their dudes (though I didn't stop to write about it, especially not in that retarded 1337-speak.
A few thoughts:
The good...
1) I think it's great that WotC is coming out with a way for people to play D&D online. The features they have advertised sound really cool.
It's not as if they invented it, or were the first to offer such a service. They're just the first (I know of) who want you to keep paying for it.
3) Many who are enamored with 4E are still very wary of the online effort. WotC can't even manage to .pdf a series of online articles in a timely fashion, so how can we expect them to have a fully online system with timely content that is worth paying for?
I know from the past that wizards sucks at putting out decent electronic stuff on time, but it kind of suprises me that they're still not better at it, now that the "magazines" are supposed to roll already.
But thanks for reminding me of that, it's another thing that doesn't bode well for 4e and its online parts.
I tell you: As soon as they start charging people for the stuff, such lapses will result in more than a couple of rants about when web enhancement x or errata y is going to show up or has its glaring errors fixed. It will quickly result in people cancelling their subscriptions and telling wizards to go to hell (or whatever passes for hell in their new cosmology)
Until we get the answer to this question, we can't really judge the service. Virtual minis at $0.02 per (non-random) mini sounds awesome. Virtual minis at $5.00 per mini sounds atrocious. $10/month simply for what we've gotten so far with the "online magazines" would be laughable.
I agree that if we were talking about a mere cent or two per model (so that the monster manual would be an extra 3 or 6 dollars for all the models) might still be okay. But I doubt it will be that cheap. It will probably not be 5 bucks, but 10-20 cents or more per figure.
One question I have with the online minis is, if you buy a "troll", does that mean you have use of that "troll" purchase to represent 6 trolls, or do you have to buy 6 different trolls? If 4E really emphasizes "mooks", then you'll need to buy a lot more minis than you would for 3E.
I guess that you buy the model, not a real virtual mini you can't use more than once. I'd call that too greedy even for wizards. (And it would demonstrate clearly that they're not just trying to set off the costs they have with the 3d-modelling, but that they're in for the Big Fleece)
I know there are other virtual game tables out there.
Might as well buy WoW, that has the same monthly cost, and all the extra 3d models, fully animated, are free, as are special effects, and sounds, and all that.I guess if your RP is about on the same level as WoW (or any other MMO), yes that most certainly is a viable option. Go with it and have fun then.
Me personally, I prefer a little more than "i R n ur base, killin ur d00dz" in my RPG'ing.
If that's the case, why play 4E? ;-)
From what my bro tells me there is quite a large community of RPers in WoW. He is a commited WoW-gamer in the extreme. He calls those people a lot of other uncomplimentary names, but he never seems to lack one standing somewhere to make fun of.
As one of those WoW-RP'ers (Farstriders server), let me say that my DnD RP is vastly different from my WoW RP. That said, I thoroughly enjoy them both. However they are two completely different games. It's like comparing Vampire: The Masquerade LARP to a NERO LARP; If I want to stand around all night talking pseudo-intellectually while throwing "Rock, Paper, Scissors", I'll play in a V:TM LARP. If I want to run around in the woods and hit people with boffer-weapons, I'll play NERO.
However, I don't want one trying to be ther other, which is what WotC seems to be doing with the DI. If I want to play WoW I'll simply login, not look to a different company that's trying to get their feet wet. Do you ask your barber for dental work?
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As one of those WoW-RP'ers (Farstriders server), let me say that my DnD RP is vastly different from my WoW RP. That said, I thoroughly enjoy them both. However they are two completely different games. It's like comparing Vampire: The Masquerade LARP to a NERO LARP; If I want to stand around all night talking pseudo-intellectually while throwing "Rock, Paper, Scissors", I'll play in a V:TM LARP. If I want to run around in the woods and hit people with boffer-weapons, I'll play NERO.
[tangent] NERO 'role-play' (at least in my region) mostly consists of teenagers getting away for the weekend, dressing up in costumes, flirting with each other and then having sex. Since the ratio of guys to girls seems to be three to one, the actual role-play seems to be limited to the two dudes who didn't get lucky, and occasionally involves them arguing about who gets to 'be the girl' this weekend. Boffer weapons are occasionally part of these negotiations. [/tangent]
[tangent] NERO 'role-play' (at least in my region) mostly consists of teenagers getting away for the weekend, dressing up in costumes, flirting with each other and then having sex. Since the ratio of guys to girls seems to be three to one, the actual role-play seems to be limited to the two dudes who didn't get lucky, and occasionally involves them arguing about who gets to 'be the girl' this weekend. Boffer weapons are occasionally part of these negotiations. [/tangent]
[threadjack]What region are you in? Over here in Western PA, we have a fairly decent ratio of men and women, with quite a lot of married couples showing up to events. The ages range from 16 all the way to mid-50's. For the most part, our events (PRO) are very combat heavy, but have enough down time to RP (PC to PC and PC to NPC). As for the flirting/nookie aspect, well, I met my wife there, so no complaints :)
EDIT: Regardles, NERO still has a better combat system than Vampire, IMO.[/threadjack]
[tangent] NERO 'role-play' (at least in my region) mostly consists of teenagers getting away for the weekend, dressing up in costumes, flirting with each other and then having sex. Since the ratio of guys to girls seems to be three to one, the actual role-play seems to be limited to the two dudes who didn't get lucky, and occasionally involves them arguing about who gets to 'be the girl' this weekend. Boffer weapons are occasionally part of these negotiations. [/tangent]
[tangent] Thank you for that Set, you just made my day.[/tangent]
It's worth bearing in mind that (from everything I've heard about it, at least) the DDI virtual table thingy isn't required to play 4th edition...Yeah, but I have to pay for it if I want Dungeon or Dragon magazine. That's very disappointing for me.
And, don't forget, you have to pay for it if you want those Web Enhancements for the print books you purchase.
You also have to pay for DDI if you want the electronic version of it (and you don't even get to download it!).
You also have to pay for DDI to get the errata for the books you purchase.
You also have to pay for DDI to make use of the DM and Player tools on their.
So when WotC says,"You don't need DDI to play 4E", I find that total bull. Sure, you don't need it. But then, you'll be playing a gimped version of 4E.
DDI is just another cash cow for them to milk D&D for what it's worth.
And, don't forget, you have to pay for it if you want those Web Enhancements for the print books you purchase.
I keep forgetting. I have to admire their ingenuity -- they're finding a way to make us pay for products we've come to expect for free.
You also have to pay for DDI to get the errata for the books you purchase.
I hope you're wrong. If this proves to be correct, I will join the ranks of the WotC-haters, and will devote extraordinary amounts of time denouncing them.
If I buy a book that is defective (as the existence of errata would demonstrate), I had best not have to pay to get it fixed. That would be unethical and slimy in the extreme.
You also have to pay for DDI to get the errata for the books you purchase.I hope you're wrong. If this proves to be correct, I will join the ranks of the WotC-haters, and will devote extraordinary amounts of time denouncing them.
If I buy a book that is defective (as the existence of errata would demonstrate), I had best not have to pay to get it fixed. That would be unethical and slimy in the extreme.
I was hoping to be wrong too, but do a little searching and you'll find that the designers stated that Dragon Magazine Online will offer "errata" as part of their online articles.
And the only way to have access to Dragon Magazine Online is to be subscribed to DDI. :(
I try to stay objective in the torment of the upcoming 4th edition...
Seriously, i try.
Objectively, i appreciate the quality of many 3rd Edition books.
But i tend to pull back from the amount of production, trying to buy only what i really need.
Having now what i estimate to be sufficient to run my game, i observe that the amount of products i own is quite smaller than my 1st and 2nd Editions books.
Why ? Because, fluff is not rule related, and once i have some good fluff, i don't need to upgrade it.
And for the rules, well... Honestly, i never used a core system. I always modifiy the rules, adding my own stuff. So let's say i am playing D&D 3.X.
This is why i ponder and wonder with the upcoming 4th Edition.
Do i really need this ? Probably not. I have enough stuff to run games for decades.
Am i going to have a look on it ? Well... Yes. I don't fool myself and i perfectly know i won't be able to resist for long.
Now, about the DDI...
I regret the loss of Dragon and Dungeon magazines. No, the digital versions are not equivalent. Far not.
Although the online version of the game looks shiny and funky, i know for sure i won't use it.
First because i know that my players won't pay a fee for something like that. They don't even buy the core books, so...
Secund, and most of all, i don't need flashy floorplans and 3d monsters to run my game.
This a roleplaying game.
I rely on my descriptions and the imagination of my players. Not on special effects.
And still, i happen to play online with some of my friends abroad. But we don't use fancy programs. Skype is just enough for the voice chat. All the rest is imagination.
If i want to play in a visual 3d game, i play World of Warcraft.
In conclusion, i don't have anything against the 4th Edition.
But maybe i just don't need it.
Nevertheless, i will buy the core books and subscribe to the DDI, even if i won't probably use all that.
First ebcause i want to stay informed and in touch.
But mainly because i want to support the game i love, and i don't want to see it die...
And, don't forget, you have to pay for it if you want those Web Enhancements for the print books you purchase.You also have to pay for DDI to get the errata for the books you purchase.
You also have to pay for DDI to make use of the DM and Player tools on their.
Now that's interesting and "not so nice". I hadn't heard that before. No offense, but I really hope that is just a rumor and not the truth.
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It's worth bearing in mind that (from everything I've heard about it, at least) the DDI virtual table thingy isn't required to play 4th edition...Yeah, but I have to pay for it if I want Dungeon or Dragon magazine. That's very disappointing for me.And, don't forget, you have to pay for it if you want those Web Enhancements for the print books you purchase.
You also have to pay for DDI if you want the electronic version of it (and you don't even get to download it!).
You also have to pay for DDI to get the errata for the books you purchase.
You also have to pay for DDI to make use of the DM and Player tools on their.
So when WotC says,"You don't need DDI to play 4E", I find that total bull. Sure, you don't need it. But then, you'll be playing a gimped version of 4E.
DDI is just another cash cow for them to milk D&D for what it's worth.
Can you show me where they said that those would all be separate charges? Or where they said that they would no longer provide free errata or FAQs?
I'm pretty sure they have said errata will always be free.
I'm pretty sure they have said errata will always be free.
Despite my earlier comment, I'd be quite shocked if the errata weren't free -- that would just be too outrageous.
Here's what I was able to find out about the electronic versions of the books on EN World.
- The e-book will be accessable offline. It will most likely be a PDF download.
- The nominal fee for downloading the e-book will be in the range of $1-$2.
- You will not need to be a D&D Insider subscriber to access the e-book. You will need a Gleemax account (to identify yourself) if you are not a D&D Insider subscriber.
- There will be a method to update your E-Books to include errata.
On an unrelated note, a D&D Insider subscription is going to cost $9.95/month, and will be limited to the 12+ age group.
Here's what I was able to find out about the electronic versions of the books on EN World.
- The e-book will be accessable offline. It will most likely be a PDF download.
- The nominal fee for downloading the e-book will be in the range of $1-$2.
- You will not need to be a D&D Insider subscriber to access the e-book. You will need a Gleemax account (to identify yourself) if you are not a D&D Insider subscriber.
- There will be a method to update your E-Books to include errata.
On an unrelated note, a D&D Insider subscription is going to cost $9.95/month, and will be limited to the 12+ age group.
That must be recent news then. Sorry to alarm anyone, but prior to this information they did state DDI as going to have errata and the ability to get the PDF of your book, as well.
But then again, they've been changing their stories at least once a week now. Who knows what they'll say next.
And 4E is supposed to be launched all three books in June? Actually, April, considering they need to get that load to the printers early in order to release them on time.
So, these guys have 4 months left to get their situation figured out? Heh. This will be fun to watch. I can't wait for them to announce 4.5E in a couple of years *LOL*
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I'm pretty sure they have said errata will always be free.
Wouldn't you still need to subscribe to DDI to have access to errata? If so, it's not free. It's still 10-15$ a month, even if you just want the errata. I don't see how it would be free for two reasons.
1) They have demonstrated a surprsing level of greed recently, particularly where the DDI is concerned.2) You can't hardly view anything on the D&D site anymore without going through the DDI.
I'm pretty sure they have said errata will always be free.I believe there was a statement that subscribers would get errata FIRST, but that it would be free eventually.
If that's true, it amounts to "Errata is only for subscribers". wizards' use of "eventually" is among the lines of "Eventually, evolution will grant pigs wings or other means of aerial movement" and "Eventually, due to enthropy, the average temperature of any netherworld used to house the wicked will sink below 0°C". There will probably be excuses about how they can't spare the manpower to put the downloads on the free parts of the website right now, because they have paying customers who expect their service regularly or they quit, it will be there eventually, and did you know that if you become one of those paying customers, we can guarantee you to get the stuff sooner?"