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http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7739/screenshotcharwiz1thumbke6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5351/screenshotcharwiz4thumbgk9.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/6315/screenshotcharwiz5thumbzf9.jpg
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3804/screenshotcharwiz6thumbnt6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9960/screenshotcharwiz7thumbih3.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/3804/screenshotddidungeonprtib1.jpg
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/9751/screenshotdgt2thumb470xbh6.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/6450/screenshotdungeonbuildeby9.jpg
enjoy
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7739/screenshotcharwiz1thumbke6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5351/screenshotcharwiz4thumbgk9.jpghttp://img233.imageshack.us/img233/6315/screenshotcharwiz5thumbzf9.jpg
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3804/screenshotcharwiz6thumbnt6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9960/screenshotcharwiz7thumbih3.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/3804/screenshotddidungeonprtib1.jpg
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/9751/screenshotdgt2thumb470xbh6.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/6450/screenshotdungeonbuildeby9.jpg
enjoy
Linkified.
They got WOW in my D&D.
That elf dude is Gay.
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*sigh* I weep for our hobby...
The character portraits looked like they came from the old Might & Magic games. I haven't played a PC game in years, but I find it a little hard to believe that the technology has only advanced that far.
The battlemaps looked appealing. Too bad I can't play around with them. Then again, I have simple tastes.
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*sigh* I weep for our hobby...
Why? Nobody has to play online. I sure don't plan to. I just don't know why an additional service is going to "ruin" our hobby.
As bad as these pics are, they aren't any worse than the art when D&D first came about. And perhaps we are seeing the worse of the worse and the images that aren't 100% developed. I wonder where these imageshack images are coming from.
So, with the checkerboard maps hanging in space with no background (and 5' spaces that are too small compared to the characters), have they given up on the pretense that it's not just a board game?
The character portraits looked like they came from the old Might & Magic games. I haven't played a PC game in years, but I find it a little hard to believe that the technology has only advanced that far.
Agreed. WoW characters are amazing compair with this crap.
Fizz
Gak ... ... ...
well, these examples surely are not convincing me to pay for D&D Insider. It's not exactly that they're bad compared to computer games, it is simply not what I'm looking for in D&D, but then I'm a hopeless fossil who is not the target audience. Oh well, maybe I can find somebody to play chess instead.
Gak ... ... ...
well, these examples surely are not convincing me to pay for D&D Insider. It's not exactly that they're bad compared to computer games, it is simply not what I'm looking for in D&D, but then I'm a hopeless fossil who is not the target audience. Oh well, maybe I can find somebody to play chess instead.
Let's all grab our canes and head to the park.
Trannies not withstanding, I'd be interested in seeing how easy it is to create the maps and how usefull they are in actual gaming situations.
More importantly, I hope this spawns better gaming tools that can be used without the need for internet.
Not exactly stunning but since I didn't really plan using it not really much of a problem for me.
Although I will say as a computer game geek (I am sure I'm not the only one on this board who is one) that the character models seem really under detailed. I get that these are supposed to be designed by the player rather than pre designed and that Wizards aren't a computer games company but these graphics aren't exactly pushing the boat out. In fact there not even timidly approaching the docks. Really would have thought considering how this is supposed to be a selling point they may have made it look a bit more impressive. Still maybe it's just me.
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I actually really like that the online tool looks like the Dungeon Tiles that I use in my weekly game. That way the online version simulates what we're doing at home pretty well.
Don't get me wrong, I primarily use Dundjinni. But I do own 20 sets, or more, of the various Dungeon Tiles and this program translates them almost perfectly.
Should I be concerned that Soul Caliber 3 for the PS2 has better looking custom characters?
Ahhh... Nevermind.
And thanks for linkyfing ArchLich.
I always thought a WoW inspired character portrait creator would be really cool. Add a rag doll with kung-fu action equipment, and it sounds really cool.
Loved NWN. Not nwn2 the overly system intensive train wreck, but the first one. Thought they could have made a mint making it a little more user friendly on the module making side.
That said. I can't believe they actually expect people to pay a monthly fee for this. At least WoW and DDO are in real time. Great concept ruined by piss poor modelling. Cant speak as to the software design.
You know, it's ironic. I really could have used a decent 3.5 character generatorand virtual tabletop. But definitely not this one. I hope for their sake it is only in pre-beta.
I always thought a WoW inspired character portrait creator would be really cool. Add a rag doll with kung-fu action equipment, and it sounds really cool.
Loved NWN. Not nwn2 the overly system intensive train wreck, but the first one. Thought they could have made a mint making it a little more user friendly on the module making side.
That said. I can't believe they actually expect people to pay a monthly fee for this. At least WoW and DDO are in real time. Great concept ruined by piss poor modelling. Cant speak as to the software design.
You know, it's ironic. I really could have used a decent 3.5 character generatorand virtual tabletop. But definitely not this one. I hope for their sake it is only in pre-beta.
Wow- even uglier then I thought it'd be- it looks like the kind of stuff you'd get free with a your box of wheeties. I can't speak to the software, but going by the interface as I can see it, I've seen better looking stuff from around when 3.0 came out. There's no way I'd clutter up bootcamp so I could run this. Add the subscription and the idea of having to buy more "virtual" Minis and you've got a perfect storm of the marketing theory getting slapped by cold reality.
If this is only pre beta, there is no way in hell they'd get an acceptable product ready for the summer rollout.
*cough*UseMapTool*cough*
*cough*Itsmuchbetter*cough*
It's not terrible, but cripes, could they not just license the Neverwinter Nights engine?
Booooooring - I played baldur's gate dark alliance on the PS2 some years ago, which looked MUCH MUCH better. (Please consider the age and the tv-resolution of the pictures: http://www.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/frame_lead.php?pid=468547&im g=1)
Maybe, as in other themes concerning 4.0, they should have asked someone who knows what he is doing ... (or instance, the programmers of baldurs gate, dark alliance)
Or someone who had heard the term 'uncanny gap'. Or studied interface design.
Sorry for going OT, but the mention of interface design really prompts me to say I regularly have to fight the temptation to complain about the interface problems with the D&D Website.
I don't think I have impossible standards. (No offense to hard-working Paizonians but) I mean, I don't consider this site a miracle of design, but it does all the things I consider important. The Wizards site is clearly trying to have much more of a look, but man, there are a some functionality things that just grate on me. And overall, I think I'm on the receptive side when it comes to 4E, but I really put off going to their site. I know they are all overworked there right now, but it seems like the lessons learned over the last couple of decades by the companies mentioned in this thread are not making it into the mix at the level they could be.
Or maybe they will throw back the curtain on DDI, and it will be a lot more potent than what we have seen so far. Because for the same amount Blizzard is charging a month for (setting aside gaming preferences) a pretty impressively finessed user experience, I'd prefer not to have to fight through pages that are too thick a layer of graphics slathered on data too obviously coughed through Active Server Pages.
Rant over. Thanks for your indulgence.
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I understand that as tools what really matters with these applets will be the fact that they get the job done for people who can only play using a virtual tabletop interface, but boy! the screenies look mighty ugly.
WotC would do better to buy straight away some of the already developed software tools and fine tune them for their needs, Micro$oft style, rather than show up with... things that look like these.
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Hmm, let me try this angle: Wht do I want to have as DM/Player if I would use DDI?
as DM:
1) easy to use mapping tool that can generate the maps I need with all the special stuff like runes on the floor and actually look good. To sum it up, I want my maps to look at least like Dundjini created maps.
2) easy to use tools to create traps, secret doors etc. Traps should have cool effects. A Trapdoor should actually open and if the traps makes its attack roll, the PCs should actually fall into the pit.
3) easy to use Monster box to create encounters*. The Monsters should look like the MM pictures and have cool features. The Beholders eye rays should be visible for example.
as Player:
1) be able to create a cool looking PC
2) be able to model it after my own PC. eg. create a blue backpack and a green coat, rendered with golden flames.
3) be able to access all relevant class abilities and be able to use them. Visible effects should have visible effects.
All in all the created avatars should have at least the look-quality of WOW and other top MMRPGs.
This is what I want from DDI and I do not think that this is too much.
Will they deliver?
*it just came to me that "special" Monsters, those with Class levels slapped on or templates (or the 4th equivalent of templates) might be hard to implement.
Sorry for going OT, but the mention of interface design really prompts me to say I regularly have to fight the temptation to complain about the interface problems with the D&D Website.
Hallelujah!
As an artist I am also appalled by the serious lack of quality found in this images. I do not play video games, at least not since the Baldur's Gate II episode, but the images hardly seem to live up to the standards of that game, a game that is now over 8 years old!
The figures seem ungainly, uninspiring, and uncertain in their gender.
But this is not my main problem.
For one there are no walls.
But there also is no ceiling.
Does that mean there is not going to be a 3rd dimension to the computer based version? In other words in you have a 50'x50' room with 30' barrel vaulted ceilings, since the walls and ceilings do not exist in these images, is not possible to have a battle going on at 25' in the air, another at 15' in the air, and a final one on the ground? It would appear that this might not be possible.
Damn those rooms looked boring, bland, and bad.
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I really dig the she-male.
I don't plant to play online...
anymore.
Oh....man....this made me laugh.... gads....
Hmm, let me try this angle: Wht do I want to have as DM/Player if I would use DDI?
as DM:
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4) Mac compatibility5) state of the art graphic
6) 3.5 compatibility :-)
But this is not my main problem.
For one there are no walls.
But there also is no ceiling.
Does that mean there is not going to be a 3rd dimension to the computer based version? In other words in you have a 50'x50' room with 30' barrel vaulted ceilings, since the walls and ceilings do not exist in these images, is not possible to have a battle going on at 25' in the air, another at 15' in the air, and a final one on the ground? It would appear that this might not be possible.
Remember, flying has been nothing but a way to avoid Difficult Terrain in the minis game for awhile now.
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6) 3.5 compatibility :-)
You probably won't get your first two requests, but I'm pretty sure they've said the virtual tabletop isn't tied to DnD (4E or any other edition) whatsoever. That is, its just a virtual tabletop, and doesn't adjucate rules in any manner I'm aware of.
You probably won't get your first two requests, but I'm pretty sure they've said the virtual tabletop isn't tied to DnD (4E or any other edition) whatsoever. That is, its just a virtual tabletop, and doesn't adjucate rules in any manner I'm aware of.
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6) 3.5 compatibility :-)
That is indeed correct.
One of the screens shows a weapon list divided into three categories: Military, Simple, and Superior weapons. The Superior tab is open, showing rapier, bastard sword, spiked chain, katana, short sword, whip, and katar.
LOL, it's funny. for all the WoW derision 4E gets, a lot of people put the online game bar at that level as a minimum. Having played it for far longer than is reccommended for sentient beings, I can say that it really was a fun game.
Then I tried DDO...and was incredibly disappointed. That aside. With the success of WoW and the NWN franchise, why isn't there a decent D&D game? BG2 was awesome! but it is a bit dated nowadays.
An online tabletop created by the DM, for the DM is a great idea...as long as it can be used offline and not hav a subscription fee. But having a P&P game degenerate to 7 people playing video games together is a sad, sad state of affairs...especially with graphics like that.
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But this is not my main problem.
For one there are no walls.
But there also is no ceiling.
Does that mean there is not going to be a 3rd dimension to the computer based version? In other words in you have a 50'x50' room with 30' barrel vaulted ceilings, since the walls and ceilings do not exist in these images, is not possible to have a battle going on at 25' in the air, another at 15' in the air, and a final one on the ground? It would appear that this might not be possible.
Do any tools support 3D? Maptool, etc.? Working in software myself, this seems much, much more challenging of a task.
btw, i'm not defending the tools - the character builder graphics are bleh. Just asking the question because I'd like 3D too.
Sounds like a business opportunity!
Pete
MapTools doesn't support 3D, but it's just a virtual battlemat. It's hard to do 3d on a battlemat too.
The problem is that Wizards' tool tries to be 3d.
So much fail, so little time. I'd almost rather have the Infinity Engine than D&D Dolls In The Valley of the Uncanny. Yech.
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MapTools doesn't support 3D, but it's just a virtual battlemat. It's hard to do 3d on a battlemat too.
The problem is that Wizards' tool tries to be 3d.
Well, the tokens are 3D (which is nice compared to flat tokens in maptool, etc.). But I never got the impression that their tool was going to support 3D walls and ceilings from the get go. "Battlemat on steroids" at best I thought.
-Pete
I like the flat tokens in MapTool, because I can update and change and make my own tokens. All I need is a picture. Outside of the fact that WotC wants to charge for digital minis, even if they allowed you to load your own, I'm not a digital artist.
I think you guys are being too harsh.
Those are clearly cutting edge graphics.
** spoiler omitted **
*Applause* Nicely done, sir!
I think you guys are being too harsh.
Those are clearly cutting edge graphics.
** spoiler omitted **
Touche
I like the flat tokens in MapTool, because I can update and change and make my own tokens. All I need is a picture. Outside of the fact that WotC wants to charge for digital minis, even if they allowed you to load your own, I'm not a digital artist.
So is MapTool pretty good? It looks interesting.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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For what it's worth, take a look at the second link from the end. those are supposed to be stairs in the foreground, yes? Not as 3D as we might hope.
I'm hoping that there's a way to mask far-away rooms with something like walls, so the DM would be able to show the screen-view to the players.
Yesterday, Cosmo was about to mock me for being a Mac user. Yes, yes, Cosmo, I acknowledge your superior ability to use this kind of software in your D&D game.