D&D Next

[Dervish]

patience is a virtue the guys at d20pro are in talks with them and i am sure the team here is too and like rome it may take time to iron out the licencing for 5e and i am sure it is not going to be cheap like pathfinder content is

[MNBlockHead]

Yes, I'm sure it will move slowly. Good to know that d20pro is in talks with WoTC. Gives me hope for HL and RW.

[RavenX]

Rob's post indicates that there may be some kind exclusivity clause in that contract for tools, but without seeing the actual signed contracts (which will likely never happen) we can only make guesses unless someone does an official press release. And fantasy grounds likely has more going than just character builder support at this point if it was part of their deal...

Also, for those who want to know... yes I've nearly completed my own 5e data files. I only have to finish a couple more things in them and they will be ready for data entry from the books.

[MNBlockHead]

So, looks like the next major software licensee of DnD 5e content is a virtual-reality platform for playing DnD.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news...irtual-reality

Sigh...when will WoTC give us AT-TABLE players some love?

[RavenX]

Originally Posted by MNBlockHead

Sigh...when will WoTC give us AT-TABLE players some love?

When guys like Wil Wheaton quit throwing money at them? To be honest I was angry when I read this because it's not something that is going to be in the realm of affordability for most people. Is it nice? Yes. Is it practical and affordable? Not likely. Guys that are rich can afford it, but for the rest of us this is just a fancy item we will never get to use outside of a convention.

I am not going to be the guy dropping a couple grand into something like this.

[MNBlockHead]

Maybe I'm turning into an old guy that doesn't understand the new generation, but I don't see the appeal. A VTT like Roll20 or even something with a higher learning curve like Fantasy Grounds seems easier to use and more visually appealing. The graphics in AltspaceVR look like they would just get in the way. Maybe I just need to experience a game.

Let's hope that this is good news and that WoTC is slowly but surely expanding the number and variety of software they will license content for.

[DMG]

OMG, the video on that page looks like garbage. Their VR work looks so 1990's that they have to intercut Drizzit animations to make it look "exciting".

I think WotC really have missed the boat with digital tools. All they had to do was licence someone like LW & Hero Lab to be on board from the start. Instead they ditched whoever that original lot was & Fantasy Grounds is so expensive it's stupid.

It doesn't matter how good 5E actually is, but without decent quality & decently priced digital tools, they just don't cut the mustard in this day & age.

[wurzel]

Originally Posted by DMG

OMG, the video on that page looks like garbage. Their VR work looks so 1990's that they have to intercut Drizzit animations to make it look "exciting".

That's not entirely true. 1990's were a lot better than that piece of bullshit.

[AndrewD2]

So where does it say Wil Wheaton threw money at them for this? Honestly WotC will let whoever gives them more money do the stuff. They stopped caring about the game when they stopped working on it in house. Most 5E books are now done by 2PP (publisher writing in another's IP) like Kobold Press and Green Ronin.

Look at how much FG charges for each pack of the very little material that's out there. Can you imagine HL customers actually willing to pay prices like that for the material? I know I never would and I've got A LOT of money invested in HL.

[MNBlockHead]

Well, given the quality and popularity of the 5e books, they are doing something right. The community involvement in the development of 5e during DnD next showed a commitment to the community. I'm sure being part of Hasbro ties their hands quite a bit. But having the "evil suits" involved isn't totally a bad thing. It seems that whenever the nerds were totally in charge they drove DnD into the ground. WoTC saved the property when TSR was crash and burning only to give too much away with their OGL.

Like you, I found FG prices too high, but that was in part because I didn't see much value add for at-table play. I may very well pay those prices for that content in HL, given the ability to integrate with RW and the demonstrable at-table value that HL would bring.

Even more, I probably would pay to have the core rules in RW. I think it would be better to loyal customers to give those who bought the book some kind of discount on digital content, or/and vice versa, but even if the content was priced the same as or even higher than the books, the time saved and convenience provided by having that content in RW may make it worth it.

Like anything else, it will have to work itself out in the market.