WotC Digital Gaming Table?

[The Velvet Souljah]

And WoTC's track record for making quality software, 'big company and more resources' and all, is not good.

It's certainly no worse than anyone else's in this industry...

[Kalan]

The big thing I'd be concerned about is cost. Even the few PDF products they have released from their shelves cost the same as the hardcover books.

Unless they link it somehow to the purchase of the books, I could forsee them charging the same price for their electronic formats of the products as they do their print versions.

If that's the case...no thanks...I'll stick to SRD material...

V

[Snikle]

This will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out, and how the community reacts to it. I can see it doing very well (even given their track record, and even if it is made poorly) as the hordes of D&Ders will leap at the ability to play it online. Look at how many people play the online games like Everquest etc, there are many many people that would readily play using a VGT (that our new 'it' word?).
I see WotC releasing upgrades/modules through this medium either as add-ons or inclusive to a subscription method. Either way would be a boon to the industry and make them plenty of money, releasing something digitally has got to be cheaper than printing and selling hardback books.
And I agree, the only thing that will save FG is the fact that you can play other systems on it, but that doesn't mean WotC VGT wont crush everyone anyway. WotC just has the trademark and copyrights, everyone will jump to their program.

[Sigurd]

I'm currently in a good game and the DM does heroic work to make things 'just right'. FG is a wonderful tool for our campaign mostly because it doesn't get in his way.

With every appreciation of Smyteworks -- I'm still glad they don't have to keep a server for me to play Fantasy grounds.

If we want to change a rule we do. Our game is as public and as private as the dm wants to make it.


I think WOTC will fall down on all of those things. I'm not inherently against WOTC but I won't pay a monthly fee to another company, so my friend can do all the work. I dont want to wade through a thousand adds to then try and create my mythic world. I dont want to remove myself or my friend from the equation and play some sort of waterred down online game even if it is temptingly easy to do.

It may create a big pool of online players but I think experiamental players will gravitate to platforms with more freedom.

S

[Aescleal]

I would like a link to the page the OP copied this from. I search WotC pages and I can't find this anywhere.

A link would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Snikle]

I believe I read somewhere that this was a random poll that popped up for some visitors to the WotC forum, after they finished polling it went bye bye.

[Aescleal]

Why are folks hung up on 3 games per month?
The quote is:

Digital Gaming Table, a program that allows you to play D&D using the Internet as your kitchen table, with a viewable play surface, dice rolling, virtual miniatures, and voice chat. Now you don't have to wait for your home gaming group to get together to play a game of D&D. You can still play your weekly face-to-face game, but now you can also play two or three more times a week by finding a game at the virtual table. Or, you might want to reconnect with your old gaming pals who long ago moved away-now you can all play together again on a regular basis! With this package, you get to play at the table 3 times per month.

Okay, so in there it also says

"but now you can also play two or three more times a week by finding a game at the virtual table"

Maybe it's just me, but I'm reading the 3/month part as an example... in light of it coming right on the heals of 2-3/week, in the same paragraph.
Also, I didn't read any of this as you have to pay a monthly fee to use a VGT. I read into this as any fee would be associated with being in the club, so-to-speak, and that is just how I would gain access to the VGT. That does not mean a VGT won't be a downloadable program, just like FG... in fact, unless told otherwise, the VGT could actually be FG. Staff here have not participated in these discussions to state otherwise at this point.
So a lot of speculation is going on, and while it's great to generate a healthy discussion about it, I think we should get grounded, and not jump to wild conclusions.
I read here alot but don't post. So chalk this up to just my 2cents!

[richvalle]

I see your 2 cents and raise you a nickel!



I still read the number of games per month as a hard 3. Its possible they could have different levels of subscription and one of the things you get as you pay more is more games per month.

You are right about the VGT being part of a package deal. In fact, if the rest of the package is good enough I might sign up for access and just ignore the VTG.

I don't think they will go with a 'downloadable program' but something where players login to a central place where WoTC can control access.

Until WoTC comes out with more information the quoted poll is all we have to go on. Though I heard they have either cut down or stopped posting some information online and the speculation is that WoTC is stocking up to post content on the 'pay for information' site.

[Aescleal]

Fair enough! I understand what you mean, and I know everyone has their own spin on what they read. I'm going to wait for more information, but I'm really hoping someday soon we'll hear that Smiteworks has signed on with Wizards as the developer for a new VGT!
I know I'm dreaming, but FG is a wonderful tool; best I've seen for ease of use and a table feel.
Cheers

[Aescleal]

Merry Christmas to all,

I'm surfing about, and I thought I'd drop in here to see if any news was discovered about this, in the past week. I'm quite sure that if there were news, it would get posted, but I thought I'd ask anyways!

Cheers, and Happy Holidays!