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raijinfolly wrote:

Let's look at this logically. If you're going to start programming a set of tools from the ground up to support a new game, you'll need to start from the beginning.

• You need something to reference the rules. Tada, the compendium is born.
  
• You need something to create and manage characters. Tada, we've got the Character Builder.
  
• You need things to manage characters together in a party (with journaling and mapping). They're building the Campaign tools.
  
• You need a way to use these tools collaboratively in order to play the game via LAN or fully online. That's your Virtual Table Top. This also includes the various other tools to import to and export from the VTT.
  

They didn't set a realistic goal. Hopefully they'll get caught up. I want the VTT, dang it.

On the other hand, the VTT is the thing most users wouldn't be able to do themselves whereas the rest is something they could do. Ofcourse, the VTT would need to be backed up by some map-making tool.

klausgreen wrote:

The Virtual Table is now widely accepted as vapour-ware envisioned for marketing purposes with no real software or release intended by Wizards of the Coast.

Yeah right.
There is no way that WotC was purposely trying to mislead anyone! They had (have) a great idea for a great tool - and, at the time, it seemed that they had the resources to launch it. The screen shots that some of us saw of the vtt back then were not some sort of deception planned by our busy game developers - they were screen shots of a fantastic, but unfinished, piece of rpg-ware.

I am all for the VTT - and am patiently awaiting its release. But I would personally have an easier time creating that than some of these other tools their making. If the lack of a VTT is the only thing holding you back, why not pick up a cheep web cam, use the D&D Dungeon Tiles (which is what the VTT was using) along with some minis and play that way until it comes out?

In the meantime, we have an incredible staff of brilliant authors and artists submitting roughly 240 pages of magazine goodness, new printed products and the current line-up of tools grab rules from all the latest material to deliver perfectly organized print-outs for smooth role play! They are truly making fourth edition the BEST edition EVER!
I have a large collection of favorite mini's that I've collected over many years and I'll be using my new DDI subscription to convert them to this exciting new set of rules quickly and easily using the awesome Monster Builder. With another tab open in my browser, I can nurture my creative flow with the help of the complete selection of 4th ed monsters via the Compendium.

The Character Builder, aside from its ease of character creation, prints out a PC sheet either horizontally or vertically with any additional 'card' supplements that I wish to include when I print.

Until the Virtual Table Top becomes a reality (which I believe it will), DDI certainly makes my Real Table Top an incredible adventure at a price less than what either Dungeon or Dragon magazine would be at the news stand.

Shemeska the Marauder wrote:

So I figure unless they manage to get more money from Hasbro (unlikely given expenditures for Gleemax and the DDI up to this point), they won't be tackling such a major project anytime soon. As I understand it, WotC is currently considered a cost center, so if they want the money for such a project, they're going to have to sell insane levels of products to fund it internally.

If the above information is indeed correct, I wouldn't be counting on anything in the near future at all.

It is never a good sign when something is designated a cost center.

Shemeska the Marauder wrote:

I edited my post above, was using the wrong language. I said cost center, but meant profit center. End result in this case is the same as I've had it explained to me, they'd have to fund anything new with profits they generate on their own, without external project funding via Hasbro.

Well management is always a cost center as they produce nothing of value.

WotC about 4 or 5 years ago was a profit center, however ordered to reduce costs because Hasbro did not meet overall profit target. People were terminated then.

WotC has been making profit on the print and might be making some profit off DDI (at least operational sales vs. current expenses). The fact that Hasbro has a hiring freeze does appear to limit what WotC can do to produce profitable items. Contracting out, at least on the IT side, clearly has not worked well.

Spend all the money you need out of unit profits, without hiring anybody, still does not bode well for rapid development of the outstanding tools.