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4 years ago ::
Aug 09, 2009 - 7:51PM
#1
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I know that Mac users are, at best, a niche market. However, as per the character builder, there are TONS of ways to make a platform agnostic application. You've had a year since the Character Builder, and, once again, WOTC chooses to make a platform specific application.
I buy D&D Insider despite not being able to run CB on my Mac (natively). I use it at a player's house once a week (at most). Now, here's another application that Windows users get, that I also pay for.
Thanks for continuing to make the subscription markedly less useful for Mac users than Windows users. An entire year of development, and there was no push whatsoever on making the new application available to Macs, or Linux, etc?
Is the development cost for using platform agnostic tools really SO immense that the added sales potential from Mac and Linux users is irrelevant? Does every Mac and Linux user need to stop supporting WOTC with their money to be seen as important?
I love D&D. I love Dragon and Dungeon. I like the Character Builder, and, once I install the Monster Builder I'll probably like it too. However, I'd PAY EXTRA to be able to use these on my home machine without buying a version of Windows I have no intention of using for any other purpose. I'd much rather give WOTC the money than Microsoft. If you'd make a platform neutral version, I'd pay more for it. As it is, I'm going to be giving SOMEONE else money that I'd prefer to give to you.
Also, at some point, the added value of CB and MB will factor into some people's purchasing decisions. If they can't use those applications, then the value of a D&D Insider subscription goes way down to them. You've had a full year to avoid that situation with Monster Builder, and you did it exactly the same way again.
If I didn't really, really, really enjoy playing and running D&D, I would literally quit playing this game, sell the stuff, return most of the product I ordered for my book store, and stop promoting the game to customers. Any other game system would have lost my loyalty by now. D&D is just severely testing it.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 09, 2009 - 10:55PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Apr 26, 2006
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It's not like they haven't stated that Mac (and Linux) support is something that will come along down the road. They are not a software company, considering how long it takes them to produce an app for just PC. It is something that must be endured, because it's not likely to change soon.
Bel
Originally Posted by WotC_RichBaker
In related news, I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate your 3.5 rulebooks, and force you to convert to the new edition. Where do you live?
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 3:23AM
#3
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I know that Mac users are, at best, a niche market. However, as per the character builder, there are TONS of ways to make a platform agnostic application. You've had a year since the Character Builder, and, once again, WOTC chooses to make a platform specific application.
I buy D&D Insider despite not being able to run CB on my Mac (natively). I use it at a player's house once a week (at most). Now, here's another application that Windows users get, that I also pay for.
Thanks for continuing to make the subscription markedly less useful for Mac users than Windows users. An entire year of development, and there was no push whatsoever on making the new application available to Macs, or Linux, etc?
Is the development cost for using platform agnostic tools really SO immense that the added sales potential from Mac and Linux users is irrelevant? Does every Mac and Linux user need to stop supporting WOTC with their money to be seen as important?
I love D&D. I love Dragon and Dungeon. I like the Character Builder, and, once I install the Monster Builder I'll probably like it too. However, I'd PAY EXTRA to be able to use these on my home machine without buying a version of Windows I have no intention of using for any other purpose. I'd much rather give WOTC the money than Microsoft. If you'd make a platform neutral version, I'd pay more for it. As it is, I'm going to be giving SOMEONE else money that I'd prefer to give to you.
Also, at some point, the added value of CB and MB will factor into some people's purchasing decisions. If they can't use those applications, then the value of a D&D Insider subscription goes way down to them. You've had a full year to avoid that situation with Monster Builder, and you did it exactly the same way again.
If I didn't really, really, really enjoy playing and running D&D, I would literally quit playing this game, sell the stuff, return most of the product I ordered for my book store, and stop promoting the game to customers. Any other game system would have lost my loyalty by now. D&D is just severely testing it.
I however would not like to pay more to support development costs for making the software work on a Mac or linux.
I sort of get your frustration but not sure why your choice of computer should impact my wallet. Aren't there ways of running emulators or dual booting so you can run it on the Mac? Surely a little bit of inconvenience to a 'few' is much better than uping the cost to everyone.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 8:41AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2003
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You chose to use a Mac, and you chose to get the sub knowing what platform the material is made for. Mac is more than a niche market in D&D, I would probably say it is nearly non-existant since most D&D players are other types of gamers (video gamers) and those gamers don't use Mac.
So, please don't raise my cost of it because of an extremely small group of people are whining.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 9:34AM
#5
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On the contrary, Mac's are not a niche market any longer. With over 10% market share across the entire market (including business users), 50%+ in the university student population, and >50% penetration in the premium laptop market, Mac's are mainstream.
Your point about gamers being on windows isn't necessarily true either - the true hard core ones I know run Linux.
That being said, I just run it inside a Windows Virtual machine. It'd be nice to have a native application, but from a business standpoint, I can understand why it's not a priority.
What I don't understand is why they *chose* to build on a windows-only technology platform. As the OP said, there's many ways to build an OS independent program that would have been a better choice.
And on another note, it's not all that good a windows app - crashes on me all the time.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 11:21AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Feb 13, 2008
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Might as well get used to it since it's the way it is and probably the way it's going to stay. There's plenty of valid workarounds floating around suggested by mac users around here just use one. They've only got a couple developers and those developers are already working in .net which is PC only. Don't expect them to pay those developers to completely remake the apps for your niche, it's not really a viable business choice. This isn't going to change, coming back and whining about it when each component comes out won't make it any better.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 11:22AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2003
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It has yet to crash on me. Something wrong with your system. Gamers run Linux because it is more stable then windows but even then those gamers run an emulator. Hard core gamers will either always run windows or have an emulator for windows. I would like to see your stats for universities, I have been at 2 and most do NOT have a mac.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 11:31AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Feb 13, 2008
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On the contrary, Mac's are not a niche market any longer. With over 10% market share across the entire market (including business users), 50%+ in the university student population, and >50% penetration in the premium laptop market, Mac's are mainstream.
10% is still niche, a bigger niche than before but still a niche.
Your point about gamers being on windows isn't necessarily true either - the true hard core ones I know run Linux.
None of the truely hardcore gamers I have ever known (including myself) have ever run Linux primarily. Many of them may use linux for other applications, but gaming on a PC is and always will be predominantly Windows.
That being said, I just run it inside a Windows Virtual machine. It'd be nice to have a native application, but from a business standpoint, I can understand why it's not a priority.
What I don't understand is why they *chose* to build on a windows-only technology platform. As the OP said, there's many ways to build an OS independent program that would have been a better choice.
.net is a pretty appealing platform, especially for creating this sort of application with a small team. It's also likely that Hasbro/Wizards has Visual Studio .net licensed already and that the programmers already had experience with C# and VB.net.
And on another note, it's not all that good a windows app - crashes on me all the time.
That's why there's that big BETA thing on it you know.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 8:28PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jun 25, 2008
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Buy a cheap PC. Hell, you could prolly run it on one of those new dell mini-notebooks.
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4 years ago ::
Aug 10, 2009 - 9:58PM
#10
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- Want Cheese With That Whine?
Date Joined:
Apr 27, 2005
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I'm just going to warn you, the infrastructure of the DDi applications means that they cannot with any small effort make any of the present or future apps work on Mac or on Linux. This way you don't have to make a thread for something like this that the rest of us have already, begrudgingly accepted.
(sorry if that comes off badly)
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