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You once told us that you needed to make all the other tools before you made a VT, because all those tools have to work with the VT. Some of those tools you told us about were Campaign manager, Encounter Builder, Map maker, Treasure Builder, that kind of stuff. You even backed that choice of direction up with a poll that you said  showed 85% of those asked wanted other tools before a VT. And when the  integrity of that pole was question, you defended it.

And the need to change the CB and MB to online versions, was so that those tools would work with the VT you are working on.

So what about the other tools? You've stopped talking about them all together. That's not confirmation that you have decided not to make them, but your general pattern is that when you change your mind on something, you stop talking about it for a long time and eventually announce that you have changed directions.

You told us the plan was to come out with all of these other tools first, which would be needed before a VT could function. Can we assume that those other tools have been shelved?

I can understand that things change. If you come and tell us that yes, for the 4th time, you've changed directions with DDi, fine. I personally will just go away. If DDi isn't what going to be what you've been telling for the past three years, fine, I can accept that.

Yes, it does mean you've lost me as a DDi customer. But you also know that you are always going to be losing customers as you gain customers, so yeah, no big deal. More then likely, however, you've lost a customer for life, for all your products.

Not because DDi isn't what I want, but because of how you have handled your customers. You can't keep failing on small and big levels, while taking money from me, and expect me to feel that's ok. If you want to keep reducing the amount of service I get for DDI, without reducing the price either, that's your choice. Just like how I chose to turn of auto renewal.

WoTC, you make me feel like I'm not wanted, nor is my money. I've spent more time giving positive feedback, suggestions and more, then being negative. In return, I feel I've gotten less and less, to the point now where it seems like I'm not the customer you want.

If I'm not the person you want as a customer, just tell me that. Don't keep me thinking that DDi is suddenly going to be what you told me it was going to be. If you feel that how I currently view you is wrong, then do something to re-earn my trust and make me see you as you feel you should be seen.

Maybe this is the end of the road for me and WOTC. I'm certainly willing to continue spending money on your products providing they are what you claim them to be.

But as it is now, I can't tell what DDi is supposed to be, because frankly, you won't tell us.

May 16, 2011 -- 2:14PM, undeadpool wrote:

i think its simple to assume that encounter, treasure and map builder things are all going to be features of the VTT since those are linked to the CB and the MB it kind of moots your point

i mean why have a seprate tool to do something the VTT is perfectly capable of doing on its own?  

They have already, in the beta forums, said no to those ideas. It's not what they intend for the VT.

For example, you can make maps in the VT, but they have no plans on allowing you to export that. They have no plans on allowing you to import your own map art.

They have no plans on allowing you save your characters back into the CB, because they have no plans to let the VT act like a campaign manager.

I'm in the beta, I and many others have suggested all of this.

You can import your characters and monsters. You can make maps that are specific only to that adventure. You are limited on the size of your dungeons. Using the drawing tools eats up a lot of memory, making the size of your dungeon even smaller.

You can track conditions, hit points and intitative in the vt and that's about it.

Since they don't have any plans to include these kinds of tools as part of the vt, it's why I'm asking.

May 16, 2011 -- 2:06PM, Dane_McArdy wrote:

You once told us that you needed to make all the other tools before you made a VT, because all those tools have to work with the VT. Some of those tools you told us about were Campaign manager, Encounter Builder, Map maker, Treasure Builder, that kind of stuff.

[snip]...lots of good stuff.....[/snip]

I have just a couple of things: WOW, WOW and WOW.  That is not a good WOW either. So far, most (if not ALL) of the heaviest supporters of DDI from a couple of years ago have REVERSED their view on DDI.

This is not a good way to keep customers.  I keep coming back hoping to see some life, even though I have mostly moved on from WotC products becuase of the same things above.  We continue 1 4E campagin, but none of us have bought 4E stuff in 6 months or more.

May 16, 2011 -- 6:55PM, LlamasNotsheep wrote:

I've gotta echo the WOWs there.  No importing custom map art = epic fail.  I'm sure it's intended to A) avoid copyright issues, and B) encourage people to buy/rent official adventures for use in the VT.  I play largely/primarily using MapTool, and when I find awesome maps online, they're often enough to inspire an encounter or even an entire adventure.

If WotC could crank out a set of really good, interconnected tools, it would absolutely define the future of the genre.  It's obvious at this point that isn't going to happen.  It's a huge disappointment, but I agree: they clearly don't have the resources they need.  Maybe by the time 5E rolls around, one of the free options (hi2u MapTool 1.4!) will have laid the groundwork so that WotC can drop a cheap knock-off.

This post wasn't going to be that negative.  Then I realized just how disappointed I am to learn about the lack of VT features, and it started to change pretty rapidly.  I let my sub expire a few months ago and haven't really missed anything, but I was expecting to re-up for the combined VT/CB/MB once things move out of beta, or at least have some basic features and are available to all insiders.  Apparently they aren't going to have the basic features even once they leave beta, though (if they ever do).

Blerg.  I'm really disappointed. 

I'll tell you this...  If the community was given the source code to the VT and a decent API to the compendium, you'd likely have everything that you could ever hope for in a VT in a matter of 3-6 months.  Heck, even with just the API you probably would.

Make a DDI subscription a requirement for the API/VT's usage, and they would likely see subscriptions boom.