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2 years ago ::
Jul 17, 2011 - 1:18AM
#41
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Magazines C : This grade reflects some recent improvement in the amount of content, the timeliness of delivery and the quality of the content. Both publications are a long way from where they should be and without monthly compilations this will never be more than a B for me.
Compendium B+ : This largely does what it should and as such is an extremely useful tool. The search engine still needs a few minor issues ironed out but overall this is a good tool.
Character Builder B : Whilst I wasn't keen on the switch to the online tool, I like it and it largely does what I need it to do. I know there are still bugs but I have never come across any catastrophic ones although occasionally, it kicks me out while loading which can be frustrating. The character limit also needs raising from my point of view. I know there was a commitment to review the need for this but not sure how this was going to work. Given we all know the limit and will only save that many characters as a maximum, market research using the builder itself will be difficult.
Customer Service B- : My experience of CS has been limited to e-mails and has varied somewhat. Refunds for the delays at the end of last year were dealt with promptly but clearly the remit of CS is limited as no refunds can be given for the decline in content since the current sub price was set. I assume this is due more to directives from WotC/Habro than the individuals themselves. Response generally is prompt and polite although there should be a system that detects I posted a message while logged into my account to save a follow up e-mail where I have to confirm my details.
Adventure Tools E : The new monster builder is utterly appalling with little or no functionality. I never use it and consider this one of the big declines in service that has left me paying the same money for less functionality. Given that prices were hiked to pay for the old Adventure Tools package, they should be reduced while the new one is brought up to the same level of functionality. Very, very poor.
Virtual Table C+ : I am in two minds about the VT. On the plus side, it integrates with other DDI content (PC and monster import) but on the flip side its features are somewhat limited if compared to most third party tools available. At launch, these limitations were acceptable as I expected to see relatively rapid development (and indeed re-subscribed for this) but the pace of improvement has been glacial. This has been my major disappointment this year but the VT remains a somewhat useful tool. I also understand the difficulty that WotC finds itself in with regard to tiles, maps and tokens. On the one hand, if they allow import of images, maps and tokens then their books will be scanned and used for free alongside the homemade maps and tokens that everyone wants to import. On the other hand, restricting the VT to tiles, maps and tokens that can only be bought on the WotC site will somewhat limit its flexibility. It's a tough one so no wonder they are taking a while to talk it over. Overall, though, the VT is a useful tool with a great deal of potential.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 17, 2011 - 9:32AM
#42
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Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2007
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Here is my take...
Magazines: C- This is a hefty imporvment from just a few months ago. Honestly, the return of Eberron contnet alone brough this one up from the D level.
Compendium: B+ I use the compendium quite a bit, and usually find it very useful, espcially since they added fantastic terrain. Searching can be a bit of a chore at times, but foregivable.
Character Builder: C- This is a hard won C-, and a steady improvement from the F it had a release. It is functional (mostly), but not terribly sexy. The builder would get better marks from me if there were better search options.
Customer Service: C The communcitions eems to have improved, but it's nothing to write home about. I can say the the level of service we see would be considered unnacceptable at my company, but we strive to wow our customers with every interaction to keep an edge on the competition. In the gaming world the options are fewer, and the product is usually pretty distict, so the service aspect may be considered of lesser import (IMHO it is just as important though).
Adventure Tools: F- Part of the reason that the Compenduium has gotten such high marks is that it has become my go-to tool for building adventures... that and the classic mosnter builder, which I have now added most of the monster vault creatures to. At relase, the online CB got an F+ (at least it was kinda pretty), this abomination is a hate crime against D&D fans. It is autterly useless to me with its inability to a) create new monsters, b) edit existing monsters- aside from levels and class name - which is particualy unforgivable given that the damage expressions are so different now, and c) copy as text to add to my notes, or even print multiples on a page. Again, to use my own company as a comparrison point--if our free online product was even half this bad, everyone asscoiated with it would have lost their jobs immediately.
Game Table: D I do not personally have an investment in this as I play face to face and have no real desire to do otherwise. If this were the 3D tool presented at Gen Con so long ago, I would have gladdly pacted away all my minis and dwarven forge and moved to a digital at game at the table, but ala that ship has sailed. I have looked at it and find it to be pretty lackluster, frankly no better than other offerings that are either free or have a one-time cost.
Overall GPA: 1.6 (C-)... academic probation where I weent to school.
D&D Next... for those who would rather play a version of D&D they dislike the least, rather than the one they like the most!
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2 years ago ::
Jul 17, 2011 - 10:58AM
#43
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Date Joined:
Jul 15, 2010
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Magazines: B+
the themes release has been spectacular, however i would like to go back to dragon 386 with the huge amounts of PC content
Character Builder: D
i hardly use it i write up myself most of the time i use it to track things sometimes
Adventure Tools: D
i cant use it to paste to a word document, so i still use the old one
Compendium A
has had everything ive looked for thus far and has yet to fail me
Virtual Table: B
Pretty good, i dont see myself putting it to regular use though although the times i used it was fun.
Customer Service A
each time i sent in a question i got an answer within a few hours, they have posted news and updates and have told us why something has not come out, so i like how they have treated me.
overall 2.33, they need to make the tools better simple.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 18, 2011 - 12:15PM
#44
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Can I just say, I have no idea how to work out a Grade Point Average. It's not done in UK schools, at least not when I was there and my daughter is not there yet, but I see it a lot in US movies. Anyone care to explain or work it out for the grades I gave above? 
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2 years ago ::
Jul 18, 2011 - 12:40PM
#45
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Can I just say, I have no idea how to work out a Grade Point Average. It's not done in UK schools, at least not when I was there and my daughter is not there yet, but I see it a lot in US movies.
Anyone care to explain or work it out for the grades I gave above?
Generally, an A is worth 4 points, a B is worth 3, a C is worth 2, and a D is worth 1. A failing grade (an F) is worth 0 points. You just average them out from there. The + and - grades are variable - is a B+ a 3.3? But that's the basic approach.
It's a little more complex if the different classes have different numbers of credits - then you need to weight each grade by the number of credits for the course in question.
Using approximate numbers, you gave C (2), B+ (3.3), B (3), B- (2.6), E (0), and C+ (2.3), so the "GPA" is 2.2, which is a C+ or so.
Unless I have failed math forever, which sometimes happens to me.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 18, 2011 - 12:45PM
#46
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- Dragon Slayer
- If only he would apply himself
- Dammit Jim, this is Star Trek, not D&D!
Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2006
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I think that should work pretty well. It may be also of interest, especially since WotC will see the results, to note the number of each. There is a difference between a lot of As and a lot of Fs (showing a difference of opinions) and everyone giving it a C (showing consistency). I see a fair amount of consistency for adventure tools, some swing in the magazines, and variance with CB and compendium.
Follow my blog and Twitter feed with Dark Sun campaign design and DM tips! Dark Sun's Ashes of Athas Campaign is now available for home play (PM me with your e-mail to order the campaign adventures).
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2 years ago ::
Jul 18, 2011 - 12:48PM
#47
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I think that should work pretty well. It may be also of interest, especially since WotC will see the results, to note the number of each. There is a difference between a lot of As and a lot of Fs (showing a difference of opinions) and everyone giving it a C (showing consistency). I see a fair amount of consistency for adventure tools, some swing in the magazines, and variance with CB and compendium.
Oh, I would focus much more on the individual results than the overall GPAs - the clustering of grades might actually be useful (although we are kind of a small, self-selecting sample).
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2 years ago ::
Jul 18, 2011 - 2:59PM
#48
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Can I just say, I have no idea how to work out a Grade Point Average. It's not done in UK schools, at least not when I was there and my daughter is not there yet, but I see it a lot in US movies.
Anyone care to explain or work it out for the grades I gave above?
Generally, an A is worth 4 points, a B is worth 3, a C is worth 2, and a D is worth 1. A failing grade (an F) is worth 0 points. You just average them out from there. The + and - grades are variable - is a B+ a 3.3? But that's the basic approach.
It's a little more complex if the different classes have different numbers of credits - then you need to weight each grade by the number of credits for the course in question.
Using approximate numbers, you gave C (2), B+ (3.3), B (3), B- (2.6), E (0), and C+ (2.3), so the "GPA" is 2.2, which is a C+ or so.
Unless I have failed math forever, which sometimes happens to me.
Thanks Mock.
Suspected something like that but have never found the actual answer.
Much obliged to you for providing my piece of new knowledge for today.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 18, 2011 - 5:14PM
#49
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Date Joined:
Jun 25, 2008
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Magazine: D
Character Builder: D
Adventure Tools: D
Compendium: B
Virtual Table: C
If the character builder and monster builder (aka Adventure Tools) were still offline versions and still being updated I'd give them both A's.
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2 years ago ::
Jul 19, 2011 - 8:36AM
#50
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Date Joined:
Apr 25, 2009
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Many of the DDI improvements of the last year have consisted of removing useful features and calling it an upgrade. Bad.
Magazines:
There is usually one article at the minimum that catches the interested of one or more players at my table. However the format still needs work. Especially how difficult it is to read from a smart phone. You should be embracing new technology. Switching from compling the articles and instead releasing individual articles was an strange decision. Why not offer both options?
Dragon C+ I have noticed a distinct improvement in the quality of the articles in recent months. At least the articles that my DM has shared with me (themes), as I let my subscription lapse at the beginning of the year. I wish for more Unearthed Arcana articles.
Dungeon D. Mediocre adventures outstrip the great ones. Badly written skill challenges after you went to the trouble to improve them. Why is it you can publish great modules like the Slaying Stone but your online offerings are so poor? I must say that the Chaos Scar was a noted improvement over the Scales of War. I've heard nothing but great things about Going Ape. I liked the Design & Development articles, it was a good way to understand WTF is going on.
Character Builder: C. This is one of the reasons I let my subscription lapse. On the one hand its more accessible across platforms which is good. On the other hand its slow to load, awkward to use, and difficult to learn when compared with the offline version. Further the online version removed features that the offline version had. And rather than support both, at least until the online version reached a level of functionality equal to the offline version, you simply discontinued access to the offline CB.
Lastly, you used to have a CB demo that allowed the creation of 1st level characters (possibly 1-3rd, I forget) was what originally sold me on paying for the DDI in the first place. No longer. Removing features is not an upgrade, its a downgrade and I don't like to pay for downgrades to my service.
Note: It doesn't help that if I wanted to, I could download new fan created updates for the old offline CB that far outstrip the quality of what I get when I play for the DDI.
Adventure Tools: F. Your upgrade to the Monster Builder made it impossible to build or customize monsters. This is why I let my subscription lapse. I mostly used the DDI to eliminate prep time, and removing features is a terrible direction to go. The fact that you only have one tool, and it doesn't work = Failure. You used to have a free to use Encounter Builder. No longer.
Compendium: B. This is the only thing I regularly miss from my subscription because it was very useful. I would resub if you offered just the compendium at a discount. In fact, I often wished you had tiered subscription packages. If it worked on a smartphone, I'd give you an A.
Virtual Table: ??. Wasn't invited, but I've heard a mixture of reports and don't know what to believe.
Customer Service: B. All the dealings I've had with your customer service, have been better than average to great. Your PR however is all over the board. The DM hotline from a few years back was a great boost to your PR image (I got some great advice from Rodney Thompson, and it convinced me to resub for a year), the Essentials confusion continues to be a black eye when even now retailers don't know what Essentials is.
I want to subscribe to the DDI, its just not worth it in its current form. Two years ago it was a must have. Now it hardly has anything of use or interest to me. What I wish for are usable adventure tools and added features to the CB. I also enjoyed Chris Perkins DM articles, I enjoyed Mike Mearls Skill Challenge collumn, and Shelly Mazzanoble's humor collumn was a joy to read but its not enough to keep me coming back in the face of all the other flaws. They are value added. I would resub for some more Iomandra content, like maybe some a Dragon players guide to Iomandra, and some Dungeon intro adventures.
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