Quote from: Mistwell on August 04, 2024, 12:08:01 AMI have no doubt DNDBeyond meshes with it and automates that on that end for a D&D game.

Why?  Evidence?

I'm surprised they didn't make a Neverwinter Nights 3. The module editor would be a great way to monetize

Quote from: honeydipperdavid on August 05, 2024, 01:21:45 PMAll WotC games for D&D have failed save Baludr's Gate 3.

There is no other competent RPG developer that can meet Larian's standards. 

Bethesda has been bought by Microsoft and Microsoft has been one hell of a DEI shitshow.   I do not believe Microsoft's DEI firing will do anything to save Bethesda.

WotC is not going to be able to make a passing video game.

Bethsada I have a axe to grind with as they stole my company name for one of their games inder false pretexes. They are a dirty company.

The Neverwinter MMO from Cryptic is a complete mess and is not even remotely D&D at this point. Cryptic can not stop changing the system and fucking with the players. And they can not write a coherent story to save their lives.

Then there is the D&D "Idle RPG". Two words that should NEVER be used together. Combat wheelchair? We got combat wheelchair.

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 05, 2024, 04:32:16 PM

Quote from: Mistwell on August 04, 2024, 12:08:01 AMI have no doubt DNDBeyond meshes with it and automates that on that end for a D&D game.

Why?  Evidence?

They said it would, but I was giving my opinion. If there was evidence of it already doing that, I would have posted it obviously.

One VTT to Rule Them All.

Quote from: Orphan81 on August 05, 2024, 02:05:23 PM

Quote from: honeydipperdavid on August 05, 2024, 01:21:45 PMBethesda has been bought by Microsoft and Microsoft has been one hell of a DEI shitshow.   I do not believe Microsoft's DEI firing will do anything to save Bethesda.

Yaknow except for Microsoft firing their entire DEI team and closing all outside consulting contracts.

Bethesda is responsible for Bethesda sucking. They don't want to put in the work and develop a new engine or learn from studios like Obsidian.

Microsoft buying Bethesda has nothing to do with them sucking. It's all Todd Howard.

It ain't even really the engine. I'd compare it to a car in desperate need of repair and instead of doing so, Bethesda just keeps adding spoilers and spinning hubcaps. They had the perfect opportunity between Skyrim and Fallout 4 to strip out all the junk code and actually bringing it up to snuff and they didn't.

Quote from: Mistwell on August 05, 2024, 07:15:26 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 05, 2024, 04:32:16 PM

Quote from: Mistwell on August 04, 2024, 12:08:01 AMI have no doubt DNDBeyond meshes with it and automates that on that end for a D&D game.

Why?  Evidence?

They said it would, but I was giving my opinion. If there was evidence of it already doing that, I would have posted it obviously.

Except you posted your opinion in response to my questions as to why it wasn't included.  So you countered a question about a missing feature with an opinion that you admit you have no facts for.  I believe that could be interpreted as ... shilling.

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 06, 2024, 09:49:57 AM

Quote from: Mistwell on August 05, 2024, 07:15:26 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 05, 2024, 04:32:16 PM

Quote from: Mistwell on August 04, 2024, 12:08:01 AMI have no doubt DNDBeyond meshes with it and automates that on that end for a D&D game.

Why?  Evidence?

They said it would, but I was giving my opinion. If there was evidence of it already doing that, I would have posted it obviously.

Except you posted your opinion in response to my questions as to why it wasn't included.  So you countered a question about a missing feature with an opinion that you admit you have no facts for.  I believe that could be interpreted as ... shilling.

Mistwell shilling for WotC?!?! Say it ain't so! :eyeroll:

Quote from: jeff37923 on August 06, 2024, 12:14:40 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 06, 2024, 09:49:57 AM

Quote from: Mistwell on August 05, 2024, 07:15:26 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 05, 2024, 04:32:16 PM

Quote from: Mistwell on August 04, 2024, 12:08:01 AMI have no doubt DNDBeyond meshes with it and automates that on that end for a D&D game.

Why?  Evidence?

They said it would, but I was giving my opinion. If there was evidence of it already doing that, I would have posted it obviously.

Except you posted your opinion in response to my questions as to why it wasn't included.  So you countered a question about a missing feature with an opinion that you admit you have no facts for.  I believe that could be interpreted as ... shilling.

Mistwell shilling for WotC?!?! Say it ain't so! :eyeroll:

Except that, "The WotC virtual tabletop integrates with D&D Beyond," is an entirely uncontroversial claim.

I get wanting to shit all over WotC, but don't be deliberately obtuse. You don't need evidence to think that WotC is going to link their virtual tabletop to D&D beyond to funnel people towards a D&D Beyond subscription. To the contrary, you need evidence to believe they won't do that, and you need a lot more evidence than just, "The demo version we saw didn't have that capability."

Especially if you're one of the people who believes WotC is trying to do away with physical books and wants to make money with aggressive microtransactions. Hate on WotC all you want, fuck 'em, but be internally consistent with your WotC hatred.

If they were internally consistent in their WotC hate, they'd have to do the same thing for politics. Tribalism is a hell of thing, so that won't be happening.

Quote from: M2A0 on August 06, 2024, 02:20:32 PMIf they were internally consistent in their WotC hate, they'd have to do the same thing for politics. Tribalism is a hell of thing, so that won't be happening.

Greetings!

Hold on a moment, my friend. "If they were consistent in their WotC hate, they'd have to do the same thing for politics."

(1) Who is THEY?

(2) "Their WOTC hate"--what is this WOTC hate? Is not liking a greedy, Woke-filled, corrupt and generally incompetent company like WOTC has amply demonstrated that they are, at every turn, an unreasonable position to embrace?

(3) "they'd have to do the same thing for politics."

For one thing, what does loving or hating WOTC have to do with politics? Certainly, yes, in many cases, including WOTC, there is a political aspect to everything they do. However, it is WOTC that constantly, ferociously, makes their POLITICS front and center, and furthermore, seeks to shove their political ideology down customer's throats at every opportunity and in every product and book they produce.

Even aside from WOTC's terrible politics, I think there is absolutely plenty of evidence to hate such a company for entirely non-political aspects.

And finally, whether a person personally hates WOTC as a company--what is this about them somehow being inconsistent with their politics?

Speaking for myself--I have gradually come to hate WOTC as a company over the course of time, and various incidents, both entirely game-related as well as political issues. In addition, I have also been a long-time fan of 5E. I have purchased most of the entire book collection. Furthermore, I have been a "Whale" supporter, fan, and customer of WOTC since they acquired TSR--which I was a customer of for decades previous to that point. I have invested in buying just about every book and module WOTC did for 3E. So, I am not a recent "Hobby Tourist."

Having said all that, I don't care what WOTC does with 6E. I don't care what they do with the VTT, whether this venture makes them billions in profit, or explodes in a huge, dismal failure, I don't really care one way or the other. I am no longer a loyal customer for WOTC, and I have no intention whatsoever of purchasing their new D&D.

I happen to prefer playing at a game table, face-to-face with friends. And no whiz-bang digital distractions at the table of any kind.

Pour a fresh cup of coffee. I love French Roast probably the best. Coffee is always good in the morning!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

So, WotC just put an add up for a "Monetization Specialist" For the new VTT. They also announced at Gencon they're going to be going into partnerships with other IPs to provide skins and miniatures for their VTT.

150 Million dollars is being poured directly into D&D....

All of it to the Digital sphere, none to books or games.

And yes, they did confirm it does interface with D&D Beyond, so it will most likely automate your games for you if you desire. It's just... You'll be able to use it for other games too.

WotC is trying to dominate the VTT sphere and turn it into a microtransaction cash cow. There's going to be 3 different tiers of subscription for it all.

Quote from: Orphan81 on August 06, 2024, 03:34:51 PMSo, WotC just put an add up for a "Monetization Specialist" For the new VTT. They also announced at Gencon they're going to be going into partnerships with other IPs to provide skins and miniatures for their VTT.

150 Million dollars is being poured directly into D&D....

All of it to the Digital sphere, none to books or games.

And yes, they did confirm it does interface with D&D Beyond, so it will most likely automate your games for you if you desire. It's just... You'll be able to use it for other games too.

WotC is trying to dominate the VTT sphere and turn it into a microtransaction cash cow. There's going to be 3 different tiers of subscription for it all.

Given the huge % of the population world wide that's stupid enough to pay for microtransactions in video games I expect them to do well IF (and that's a YUGE if) their VTT works well enough.

Me? I'm not among the cashcow population.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 06, 2024, 04:28:37 PM

Quote from: Orphan81 on August 06, 2024, 03:34:51 PMSo, WotC just put an add up for a "Monetization Specialist" For the new VTT. They also announced at Gencon they're going to be going into partnerships with other IPs to provide skins and miniatures for their VTT.

150 Million dollars is being poured directly into D&D....

All of it to the Digital sphere, none to books or games.

And yes, they did confirm it does interface with D&D Beyond, so it will most likely automate your games for you if you desire. It's just... You'll be able to use it for other games too.

WotC is trying to dominate the VTT sphere and turn it into a microtransaction cash cow. There's going to be 3 different tiers of subscription for it all.

Given the huge % of the population world wide that's stupid enough to pay for microtransactions in video games I expect them to do well IF (and that's a YUGE if) their VTT works well enough.

Me? I'm not among the cashcow population.

I wish it were just stupidity. But the microtransaction model often focuses on the psychology behind why these people pay well beyond the bounds of reason for virtual cowboy hats for their characters.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460321000368

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/chasing-the-whale-examining-the-ethics-of-free-to-play-games

Games that go down the route of microtrans are intentionally engaging with specific customers with mental health issues and trying to maximize the harm these games inflict because that's the business model.

That's why this whole drive from WTOC to monetize D&D doesn't just dissapoint me from a TT gamer standpoint, but pisses me off from a video game player standpoint.

If they just stick to making a virtual table top that can support online play for D&D whatever, I'd be down. But all the signs point towards them wanting to cash in on the Whale phenomenon. And that makes me feel a little queasy and angry about the whole thing.

Quote from: Orphan81 on August 06, 2024, 03:34:51 PMAnd yes, they did confirm it does interface with D&D Beyond, so it will most likely automate your games for you if you desire.

Do you have a source for this?  I'd just like to see some confirmation of this from WotC or a published source.  If so, it's rather odd that they aren't marketing this heavily.  It leads me to believe that it may not make launch... which would be its own can of worms...