Interesting Information

[Xaels Greyshadow]

I found this thread this morning, thought I might share with those in the "Not knowing."

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=922577

[ronpyatt]

I've been wondering about how much "online" is going to be required to play 4e. I can't really see them restricting anyone from playing when they just want to use the books, because that would seem universally stupid, IMHO. They'd be cutting out so many gamers, including me. I suspect it will just be extra material not required to game.

However, if any of the online material will be required to play 4e during a session, what happens to those players that loose their internet connection? Loose power? Not everyone is online, and some still play by candle-light.

Ultimately, if an online account will be required to play, then a crack for their login system will be found or player's userID/passwords would get posted to crack sites. Security would become a major issue like fighting a virus, and society would collapse as we know it. If you thought the RPGA was dangerous, this would eclipse the living worlds.

[Digital Arcanist]

If you lose your internet connection you are still logged in for a few minutes in any MMO and if its just a burp then nothing adverse happens. If you service goes out for an extended amount of time, like hours, then there's no point trying to go back to your table because it might not be there.

WotC has already said in no uncertain terms that 4e will be a pen and paper game just like 1e, 2e, and 3.Xe. The online component is just to connect groups who have been blown to the winds and bored players with nothing to do.

As for security? You have to get a subscription to have free-play and I don't know anyone who will give up their account info to others. It is easy enough to get credit card numbers why would you just want to give it to the bad people? Users who have to pay per session have no worries as phishers would still have to pay to play as well. Now the Dragon and Dungeon content will appear on torrent sites since subscribers get each issue in a PDF monthly.

As the second post on Gleemax says, its still vaporware and may not be ready for launch by the deadline. If you have no interest in playing at the tables then I wouldn't worry about it since it will not affect your 4e games with your friends.

[Drohem]

Wow...how absolutely lame.

I was interested to see what they were going to do with the electronic formatt; now I'm turned off.

I guess my group will just keep using Skype and paint.

[GC13]

Oh well, another thing Wizards is investing a lot of effort in to that I won't use... Not that I'm looking forward to having to buy the 4E books anyway, but I certainly wouldn't use any online gaming function of theirs (or anybody else's) that required money.

Oh well, as long as I can find and remove the chip that deactivates my books if I let the subscription lapse, I think I'll be just fine.

[rabkala]

I have a hard enough time keeping up with the multitude of book purchases. You think they would show some loyalty to those that have paid their bills for many years by buying all their books. There is no incentive to even try it, other than the opportunity to pay more money to use the books that I just bought. Now it seems that they are going to make the price prohibitive to game online. The price of the constant subscription is the #1 reason that I turned my back on the other games. It just doesn't seem like it would be worth it for me.

I have already decided to wait on the whole 4e thing until it proves it's merit. I would have to be a desperate fanatic to even consider the online table at this point. I only made it through about 2 pages of the thread before I lost interest in reading more. I seem to find myself even going to their website and forums less with each passing day. In fact, as my dissatisfaction with WoTC grows, other games are beginning to look more attractive every day.

[Digital Arcanist]

You guys do know that when you buy a 4e book you actually are purchasing a physical book right?

Some of your comments make me wonder sometimes.....

[GC13]

You guys do know that when you buy a 4e book you actually are purchasing a physical book right?

Some of your comments make me wonder sometimes.....

This is the Internet, we have to read nothing but headlines and then post our extreme discontent! (It's in our contracts!)



(I hope that wasn't partially directed at me, by the way. Though if they managed to embed a physical chip into a PDF, I think they'd at least deserve some props.)

[Farcaster]

As long as the online / digital portion of the game remains optional, I'm fine with whatever they decide to do, or whatever they decide to charge, because I don't have to use it. I am interested in what they do build, because sometimes it would be nice to use for running a remote game for my old group back in Dallas. I'm assuming/hoping that with the backing of WotC's warchest, whatever they build is going to be leagues beyond what we have available with tools like KloOge or OpenRPG, but if they aren't. If it's not, I'll just drop back to using one of the myriad of tools that is already out there.

[ronpyatt]

You guys do know that when you buy a 4e book you actually are purchasing a physical book right?

And it should make you wonder. It should make all of us wonder. None of the books have been released. Will they release the vaporware into the atmosphere? Vaporware is threatening our very existence! What is going to happen to all my books? Will my shelf digitize into a subscription based access? Will I have to pay every time I reach for a book on the top shelf?

But seriously, it does makes me wonder how much they're going to push this online 4e stuff. I know they're not stupid enough to require an online subscription just to play tabletop.

[Drohem]

I know they're not stupid enough to require an online subscription just to play tabletop.

Two words: army intelligence.

[rabkala]

Well, obviously you are getting a book. Once you get the book, it's yours to do with as you please. You can play table top games to your table-top game to your hearts content without any extra charges.

They will charge more for those books because they now can be used online as well. Not everyone will benefit from this enhanced material, but I bet we will pay for it nonetheless. There will be less good info in them or they will cost more because they are still putting the online work into the price.

Why would anyone who is casually interested in playing online bother? You have to buy the books, get a subscription to their online content, pay per play, and pay even more for the 'cool' features like good miniatures. It will chase away more people than it will attract. I see only somebody really desperate for a game willing to pay extra and go through the hassle.

It is like years ago when they stuck all sorts of crap into the Dungeon magazine. You were still paying good money for the magazine, but you suddenly got a lot less for your money. When I bought my subscription for even more than the year before, nobody warned me I would be screwed. Most people didn't want the Buck Rogers adventure, the Top Secret adventure, the useless Polyhedron, or any of the nonsense they were trying to force down our throat. When people complained, they said "Look at all you are getting! It is not our fault you do not take advantage of it." It wasn't until many people started canceling their subscriptions that they wised up and changed.

[Digital Arcanist]

So far the books are listed on Amazon for the same price as their corresponding 3e printings. You even get a sizable discount for pre-ordering. They are also the same number of pages relatively.

[InfoStorm]

Well, as I already planned on staying away from the online realm due to the monthly subscription costs, I'm not worried about any other costs.

I've got a lot of friend all over the country that I'd like to play with, but the books and a ream of paper for the printer are my budget, not any more. If I get a bonus from work for Christman, maybe I'll buy a DM and 6 seat in Klooge, but that's because it's a 1-time only charge and I won't be making my friends pay.

[Moritz]

About Klooge and OpenRPG. Are they text based or is there a voice option? What about Ventrillo?