Everything else is a conscious decision and is easy enough to add to the scrap paper as you make the decisions.
Until you lose the scrap piece of paper.
Minimally, a word processor or spreadsheet is often desirable.
Everything else is a conscious decision and is easy enough to add to the scrap paper as you make the decisions.
The 3e software was totally abandoned.
It's pretty clear that none of the 4e software was abandoned, even the ones that most of us thought were abandoned (like the VTT) - well, okay, the character visualizer is probably gone for good, but thank goodness. Some of them are different than they appeared in the first previews, but I don't think that you can compare their handling of 4e software with their handling of 3e software with any real level of similarity beyond that they both weren't ready when they said they'd be.
I'm angry that the CB was changed from the offline platform to the online one. I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall trying to get you to understand this. It's not the fact that WOTC finally does release the apps they said they would unlike with 3E, it's the fact that just like with 3E, the don't DO WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
I think it's totally fine to get upset with them over missed deadlines and feature changes. Bear in mind, however, that we're talking about a software company. If you follow game development, you know that delays are more or less par for the course, as is taking an axe to a list of planned features. It happens, it's an unfortunate reality of the business. Is it crappy? Yeah, sometimes it is. Is it avoidable? Arguably. Does it change the fact that I have a lot of loyalty towards WotC simply for daring to develop a worthwhile set of online tools for their RPG? Not one bit.
I, for one, am content to be patient with them while they change the landscape of the tabletop gaming world for better and for always.
Until you lose the scrap piece of paper.
Minimally, a word processor or spreadsheet is often desirable.
My only real problem is with people calling my opinions stupid. You are fine with companies coming up short on what they promise and I prefer to hold them to a higher standard. Why my preference is stupid is beyond me.
I think it's totally fine to get upset with them over missed deadlines and feature changes. Bear in mind, however, that we're talking about a software company. If you follow game development, you know that delays are more or less par for the course, as is taking an axe to a list of planned features. It happens, it's an unfortunate reality of the business. Is it crappy? Yeah, sometimes it is. Is it avoidable? Arguably. Does it change the fact that I have a lot of loyalty towards WotC simply for daring to develop a worthwhile set of online tools for their RPG? Not one bit.
I, for one, am content to be patient with them while they change the landscape of the tabletop gaming world for better and for always.
For myself, I think many of the objections come more from WotC's poor job of communication than delays over the products themselves. The incomplete Monster Builder, for example - if, from the start, they were upfront about it being unfinished, and being rolled out mainly to help work with integration for the VT, than I think most folks wouldn't have a problem with that.
But instead they hyped it with capabilities it clearly doesn't have. And that built up false expectations, and angered customers when they failed to deliver.
Same thing we saw with the CB - they made it out to be the best thing ever, and it was barely functional at launch.
By now, it is working mostly smoothly, and many of the desired features are there. I'm sure that half a year from now, the entire online suite will be really robust and impressive.
But setting people up to expect perfect products right away has been a big part of the problem. Accompanied by the fact that their final releases for the offline CB and MB largely crippled the programs rather than enhanced them... and I can see why people are frustrated. That's poor treatment, any way you look at it.
I guess that's my gripe. If Wizards would shoot straight with us, I'd be satisfied. What we do or don't have isn't really my issue - it's what they say they're going to deliver that they don't. Just do what you tell me you're going to do. I'm reasonable, I can even handle if things aren't exactly like they said as long as it's close. My problem is they constantly overpromise and underdeliver. To me that's horrible business.