But only a little bit! Really! I'm drawing lines on the floor now. There is a strict rulebook that we now follow, and morale-raising measures have been taken, lest the floggings return.
Greetings and salutations readers - It is I, Donny the DM passing along an interesting factoid to those of you who havent been here since the beginning. Did you know that you are reading a blog that has actually been abandoned TWICE!? Okay, so that really wan't all that interesting - sue me.
I'm not actually back. Really, I'm not. I noticed that even after disappearing since February or some shit that I was still adding followers...What the hell? Ummmm....welcome :)
To those 48 of you bravc souls who still have the patience to read my nerdy semi-coherent rantage, an update: I am a Microcosm of the American dream - at least the economy side of it. Unemployed for 17 months now, trying to modify various debts and such. Cue the violins, please. Life has been...interesting for awhile now, and while I hear about this supposed recovery we are in the midst of, I keep wondering when it'll trickle down this way. It will eventually, but I must admit to a bit of impatience :)
On the bright side, after a 6 week hiatus in what had been an almost unbroken weekly D&D game, I decided that I still love D&D, I just think that the management sucks - at least as far as anything digital that comes from WotC. In any event, I am now playing in two games and running a third which has helped a lot in learning how to just love the bomb.
Looking into starting a traveller game on the side though - will keep you informed.
Still waiting for 4E future :)
Now for some questions @ the peanut gallery:
1.)How often is everyone actually using skill challenges?
2.)Has anyone been able to Productively use the VTT? I've been working on it, but...look - I'm a CAD drafter and engineer by trade and if I am having a difficult time figuring it out then the UI sucks. Does anybody else agree? Am I a total moron that just doesn't get it? The forums seem awful light on negative critique - what say you?
3.)Anyone else disappointed with Daggerdale (the PC game)? D&D licensed RPG's used to be some of the best games out there (see Baldur's Gate series, Neverwinter nights series, SSI gold box series, etc.) There are several unlicensed game worlds, and a plethora of developers out there - Where is the Dragonriders of Krynn? Escape from castle ravenloft? Against the sorceror-kings? How about a game that starts as a run of the mill Elder scrolls 4 clone until you reach 5th level and a giant anchor falls out of the sky from the clouds above?
I'm a consumer, I can't help but want.
Game well folks.
Jun 28, 2011
Feb 20, 2011
DDI has convinced me that the blue pill may be the better choice.
So there it is.
Today, I let my DDI account lapse.
I could go into detail as to why, but have done so already. I am tired of "my" game being beholden to a bunch of people that don't really seem to get how gamer's think or work. The corporate overlords in Renton seem to only be capable of (poorly) repackaging (Cough, essentials, cough) the same crap we have already paid for in yet another shiny color, making their supposedly core based system little more than a Magic game filled with players hitting the WIN! button with whatever new booster de- I mean splatb- I mean supplement happened to drop this week. Don't even get me started on what is the final death of Dragon and Dungeon magazines, though in truth their suffering is over now.
I'm tired of the obfuscation and the marketing BS. I'm tired of being sold the same product again and again. I'm tired of the game changing halfway through due to piss-poor playtesting, and paradigm shifts following the now annual (and totally unneccesary) layoffs. I'm done with Dungeons and Dragons.
Here I thought my granite wall of writer's block was due to an internal failing, but it wasn't. I'm just done with D&D. I just wasn't ready to admit it, after nearly 17 years of living and breathing D&D. Now I'm walking away and feel as if a great weight has lifted from my shoulders. Not gaming, however, just D&D - big difference.
In fact, I am looking for a science fiction type game to play, some alpha-omega or Dragonstar might fit the bill...I've always wanted to play Traveller, among other things.
Should some nameless wage-slave from Renton happen over here, tell your overlords that they done fucked up. This group is done with their bullshit and will be seeing if their competitors know how to handle a product + community any better.
DDI had so much potential - squandered by the hand-picked pets of Hasbro. I hope you remove your heads from your arses, until then it's been a wonderful 15 years, and a not so wonderful 2 after that - here's to things getting better.
Anyway, to summarize - Screw WizBro, Screw subscription models that charge you more while removing features, and screw whatever mouthpiece of the quarter they drag up to try and put a smiley face on the utter failure of the 4E relese and followup.
Bitter doesn't even begin to describe it, I am tired of apologizing to people for liking your game. End of story.
To any of my readers that may still remain, if I bumped into you in a FLGS, and we struck up a conversation, what game would you try and convince me to give a chance? anyone who says pathfinder will be summarily executed using 3E grappling rules while being forced to watch me make a singing combat bard.
Today, I let my DDI account lapse.
I could go into detail as to why, but have done so already. I am tired of "my" game being beholden to a bunch of people that don't really seem to get how gamer's think or work. The corporate overlords in Renton seem to only be capable of (poorly) repackaging (Cough, essentials, cough) the same crap we have already paid for in yet another shiny color, making their supposedly core based system little more than a Magic game filled with players hitting the WIN! button with whatever new booster de- I mean splatb- I mean supplement happened to drop this week. Don't even get me started on what is the final death of Dragon and Dungeon magazines, though in truth their suffering is over now.
I'm tired of the obfuscation and the marketing BS. I'm tired of being sold the same product again and again. I'm tired of the game changing halfway through due to piss-poor playtesting, and paradigm shifts following the now annual (and totally unneccesary) layoffs. I'm done with Dungeons and Dragons.
Here I thought my granite wall of writer's block was due to an internal failing, but it wasn't. I'm just done with D&D. I just wasn't ready to admit it, after nearly 17 years of living and breathing D&D. Now I'm walking away and feel as if a great weight has lifted from my shoulders. Not gaming, however, just D&D - big difference.
In fact, I am looking for a science fiction type game to play, some alpha-omega or Dragonstar might fit the bill...I've always wanted to play Traveller, among other things.
Should some nameless wage-slave from Renton happen over here, tell your overlords that they done fucked up. This group is done with their bullshit and will be seeing if their competitors know how to handle a product + community any better.
DDI had so much potential - squandered by the hand-picked pets of Hasbro. I hope you remove your heads from your arses, until then it's been a wonderful 15 years, and a not so wonderful 2 after that - here's to things getting better.
Anyway, to summarize - Screw WizBro, Screw subscription models that charge you more while removing features, and screw whatever mouthpiece of the quarter they drag up to try and put a smiley face on the utter failure of the 4E relese and followup.
Bitter doesn't even begin to describe it, I am tired of apologizing to people for liking your game. End of story.
To any of my readers that may still remain, if I bumped into you in a FLGS, and we struck up a conversation, what game would you try and convince me to give a chance? anyone who says pathfinder will be summarily executed using 3E grappling rules while being forced to watch me make a singing combat bard.
Dec 17, 2010
I really, really, really, really dislike the new character builder.
Web-based 4E character builder - it stinks. I'm paying the same for less? The saying, "Smooth move, ex-lax" comes to mind...complete with my dad's condescending tone. Now I know how he felt.
Essentials characters...fit awkwardly....into what is now a "custom" party.
If you errata the Rules Compendium - I'll kill 10 kittens and a beagle - I swear it! Their blood will be on your hands.
RE: DDI in general - I'm leaning towards not renewing my subscription. Unlike your digital characters, paper ones are yours. I'm just not seeing enough innovation or even intelligence to make me feel my money is well spent.
Do you keep your programmers locked in cages or something?
Do you folks even read your own forums?
Where has the last year gone?
I need a drink. Game well folks.
Essentials characters...fit awkwardly....into what is now a "custom" party.
If you errata the Rules Compendium - I'll kill 10 kittens and a beagle - I swear it! Their blood will be on your hands.
RE: DDI in general - I'm leaning towards not renewing my subscription. Unlike your digital characters, paper ones are yours. I'm just not seeing enough innovation or even intelligence to make me feel my money is well spent.
Do you keep your programmers locked in cages or something?
Do you folks even read your own forums?
Where has the last year gone?
I need a drink. Game well folks.
Nov 17, 2010
I laughed, I cried, then I realized that I had played this game before!
OMFG, If you haven't seen the new trailer for YOUR HIGHNESS yet, I encourage you to do so, and be immediately reminded of every game of dungeons and dragons you have ever played, only with less sausage, and Natalie Portman in a shiny thong.
Also: The evil wizard's response to the delicious Ms. Deschanel's question re: Love wins everything, everywhen, and every time :)
On a side not, Web based DDI? Really? I'll give it a shot, but am rapidly growing impatient.
Also: The evil wizard's response to the delicious Ms. Deschanel's question re: Love wins everything, everywhen, and every time :)
On a side not, Web based DDI? Really? I'll give it a shot, but am rapidly growing impatient.
Nov 1, 2010
So what is the story with DDI?
I'd call this an open letter, if I thought there was any chance it would reach it's destination...so let's just call it food for thought. Or perhaps a crazy and bearded DM on unemployment ranting to the winds. Doesn't particularly matter to me, so long as you listen and think.
Dear grand high mucky-mucks who run my favorite hobby,
Good morning, and hello. Donny the DM here, and I have a few things I'd like to get off of my chest. As you probably don't know, I'm a DM, blogger, and generally a fan of you and your works - however - I am troubled.
This is for several reasons, but we'll get back to that. you see, I am also not troubled (that is to say, that when I'm not troubled...I'm...not...troubled...?) Anyway, I'd like to start with the velvet glove before showing my backhand if you don't mind.
1.) 4E - Please pass a hearty round of congratulations for me. 4E is the best edition that has been released to date. I've been playing since release, and cannot remember having more fun playing D&D. I have some minor design quibbles, but none of it matters enough to need mentioning at this point.
2.) DDI - Please give a second back slap to whomever came up with the idea for DDI and adventure tools. These two pieces of software have revolutionized my tabletop. FINALLY a legitimate use for the near ubiquitous techno-gadgets that have become such necessary status symbols.
3.) The future - It looks so bright, I might need shades. I am salivating at the thought of finally getting to play gamma world, and cannot wait to find out what the next two campaign settings will be! (holding out for spelljammer).
All in all, I feel that the hobby is in good hands. Now that the edition wars are finally dying back to isolated skirmishes between the new town guard and the cave-people, we can finally begin moving forward to the gaming singularity.
Goodness, all this happy and sunny crap is starting to make my beard itch. Let's sow some karmic seeds to balance this out.
1.) 4E - you guys can admit it. You didn't playtest 4E worth a shit did you? All those closed door sessions and NDA's got you a product that really has chapped my ass a few times. I hope you wanna know why, 'cause I'm a-gonna tell you regardless. On release day, I ordered the fancy-schmancy-guy name of Dancey 3 book collection of core rulebooks, and was blown away....
Then cometh the errata.
Not just any errata, but errata that has since reduced my books to cellulosic paperweights. And that was just in the first 6 months! Since then, I have gone from a little gnaw of buyers remorse to not buying dead tree D&D books anymore. Not because I'm some jaded jerkoff fanboy, but because my money matters to me. Hell, I broke that rule once, to buy the forgotten realms campaign setting with the proceeds of a 3 month long recycling binge - and was happy that it was done almost right the first time, but I feel that this was not the norm...my Martial Power and it's SIX PAGES OF ERRATA seems to be more the norm.
This is a problem. A very big problem. I cannot trust what any of my books say until I have double checked them, and so I have this fat folder filled with printed errata that was such a pain in the ass we quit using it. On the bright side, you seem to be getting your acts together in that sense, but now we are changing stuff from the core because we changed our minds a year later. WTF!!? You guys owe me new - updated - books, and I am not buying any more D&D books until I get them.
2.) DDI - I've made my opinions clear a couple of times. I'll re-iterate the issues I still have, and we can go from there. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH DDI!!!? No updates in forever, and those gaping bloody holes in my adventure tools screen. Where is the treasure parcel generator? Where is the encounter generator? Where is the character visualizer? At this point, the online tabletop is forgotten - as in vaporware forgotten, and you know what? I'm okay with that. It's all of the other little tools I need to make my life easier that I miss. Unfortunately I don't even know if any of them is still in development, due to the iron wall of embarrassed silence that has been erected since the grandiose promises so long ago.
I use DDI religiously. IMO, it is the ONLY way to make an accurate character, and I will not accept one that hasn't been made on it. This would be easier if we had a GROUP SUBSCRIPTION WITH GM/PLAYER PERMISSIONS, but obviously this is a bad idea - right? Hello? Anybody?
I don't even know why you are still publishing books, but that is another discussion entirely.
3.) The Future - The future seems to hold more of the same. I see great stories, books, and campaigns coming out, and I am seeing splatbook creep IN THE CORE MATERIALS. Contrary to what some will tell you, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. The only way I can keep up with all of the books, races, classes, builds, feats, powers, is to use DDI. Unfortunately, I cant make use of anything recent due to a lack of updates, and I still have to use third party apps to fill in the gaps. Hire some software developers please, there are a lot of them that are out of work right now.
As you can see, the three biggest strengths of 4E, are shadowed by it's three biggest failures. PLEASE guys, don't forget about us poor, miserable wretches that actually have to pay for your products. We have needs and wants too, as well as extremely limited budgets to work with.
Until next time, game well - and be excellent to each other.
Donny_the_DM
Dear grand high mucky-mucks who run my favorite hobby,
Good morning, and hello. Donny the DM here, and I have a few things I'd like to get off of my chest. As you probably don't know, I'm a DM, blogger, and generally a fan of you and your works - however - I am troubled.
This is for several reasons, but we'll get back to that. you see, I am also not troubled (that is to say, that when I'm not troubled...I'm...not...troubled...?) Anyway, I'd like to start with the velvet glove before showing my backhand if you don't mind.
1.) 4E - Please pass a hearty round of congratulations for me. 4E is the best edition that has been released to date. I've been playing since release, and cannot remember having more fun playing D&D. I have some minor design quibbles, but none of it matters enough to need mentioning at this point.
2.) DDI - Please give a second back slap to whomever came up with the idea for DDI and adventure tools. These two pieces of software have revolutionized my tabletop. FINALLY a legitimate use for the near ubiquitous techno-gadgets that have become such necessary status symbols.
3.) The future - It looks so bright, I might need shades. I am salivating at the thought of finally getting to play gamma world, and cannot wait to find out what the next two campaign settings will be! (holding out for spelljammer).
All in all, I feel that the hobby is in good hands. Now that the edition wars are finally dying back to isolated skirmishes between the new town guard and the cave-people, we can finally begin moving forward to the gaming singularity.
Goodness, all this happy and sunny crap is starting to make my beard itch. Let's sow some karmic seeds to balance this out.
1.) 4E - you guys can admit it. You didn't playtest 4E worth a shit did you? All those closed door sessions and NDA's got you a product that really has chapped my ass a few times. I hope you wanna know why, 'cause I'm a-gonna tell you regardless. On release day, I ordered the fancy-schmancy-guy name of Dancey 3 book collection of core rulebooks, and was blown away....
Then cometh the errata.
Not just any errata, but errata that has since reduced my books to cellulosic paperweights. And that was just in the first 6 months! Since then, I have gone from a little gnaw of buyers remorse to not buying dead tree D&D books anymore. Not because I'm some jaded jerkoff fanboy, but because my money matters to me. Hell, I broke that rule once, to buy the forgotten realms campaign setting with the proceeds of a 3 month long recycling binge - and was happy that it was done almost right the first time, but I feel that this was not the norm...my Martial Power and it's SIX PAGES OF ERRATA seems to be more the norm.
This is a problem. A very big problem. I cannot trust what any of my books say until I have double checked them, and so I have this fat folder filled with printed errata that was such a pain in the ass we quit using it. On the bright side, you seem to be getting your acts together in that sense, but now we are changing stuff from the core because we changed our minds a year later. WTF!!? You guys owe me new - updated - books, and I am not buying any more D&D books until I get them.
2.) DDI - I've made my opinions clear a couple of times. I'll re-iterate the issues I still have, and we can go from there. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH DDI!!!? No updates in forever, and those gaping bloody holes in my adventure tools screen. Where is the treasure parcel generator? Where is the encounter generator? Where is the character visualizer? At this point, the online tabletop is forgotten - as in vaporware forgotten, and you know what? I'm okay with that. It's all of the other little tools I need to make my life easier that I miss. Unfortunately I don't even know if any of them is still in development, due to the iron wall of embarrassed silence that has been erected since the grandiose promises so long ago.
I use DDI religiously. IMO, it is the ONLY way to make an accurate character, and I will not accept one that hasn't been made on it. This would be easier if we had a GROUP SUBSCRIPTION WITH GM/PLAYER PERMISSIONS, but obviously this is a bad idea - right? Hello? Anybody?
I don't even know why you are still publishing books, but that is another discussion entirely.
3.) The Future - The future seems to hold more of the same. I see great stories, books, and campaigns coming out, and I am seeing splatbook creep IN THE CORE MATERIALS. Contrary to what some will tell you, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. The only way I can keep up with all of the books, races, classes, builds, feats, powers, is to use DDI. Unfortunately, I cant make use of anything recent due to a lack of updates, and I still have to use third party apps to fill in the gaps. Hire some software developers please, there are a lot of them that are out of work right now.
As you can see, the three biggest strengths of 4E, are shadowed by it's three biggest failures. PLEASE guys, don't forget about us poor, miserable wretches that actually have to pay for your products. We have needs and wants too, as well as extremely limited budgets to work with.
Until next time, game well - and be excellent to each other.
Donny_the_DM
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