Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WotC_Bart 06-09-05, 03:34 PM	Hi folks, I wanted to start this conversation here on the message boards regarding the D&D website (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome). In the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed some minor changes we've made to the site, including a banner highlighting the main release (this month for the DMG II (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/863170000)) and its essential article links (to help prevent them rotating off the main page too quickly and into the archives), as well as a modified version of the News panel (of which we're looking to make more frequent use). We're also in the fifth week of our Creature Competition (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20050510a), with the Troll Frenzied Berserker taking on the Belker Soul Eater (if you count out the weeks, you'll find that the final bracket takes place right around Gen Con.). We wanted to offer this competition as a means for players to take a more active role in the website, and we're very appreciative of everyone taking the time to vote. A board thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=444253) has also been started, soliciting questions for future Product Spotlights, starting off with August's Stormwrack. There's always more we're looking to bring to the D&D website (in fact, look for a new column from the minds of R&D later this summer). And, we always welcome feedback. If there are things you like or don’t like, certain content you'd like to see, an old column you'd wish we'd bring back, or an idea for a column you'd wish we'd run, by all means please just us know. Granted, not everything may be possible, but the conversation is very much appreciated. I'll continue to post on these boards, soliciting your feedback and letting you know what's coming up with the website. Many thanks, Bart Carroll
Archangel_James 06-09-05, 05:27 PM	From an esthetic point of view, I'm not too fond of how the Flash advertisement is completely aligned with the DMG2 box. They're both at the top, and it creates the feeling that the website's first goal is to sell us more stuff. (This may be true, but we shouldn't be consciously aware of it.) I felt better when the lead article took the space where the DMG2 box is. I think the DMG2 box would do better as just being a part of the 3-part blue News box. Another small thing that bothers me ever so slightly is the far right This/Next/Last Month column. Since they're not in chronological order, I have to deliberately read the titles to figure out which one is next month and which one is this month. It would be just a little less brain tax if they went Next/This/Last. I know that the new theme is to push the stuff you have now, but since there are already tons of ads for what's going on this month, I feel that the single box for Next Month is more important that one of many boxes for featuring This Month. As far as content, my favourite series of articles is the designer interviews. Even if I have no interest in the book in question, I still enjoy reading the interviews because they help me understand what goes on behind the curtain of the whole game in general. Also, I often find myself interested in a book I was not previously interested in, hearing the writer himself commenting. I would like to see more interviews, with a wider variety of people. For example, I would like to get into the heads of the artists. Do they like to draw Regdar and Tordek or would they rather make up their own characters? Lastly, I'm often bothered by seeing news and articles for D&D minis on the D&D RPG page. In my book, they're completely different games, so they don't belong on the page anymore than the latest M:tG release does. Some people like having all the D&D factions on one page, but they can just as easily go view the Minis page. I'm sometimes disappointed when I see what looks like an interesting preview or article, only to see that it's for a game I don't play and have no interest in playing. I've bought minis for RPG campaigns, but those are almost always impulse buys and not at all related to the release of a new set or an article on the subject. I have similar feeling toward Eberron and Forgotten Realms news and previews--they've got their own pages, why put it here?--but it is the same game, so it affects me more than minis do. As for the monster contest, I have not entered for one reason: It looks like another advertisement for something to buy. It's a fancy collage of monsters, very similar to the flash ads that animate next to the DMG2 box. On most websites, the polls of the day and the character contests are all on the main page. They are very accessible and don't require a lot of clicking to voice a vote. If I want to discuss the polls or view the brackets, I can by clicking separate links, but the poll box itself is on the main page. Even though these paragraphs are little more than a list of grievances, don't think I am for the most part unsatisfied with the website. On the contrary, I like it very much. I check it every day and often leave my computer on that screen when I leave my computer on, because it's an impressive-looking website with a lot of content in a small area. However, there are some things that I would do differently and I have detailed them above. In any case, keep up the good work.
Amaril 06-09-05, 06:07 PM	I miss the articles that featured new content such as monsters, spells, magic items, base classes and prestige classes. I think those bits and peices really added to the expansion of the game. I also miss the Mind's Eye. There's not a lot of material for 3.5e psionics and the Mind's Eye was the only source for new, official D&D psionics content. The Expanded Psionics Handbook revamped the system completely, and we were hoping for some major revisions of old PrCs from the Mind's Eye and for new content about the new classes and races. I would also like to see more active support for Greyhawk, D&D's "core" setting. When WotC published the D&D Gazetteer, it established Greyhawk as the core setting for the D&D game, but there's very little support for it. I'm not talking about PrCs, feats, races or anything of that sort. I'm referring to utilities such as a calendar, which was presented in the D&D Gazetteer (interactive calendars have been developed for Forgotten Realms and Eberron), and articles on locations, peoples, and environs. I will say that I enjoy Dragonshards, Sharn Inquisitive, and the recent Forgotten Realms Undermountain articles even though I'm not a Forgotten Realms fan at all. I've also enjoyed articles series such as Far Corners of the World and Random Encounters, but nothing kept me coming back to the D&D site more than when it had features such as Map-A-Week, D&D Fight Club, The Mind's Eye, and NPC Close-up. If the only thing the website has become is a an advertisement and not a useful resource, then I can't help but feel that the website has failed at it's job.
kirellagen 06-09-05, 06:20 PM	I find the DMG banner annoying, it seems too geared to selling stuff, and there's still the other flash window as well. they should take out the one advertising the DMG II and integrate it with the first flash window.
Talmar 06-10-05, 08:26 AM	For the most part I like the site. Easy to navigate. Easy to find what you're looking for. However, I must agree with the disapproval of the redundant "product spotlight" and flash advertisement. One's enough, I also get the feeling WotC is trying to shove the DMGII down my throat. If you want to make your site more interactive, keep the product spotlight and replace the flash animation window with some kind of weekly poll. The flash animation is too distracting from the rest of the frontpage. A quick poll would be much better. I think, as gamers, when we see a poll we want to see where we stand with the rest of the gaming community. What's your favorite standard base class? What's your favorite Complete series base class? What's your favorite monster book? What's your least favorite X. What kind of material would like to see in future produts? There are tons of questions that can be asked, and a simple poll right on the front page posted on Monday with results posted on Friday I think would give the site a more interactive feeling as well as allow the gaming community to express their opinions about stuff. A corresponding messageboard that's cleaned out for each new poll for posting could accompany the poll as well. Oh, and I sorely miss the epic insights column. Especially because there's so little epic material published with books.
Amaril 06-10-05, 09:26 AM	Please don't put up a poll. Polls are useless. I'd rather see new content. Speaking of which, WotC could publish news and updates regarding Codemonkey Publishing's work with E-Tools and its Data Sets. I think there are a number of individuals out there who are still clueless about the current status of these products.
GDwarf 06-10-05, 04:54 PM	I also like the site as is, although I am rather annoyed when a cool looking artacle appears... Only to find it's about Minis. As has been stated above, DnD and it's minis are seperate games, sure you can use the minis in DnD and DnD rules are used for the minis, but they are seperate products with seperate pages. As for the site layout, I'd get rid of the flash ad, although I'm fine with the product spotlight, it probably wouldn't hurt to have them arranged Future Current Past Asside from that, I'm fine with it, it does it's job, although it does seem quite geared towards advertising, my local gaming store does enough of that already :).
Amaril 06-10-05, 05:03 PM	It seems as though Wizards of the Coast and its customers have different impressions of what the D&D home page features. Dungeons & Dragons isn't just a product; it's also a brand. That's my guess as to why the home page has all things related to D&D including Forgotten Realms, Eberron and D&D Miniatures. If you look at the navigation of the Wizards.com home page, none of these products are identified, only the D&D brand. It wouldn't make sense for them to exclude D&D miniatures from a brand's web site when other products for that brand are equally featured. However, if this is the case, then the page title needs to be renamed from "Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page."
Amaril 06-21-05, 11:26 AM	:bump: We should get a sticky for this thread. PS - So, is there any chance of getting a D&D "core"/Greyhawk calendar utility?
J Milburn 06-21-05, 11:55 AM	I disagree with alot of things on this thread. I like the polls, and i dont mind the minis and campaign setting articals being placed there. I do not like the way that the DMGII is being forced upon us in the banner however. I like seeing the new releases for this, last, and next month though i agree they should be put in order as archangel_James said. Artical wise, i love random ecounters, vicious venues, far corners of the world and the adventures. I think alot more of them would be brilliant. And if we dont have the miniatures articals, i think we should have at least the lists for the new box sets to see the new models available, and there are roleplay use tips in the miniature articals remember. I think the minis and campaign setting articals should stay.
MrkGrismer 06-21-05, 02:35 PM	I have very little opinion on the changes, however there are a couple of things that have annoyed me for some time: 1. The SRD. Could this be made any harder to find? Perhaps a more apparent link under the RULES section would allow more visitors to know it exists and where it is. Although I can understand if this is being done intentionally. 2. The FAQ. How exactly do questions end up in the FAQ? Is there a set number of times they have to be sent to customer support? Or is there another, more arcane way that they get in?