2.) If there are online spreadsheets of the PC characters, will both 3.5 and 4.0 edition sheets be readily available for the DM and the players online?
3.) Is the die roller only available to the DM, or available to everyone? I find it detracts from the gaming experience if you can't roll your own dice.
4.) From the screenshots of the game table, will there be walls incorporated for a more immersive dungeon feel, or be left as is?
5.) Will there be quick reference tools that the DM may use to adjudicate rules quickly and efficiently?
6.) Is the game table free to use, one payment, or by subscription?
7.) Is there any insight at all as to when this will come out?
If you have answers, please feel free to satisfy my inquisitive mind. :D
1.) Don'T know ^^'
2.) propably only 4E (not 4.0, there won't be a 4.5 hopefully ;)
3.) available to everyone isn't that hard
4.) i think it'll be left as is
5.) The quick reference tool will and is the Compendium
6.) by subscription with weekly free passes for Non-DMs (invited by the DM)
7.) Nope (i think somewhere around 2010)
1.) The character sheets themselves, how will they be incorporated into the game online, if at all?
While I'm not sure how to answer this question in full - it looked to me like the Game Table that was demoed at GenCon was capable of tracking stats and I seem to recall attacks (with modifiers).
Since the output of the Character Builder is an XML file, it seems highly logical that this integration is planned. Though, admittedly, I don't know that I've heard WotC staff say point-blank that the integration exists.
I think it's a very safe assumption - so "apparent" that it never needed to be spelled out.
2.) If there are online spreadsheets of the PC characters, will both 3.5 and 4.0 edition sheets be readily available for the DM and the players online?
I haven't seen a spreadsheet output of the characters in the builder. The nearest thing I've seen is an option the Wotc Staff has shown off to get a "quick output" of a sheet to post easily in the forums.
However, the builder is a 4E tool, and there are no plans I've heard for WotC to support older versions in any format (books or software).
3.) Is the die roller only available to the DM, or available to everyone? I find it detracts from the gaming experience if you can't roll your own dice.
Everyone.
4.) From the screenshots of the game table, will there be walls incorporated for a more immersive dungeon feel, or be left as is?
There are no plans to add walls at this time. However, the background doesn't have to be the solid black often shown in demos.
The DM can set other "wallpaper" or colors to set the mood and tone of their dungeon.
5.) Will there be quick reference tools that the DM may use to adjudicate rules quickly and efficiently?
The Game Table will be linked to the Compendium for quick lookup of rules items.
6.) Is the game table free to use, one payment, or by subscription?
Yes.
I should explain.
The Game Table will be part of the monthly DDI subscription. However, the original plan we were told about also includes "a number" of 24-hour guest passes that subscribers can give to their friends every month.
These passes would, presumably, be enough to get at least one game a month in with non-subscribers.
Further, additional 24-hour guest passes will be available for purchase. So if someone doesn't want to subscribe, but does play 2-3 games a month for a nominal fee they could have the best of both worlds.
7.) Is there any insight at all as to when this will come out?
At this time, no.
I remain hopeful that we'll see it before the end of the year- others are more skeptical and are predicting a early-to-mid 2010 release, if they haven't written the project off completely.
If you have answers, please feel free to satisfy my inquisitive mind. :D
I hope I've managed to do so.