D&DI: Game Table Pricing - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Nojh Jun 11, 2008 15:37:49	So I know it is a little early to be bringing up this topic but I admit it has me a little worried. I'll start this by quoting what I've managed to find about said pricing: As a Dungeon Master, I plan on subscribing. Will all my players have to subscribe to receive benefits from the D&D Insider content and tools? Your players who subscribe will also gain the full benefits of the D&D Insider features. We’re creating the D&D Insider experience to be as useful as possible to every player, not just every group. That said, some functionalities will be available without needing to subscribe; for example, we are planning that subscribers will receive a set number of Guest Passes for the D&D Game Table (and can purchase more) that they can provide to their players, allowing them to join an individual game session.
#2 WolfStar76 Jun 11, 2008 16:01:50	A guest pass is valid for 24 hours from the moment it's issued/activated. So, presumably, they'd be able to use the tools all they wanted in that 24-hour window.
#3 wotc_dm Jun 13, 2008 14:52:24	1. Does this mean each time the players and DM meet, if the player does not have a subscription, the DM or player will have to purchase a Guest Pass? Yes, or another in the same session will have to grant this person a Guest Pass. 2. Does this mean that a player purchases a Guest Pass for a particular game (same players, same DM) and can attend every meeting of that game? Basically what is a session? A Game session is usualy 3 to 6 hours for most people (and this is just a ballaprk, some play much longer or shorter sessions). See it as a sessiuon being equivalent to a game night... Ultimately, One Guest Pass = One Game Session. But Guest Pass will be set to allow for up to 24 hours of continuous play. The extra benefit of time compared to the more usual session time is to handle the peculiar situation online gaming can get into, for example the DM has to stop for whatever reason after a few minutes, and this would have wasted the guest passes of all players. So we are still allowing them to jump during that Guest pass duration time in any other game session. So technically a guest pass can allow you to play in more than one session, as it starts when you use it, and grant you access to the D&D Game Table for up to 24 hours after you have used it. This is all tempered by whatever the final pricing will be of course. If prices are low for Guest Passes I suppose the above suggestions are not required, although I still believe some of my players will balk, having lived with Tabletop games as the cheaper form of entertainment compared to movie outings, video games, arcades, and the like. So does anybody have any facts or opinions on this situation? There is no public information yet on the exact price of a Guest Pass. We do know that guest passes will be granted to subscribers, though the exact number has not been defined yet.
#4 laendra Jun 14, 2008 22:11:46	Honestly, though, there are already products out there that allow online game play, are peer to peer, and are a one-time cost to buy the software. How is Game Table going to justify even buying guest passes, even at reduced prices, over that?
#5 kyros_tachyus Jun 15, 2008 3:28:49	Honestly, though, there are already products out there that allow online game play, are peer to peer, and are a one-time cost to buy the software. How is Game Table going to justify even buying guest passes, even at reduced prices, over that? Who knows. I hope that Wizards will shock us with the most azzkickin' product out there though. If they can make it WORTH $15 I'll gladly pay it.
#6 gizmoiscariot Jun 15, 2008 9:20:13	Who knows. I hope that Wizards will shock us with the most azzkickin' product out there though. If they can make it WORTH $15 I'll gladly pay it. This is the idea im sure. And this seems like an obvious thing. If they make a kick ass product that beats the competition to a pulp, people will come flocking. If they make a semi ok product, some will but many may not. If it sucks then people more than likely won't buy it and go to the competition. However people aren't going to know till it comes out. Personally from what I have seen, it looks well on its way to being pretty damn good. Its just a matter of when will it be released at this point for me.
#7 merrilin Jun 16, 2008 17:12:09	I would like to suggest the trial period be extended to the standard 30 days. The 10 days (for the Game Table) is too short to learn the tool, set up a campaign, have a preliminary learning session, and an evening with proper roleplaying. If the players like it, they will buy it. And those with less cash available might not be ready to pay for it if they don't know have a clear picture of the tool.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Nojh

Jun 11, 2008 15:37:49

So I know it is a little early to be bringing up this topic but I admit it has me a little worried. I'll start this by quoting what I've managed to find about said pricing:

As a Dungeon Master, I plan on subscribing. Will all my players have to subscribe to receive benefits from the D&D Insider content and tools?

Your players who subscribe will also gain the full benefits of the D&D Insider features. We’re creating the D&D Insider experience to be as useful as possible to every player, not just every group. That said, some functionalities will be available without needing to subscribe; for example, we are planning that subscribers will receive a set number of Guest Passes for the D&D Game Table (and can purchase more) that they can provide to their players, allowing them to join an individual game session.

WolfStar76

Jun 11, 2008 16:01:50

A guest pass is valid for 24 hours from the moment it's issued/activated.

So, presumably, they'd be able to use the tools all they wanted in that 24-hour window.

wotc_dm

Jun 13, 2008 14:52:24

1. Does this mean each time the players and DM meet, if the player does not have a subscription, the DM or player will have to purchase a Guest Pass?

Yes, or another in the same session will have to grant this person a Guest Pass.

2. Does this mean that a player purchases a Guest Pass for a particular game (same players, same DM) and can attend every meeting of that game?
Basically what is a session?

A Game session is usualy 3 to 6 hours for most people (and this is just a ballaprk, some play much longer or shorter sessions). See it as a sessiuon being equivalent to a game night...
Ultimately, One Guest Pass = One Game Session.
But Guest Pass will be set to allow for up to 24 hours of continuous play.
The extra benefit of time compared to the more usual session time is to handle the peculiar situation online gaming can get into, for example the DM has to stop for whatever reason after a few minutes, and this would have wasted the guest passes of all players. So we are still allowing them to jump during that Guest pass duration time in any other game session.

So technically a guest pass can allow you to play in more than one session, as it starts when you use it, and grant you access to the D&D Game Table for up to 24 hours after you have used it.

This is all tempered by whatever the final pricing will be of course. If prices are low for Guest Passes I suppose the above suggestions are not required, although I still believe some of my players will balk, having lived with Tabletop games as the cheaper form of entertainment compared to movie outings, video games, arcades, and the like.

So does anybody have any facts or opinions on this situation?

There is no public information yet on the exact price of a Guest Pass. We do know that guest passes will be granted to subscribers, though the exact number has not been defined yet.

laendra

Jun 14, 2008 22:11:46

Honestly, though, there are already products out there that allow online game play, are peer to peer, and are a one-time cost to buy the software. How is Game Table going to justify even buying guest passes, even at reduced prices, over that?

kyros_tachyus

Jun 15, 2008 3:28:49

Honestly, though, there are already products out there that allow online game play, are peer to peer, and are a one-time cost to buy the software. How is Game Table going to justify even buying guest passes, even at reduced prices, over that?

Who knows. I hope that Wizards will shock us with the most azzkickin' product out there though. If they can make it WORTH $15 I'll gladly pay it.

gizmoiscariot

Jun 15, 2008 9:20:13

Who knows. I hope that Wizards will shock us with the most azzkickin' product out there though. If they can make it WORTH $15 I'll gladly pay it.

This is the idea im sure. And this seems like an obvious thing. If they make a kick ass product that beats the competition to a pulp, people will come flocking. If they make a semi ok product, some will but many may not. If it sucks then people more than likely won't buy it and go to the competition. However people aren't going to know till it comes out. Personally from what I have seen, it looks well on its way to being pretty damn good. Its just a matter of when will it be released at this point for me.

merrilin

Jun 16, 2008 17:12:09

I would like to suggest the trial period be extended to the standard 30 days. The 10 days (for the Game Table) is too short to learn the tool, set up a campaign, have a preliminary learning session, and an evening with proper roleplaying. If the players like it, they will buy it. And those with less cash available might not be ready to pay for it if they don't know have a clear picture of the tool.