So now that we know that the SRD won't be our resource for getting the rules online, and we won't be able to access stuff like the hyper-text SRD: where are we supposed to go for our online rules material when we don't have our books with us? Will the rules be available on Gleemax?
I think so. I'm not sure of the latest information, but the suggestion was that each book you bought would have a code you could enter to gain access to the rules material within it, and presumably this won't be restricted to just the core books.
. . .and presumably this won't be restricted to just the core books.
It won't be. Every book will have a code that can be entered and, for a small fee, will allow you to download an electronic copy of the book. In addition, Insider subscribers will have rules unlocked for books they own.
(a) Be fully downloaded to my computer and not need an online connection to read it?
(b) Be able to transfer my file to another computer if I own more than one computer? [or want to keep a copy at work and at home]
(c) Cost a small amount by comparison to the cover price? Currently one can purchase PDFs of 3.x books but they cost the same as the book price.
I personally use the 3.x SRD at work and home on my computers as they are often quicker and easier to work on my planning for my games than using the printed books. It also means I can add notes directly to certain information and print it with the encounters that will likely use special rules and such. Makes games much more organized, fun, and easy to run.
I can understand not having a free SRD available to everyone but I would like to have electronic searchable, cut/pasteable, etc. versions of the books I own so I don't have to type up all my notes manually by transcribing them from my hard copies of the books. Not sure how one would do this (especially the cut-paste) and still protect the intellectual property but it is a highly useful feature I have with 3.x that I would not want to give up in 4th Edition.
Even if the rules get easier and faster I still need to make games for my players. If I have to re-type lots of stuff to get nice notes printed out I will be a very unhappy DM.
I would like to know if I purchase an electronic version of the book will it...
(a) Be fully downloaded to my computer and not need an online connection to read it?
Yes, they will be able to download them to your computer.
(b) Be able to transfer my file to another computer if I own more than one computer? [or want to keep a copy at work and at home]
There has be no official response to this as far as I'm aware. Personally, I feel it's likely a non-issue.
(c) Cost a small amount by comparison to the cover price? Currently one can purchase PDFs of 3.x books but they cost the same as the book price.
As I mentioned, there has been no indication that we will be able to purchase electronic versions of the books separately from the physical copies.
I personally use the 3.x SRD at work and home on my computers as they are often quicker and easier to work on my planning for my games than using the printed books. It also means I can add notes directly to certain information and print it with the encounters that will likely use special rules and such. Makes games much more organized, fun, and easy to run.
I can understand not having a free SRD available to everyone but I would like to have electronic searchable, cut/pasteable, etc. versions of the books I own so I don't have to type up all my notes manually by transcribing them from my hard copies of the books. Not sure how one would do this (especially the cut-paste) and still protect the intellectual property but it is a highly useful feature I have with 3.x that I would not want to give up in 4th Edition.
Even if the rules get easier and faster I still need to make games for my players. If I have to re-type lots of stuff to get nice notes printed out I will be a very unhappy DM.
It has been indicated, but not confirmed, that the electronic copies will be in the form of .pdf format documents. If done correctly (once again in my opinion), such material would support copy/paste, bookmarking, and text recognition functions. That said, it is also possible that such features will be confined to D&D Insider applications in an effort to further increase the number of subscribers.
As I mentioned, there has been no indication that we will be able to purchase electronic versions of the books separately from the physical copies.
It has been indicated, but not confirmed, that the electronic copies will be in the form of .pdf format documents. If done correctly (once again in my opinion), such material would support copy/paste, bookmarking, and text recognition functions. That said, it is also possible that such features will be confined to D&D Insider applications in an effort to further increase the number of subscribers.
I am not interested in purchasing the electronic versions separately from the hard copies. Instead I meant to say that after I purchase the hard copies that I would desire, for a minimal fee, be able to purchase the electronic version that goes with my hard copy. In 3.x, I use the SRD to go with my purchased hard copies as the PDFs in 3.x are unreasonably priced at full cover price.
I hope that 4th Edition will provide me the same ease (and general pricing for such) that my current 3.x books/SRD combo provide.
I am not interested in purchasing the electronic versions separately from the hard copies. Instead I meant to say that after I purchase the hard copies that I would desire, for a minimal fee, be able to purchase the electronic version that goes with my hard copy.
You're good to go, then. They didn't say what type of coffee would be comparable to the fee, but I'm guessing the cost will range between 25 cents and $6.
It would be nice if they issued a disc with each hard cover. It would also be very unlikely.
This is my biggest test of the new system, personally. I am a coder in real life, and the very least you can expect in an interactive product is a CD.
It's a lot of work, and I'd be willing to pay for it as part of the DDI thingy.
You're in luck then. The functionality is supposed to be part of Insider. Of course, you have to buy the books first to gain access to the rules, but that sort of makes sense, if you think about it.
:D
I hope they'll have something like the Hypertext SRD. Wait, scratch that. I hope they have something exactly like the Hypertext SRD -- easy to access with just a web browser from any machine, searchable, and with delicious hypertext cross-referencing. Doesn't have to be free, though. It's a lot of work, and I'd be willing to pay for it as part of the DDI thingy.
I love Hypertext SRD, I also love a lot of the other tools created using the SRD such as the Various SQL versions from Andargor (So I can craft my own random generators and such). I also love PCGen. I do buy the Wizard's books and I do not believe resources like the Hypertext SRD take away from D&D sales but recognize that is debatable.
Non-WoTC tools such as these are awesome and I do not think Wizards is capable of single handedly providing the breadth of tools which is available right now.
The other thing that makes me hesitant about the DDi is that everything I've heard to date about it points to Windows only tools which is highly disappointing. Maybe they will have a smaller web-only subset of the tools but... gah.
Finally... D&D insider to me is like a magazine subscription which you can only keep the material while you are subscribed to the magazine. I won't rent my music from a subscription service and I refuse to rent my gaming material either.
I am trying to take a wait and see attitude but everything I have seen so far looks pretty disappointing.
You're in luck then. The functionality is supposed to be part of Insider. Of course, you have to buy the books first to gain access to the rules, but that sort of makes sense, if you think about it.
:D
But you have to pay monthly for access to D&D insider
You're in luck then. The functionality is supposed to be part of Insider. Of course, you have to buy the books first to gain access to the rules, but that sort of makes sense, if you think about it.
But you have to pay monthly for access to D&D insider
Not quite, the electronic versions of the books are due to cost you a serving of coffee, but are independent of DDI.
What remains to be seen is whether the DDI offers functionality beyond that. Like a continually growing index to all rule elements, directly linking to your electronic copies; clever search functionality - generate a spell list for the 4th level cleric spells in the books I own or a list of feats giving me a certain bonus.
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Huldvoll
Baron von Bomberg
Not quite, the electronic versions of the books are due to cost you a serving of coffee, but are independent of DDI.
What remains to be seen is whether the DDI offers functionality beyond that. Like a continually growing index to all rule elements, directly linking to your electronic copies; clever search functionality - generate a spell list for the 4th level cleric spells in the books I own or a list of feats giving me a certain bonus.
I will try and remain optimistic. Thus far Wizard's Web Fu has failed to impress and their quality control publishing printed books has been... mixed at best. Spending $5 (On top of the $30 for the book) to get rights to use an updated version of the rules online I can deal with.
Not quite, the electronic versions of the books are due to cost you a serving of coffee, but are independent of DDI.
Looks like this little myth has pretty much been shot out of the water, the only online version of the rules they are talking about is part of the DDI so we're back to the rental model
On the brighter side it appears that for your 120+/ year you will get all the rules in the DB, not just the ones you have books for.
Looks like this little myth has pretty much been shot out of the water, the only online version of the rules they are talking about is part of the DDI so we're back to the rental model
On the brighter side it appears that for your 120+/ year you will get all the rules in the DB, not just the ones you have books for.
I, for one, have decided not to expect anything anymore.
Maintaining an extensive database is no mean task; there will probably be major hickups in the process. And making a database application really useful... But this discussion would belong to the DDI section of the froums anyway.
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Huldvoll
Baron von Bomberg
Looks like this little myth has pretty much been shot out of the water, the only online version of the rules they are talking about is part of the DDI so we're back to the rental model
On the brighter side it appears that for your 120+/ year you will get all the rules in the DB, not just the ones you have books for.
When was that announced?
When was that announced?
Over a month ago, now.
When was that announced?
At D&D Experience they announced it as part of the DDI. Actually, they didn't announce it. they spent a lot of time talking about was great about what they had built and no time talking about what they had more or less promised but failed to deliver. Perhaps they are still working on getting online access to the rules separate from the rest of the DDI (PLEASE!) but if so they certainly didn't mention it at D&D Exp.