Still would like to know if I am going to see ads if I buy a digital rule book but don't get a subscription. Ads on the website I can deal with Ads on the digital rule book would be bothersome
Am curious as well. I don't mind paying for the books again, but I do mind paying for the books and get ads thrown my way :\.
One thing I'm a little uncertain on is should my wife have a separate account from me... If I buy the books on my account, then they won't be available for her. I have a physical book, I'm okay rebuying it as a digital once, not twice... Will sharing of an account within a family work or will there be attempts to block that?
you could have her get a free account set up and then invite her to a campaign, that would allow her to share your books.
That requires a monthly subscription.
Well for one of you yes, otherwise you are correct she'd have to share your free account with you. Just depends on how you plan to use the service.
I apologize if it seems like I have been trolling you. If you look at my posts responding to others, I think I am fairly consistent in advocating for a better understanding and appreciation for DDB and the staff that has put it together. I assure you that I had no intention of singling you out or purposefully misinterpreting your post. I genuinely read your post to mean what I described in my earlier posts. It appears that I was wrong, and I apologize for for my comments coming across as antagonistic.
Our disagreement seems to be less about what DDB is, and more about how to go about helping clarify what it is for others. Instead of accepting an incorrect assumption about it and working out a pricing structure from there, I would like to help others see why DDB, as it is set up now, is of much more value (in my opinion) than just having the books in a digital format.
Hopefully we can chalk this up as a misunderstanding between us that we let get a bit out of hand. I certainly don't want to see you, or anyone, banned from the forums or site over our difference of opinion.
It's alright, I'll be the first to admit I can be a jerk.
I think it's a disagreement on the status of the brand. To me, the damage has already been done, so while you can explain the product better, it is what it is (in my opinion). So to me, it's just an exercise in better marketing. That and, I really wish tabletop games stopped bringing real world sensibilities to the virtual world.
Having a digital repository for the rules is great, but a lot of people seem to choose to learn the rules the first time in meatspace through reading the books or just learning from a friend, but for looking up rules and campaign management prefer digital options. So the information would be better served piecemeal, in a way that emphasizes looking up information over digesting it all at once. Which is what you get when you check the DBB database above, but the wording from forum posts and marketing from the staff makes it feel like it's just PDFs or something.
I long for the day that we get a digitally integrated system for RPGs that embraces what each medium does best.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done. There are examples every day of online products with good launches, bad launches, and many in-between. You can always preform better, it doesn't help to just shrug your shoulders and say "it is what it is". You should have more faith in your customers and more pride in your product. Besides, why would you go through the trouble of creating, maintaining and operating this forum for discussion if you don't expect the discussion to go exactly in your favor? (Rhetorical question, I know.)
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
Just like a Starbucks in a Barnes and Noble, it's only a branded coffee shop and gets none of the benefits of an actual participating Starbucks location. In essence it's a cynical jab at attracting more customers to B&N by slapping a coffee shop in the middle of the store. But to compensate for all the benefits a real Starbucks chain store lacks, other options could be added to the B&N Starbucks experience that would better integrate the two stores. Otherwise you're generating a net negative perception of offering coffee in your bookstore. With a little bit of extra work and thought you could turn such an integration into an exponential positive.
Still would like to know if I am going to see ads if I buy a digital rule book but don't get a subscription. Ads on the website I can deal with Ads on the digital rule book would be bothersome
Am curious as well. I don't mind paying for the books again, but I do mind paying for the books and get ads thrown my way :\.
One thing I'm a little uncertain on is should my wife have a separate account from me... If I buy the books on my account, then they won't be available for her. I have a physical book, I'm okay rebuying it as a digital once, not twice... Will sharing of an account within a family work or will there be attempts to block that?
I kind of need this answered before launch, as it impacts my decision on whether or not I will buy rule books.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available. Take their announcement video, for example:
Also, for all three phases of the Beta test, the front page of this website has clearly shown the different tools available as well as what, specifically, will be included in each phase of the Beta test. In their official pricing announcement, Badeye said, "Players will be able to unlock official Dungeons & Dragons content in digital format for a one-time purchase that is integrated into the toolset." (Emphasis mine).
I suppose that the DDB team could have been more verbose and said something along the lines of "For a one-time purchase, players can have the content of a hardback book (henceforth referred to as a sourcebook), which we have painstakingly entered into our database over a series of months and incorporated as part of our overarching digital toolset, unlocked. Said toolset includes, but is not limited to, a game compendium with in-depth listings, and a character management system with a dynamic character builder and interactive character sheet. Each sourcebook purchase will unlock the specific data (art, prose, and game mechanics) found within the corresponding hardback book to be used in the aforementioned toolset. To be clear, a one-time purchase of a sourcebook is not a PDF or other similar file that would be equivalent to only a digital version of the hardback book as the content of said hardback book has been incorporated into the aforementioned toolset that allows players to access the content in a variety of ways that extend well BEYOND (see what I did there?) text on a page/screen. Again, and we cannot express this enough, there is no option to purchase a PDF of other similar file that would be the equivalent of only a digital version of the hardback book. What we are offering is a digital toolset that allows players to easily work with the content, through a user-friendly interface, and the ability to unlock, for a price, portions of the database that the toolset accesses, for which we, Curse, have to pay a fee in order to allow you to access, and said price charged to the player allows Curse to continue to offer said digital toolset."
My guess, however, is that, had the previous paragraph (which is much more of a legal document than a marketing document, and there's a reason those two styles of writing do not often overlap) been part of the announcement, many people would skip over it and complain about having to purchase content they already paid for, along with people who did read it but failed to comprehend the message (either intentionally or unintentionally).
To put it another way, I don't think the issue is that Curse did not market the product clearly from the beginning. Instead, I think the issue is that people have been waiting a very long time for a legal way to have PDFs of DnD 5e, that they are seeing what they want to see in terms of what DDB is offering, instead of looking at what Curse and many others have clearly stated DDB is meant to be, and using their incorrect assumptions as a basis for their complaints. This is not a value judgement on them or their ability to reason. It is, instead, an acknowledgment of a well documented aspect of the human psyche (e.g. confirmation bias) that we are all subject to.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available. Take their announcement video, for example:
Also, for all three phases of the Beta test, the front page of this website has clearly shown the different tools available as well as what, specifically, will be included in each phase of the Beta test. In their official pricing announcement, Badeye said, "Players will be able to unlock official Dungeons & Dragons content in digital format for a one-time purchase that is integrated into the toolset." (Emphasis mine).
I suppose that the DDB team could have been more verbose and said something along the lines of "For a one-time purchase, players can have the content of a hardback book (henceforth referred to as a sourcebook), which we have painstakingly entered into our database over a series of months and incorporated as part of our overarching digital toolset, unlocked. Said toolset includes, but is not limited to, a game compendium with in-depth listings, and a character management system with a dynamic character builder and interactive character sheet. Each sourcebook purchase will unlock the specific data (art, prose, and game mechanics) found within the corresponding hardback book to be used in the aforementioned toolset. To be clear, a one-time purchase of a sourcebook is not a PDF or other similar file that would be equivalent to only a digital version of the hardback book as the content of said hardback book has been incorporated into the aforementioned toolset that allows players to access the content in a variety of ways that extend well BEYOND (see what I did there?) text on a page/screen. Again, and we cannot express this enough, there is no option to purchase a PDF of other similar file that would be the equivalent of only a digital version of the hardback book. What we are offering is a digital toolset that allows players to easily work with the content, through a user-friendly interface, and the ability to unlock, for a price, portions of the database that the toolset accesses, for which we, Curse, have to pay a fee in order to allow you to access, and said price charged to the player allows Curse to continue to offer said digital toolset."
My guess, however, is that, had the previous paragraph (which is much more of a legal document than a marketing document, and there's a reason those two styles of writing do not often overlap) been part of the announcement, many people would skip over it and complain about having to purchase content they already paid for, along with people who did read it but failed to comprehend the message (either intentionally or unintentionally).
To put it another way, I don't think the issue is that Curse did not market the product clearly from the beginning. Instead, I think the issue is that people have been waiting a very long time for a legal way to have PDFs of DnD 5e, that they are seeing what they want to see in terms of what DDB is offering, instead of looking at what Curse and many others have clearly stated DDB is meant to be, and using their incorrect assumptions as a basis for their complaints. This is not a value judgement on them or their ability to reason. It is, instead, an acknowledgment of a well documented aspect of the human psyche (e.g. confirmation bias) that we are all subject to.
So, then there is really no point in me buying the Player's Handbook from here, since I don't plan to use the digital toolset. I just want a digital rulebook. Will I be able to get a digital rulebook that I can use with a purely pen and paper game, or will the rulebook only work properly with the character manager?
The digital book will work nicely with a pen and paper game. It is intended for it. If you purchase the PHB, you will have a digital version of it, in which you can search content with the search feature and you will have unlocked all the listing spells present in the PHB.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available. Take their announcement video, for example:
Also, for all three phases of the Beta test, the front page of this website has clearly shown the different tools available as well as what, specifically, will be included in each phase of the Beta test. In their official pricing announcement, Badeye said, "Players will be able to unlock official Dungeons & Dragons content in digital format for a one-time purchase that is integrated into the toolset." (Emphasis mine).
I suppose that the DDB team could have been more verbose and said something along the lines of "For a one-time purchase, players can have the content of a hardback book (henceforth referred to as a sourcebook), which we have painstakingly entered into our database over a series of months and incorporated as part of our overarching digital toolset, unlocked. Said toolset includes, but is not limited to, a game compendium with in-depth listings, and a character management system with a dynamic character builder and interactive character sheet. Each sourcebook purchase will unlock the specific data (art, prose, and game mechanics) found within the corresponding hardback book to be used in the aforementioned toolset. To be clear, a one-time purchase of a sourcebook is not a PDF or other similar file that would be equivalent to only a digital version of the hardback book as the content of said hardback book has been incorporated into the aforementioned toolset that allows players to access the content in a variety of ways that extend well BEYOND (see what I did there?) text on a page/screen. Again, and we cannot express this enough, there is no option to purchase a PDF of other similar file that would be the equivalent of only a digital version of the hardback book. What we are offering is a digital toolset that allows players to easily work with the content, through a user-friendly interface, and the ability to unlock, for a price, portions of the database that the toolset accesses, for which we, Curse, have to pay a fee in order to allow you to access, and said price charged to the player allows Curse to continue to offer said digital toolset."
My guess, however, is that, had the previous paragraph (which is much more of a legal document than a marketing document, and there's a reason those two styles of writing do not often overlap) been part of the announcement, many people would skip over it and complain about having to purchase content they already paid for, along with people who did read it but failed to comprehend the message (either intentionally or unintentionally).
To put it another way, I don't think the issue is that Curse did not market the product clearly from the beginning. Instead, I think the issue is that people have been waiting a very long time for a legal way to have PDFs of DnD 5e, that they are seeing what they want to see in terms of what DDB is offering, instead of looking at what Curse and many others have clearly stated DDB is meant to be, and using their incorrect assumptions as a basis for their complaints. This is not a value judgement on them or their ability to reason. It is, instead, an acknowledgment of a well documented aspect of the human psyche (e.g. confirmation bias) that we are all subject to.
So, then there is really no point in me buying the Player's Handbook from here, since I don't plan to use the digital toolset. I just want a digital rulebook. Will I be able to get a digital rulebook that I can use with a purely pen and paper game, or will the rulebook only work properly with the character manager?
The digital book you purchase from here is a digital book in its entirety - full text, full artwork, and so on. It is not a requirement to use the other digital tools. If all you want is a searchable, easily-navigated copy of the books, then you get that for sure.
The major point is that you are not purchasing only a digital rulebook - you also get the benefits of the rest of the toolset.
Which, if i may be so bold as to follow up on what Bad Eye said- is the product that Curse set out to create in the first place, not one-and-done style pdfs ala drivethruerpg.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available. Take their announcement video, for example:
Also, for all three phases of the Beta test, the front page of this website has clearly shown the different tools available as well as what, specifically, will be included in each phase of the Beta test. In their official pricing announcement, Badeye said, "Players will be able to unlock official Dungeons & Dragons content in digital format for a one-time purchase that is integrated into the toolset." (Emphasis mine).
I suppose that the DDB team could have been more verbose and said something along the lines of "For a one-time purchase, players can have the content of a hardback book (henceforth referred to as a sourcebook), which we have painstakingly entered into our database over a series of months and incorporated as part of our overarching digital toolset, unlocked. Said toolset includes, but is not limited to, a game compendium with in-depth listings, and a character management system with a dynamic character builder and interactive character sheet. Each sourcebook purchase will unlock the specific data (art, prose, and game mechanics) found within the corresponding hardback book to be used in the aforementioned toolset. To be clear, a one-time purchase of a sourcebook is not a PDF or other similar file that would be equivalent to only a digital version of the hardback book as the content of said hardback book has been incorporated into the aforementioned toolset that allows players to access the content in a variety of ways that extend well BEYOND (see what I did there?) text on a page/screen. Again, and we cannot express this enough, there is no option to purchase a PDF of other similar file that would be the equivalent of only a digital version of the hardback book. What we are offering is a digital toolset that allows players to easily work with the content, through a user-friendly interface, and the ability to unlock, for a price, portions of the database that the toolset accesses, for which we, Curse, have to pay a fee in order to allow you to access, and said price charged to the player allows Curse to continue to offer said digital toolset."
My guess, however, is that, had the previous paragraph (which is much more of a legal document than a marketing document, and there's a reason those two styles of writing do not often overlap) been part of the announcement, many people would skip over it and complain about having to purchase content they already paid for, along with people who did read it but failed to comprehend the message (either intentionally or unintentionally).
To put it another way, I don't think the issue is that Curse did not market the product clearly from the beginning. Instead, I think the issue is that people have been waiting a very long time for a legal way to have PDFs of DnD 5e, that they are seeing what they want to see in terms of what DDB is offering, instead of looking at what Curse and many others have clearly stated DDB is meant to be, and using their incorrect assumptions as a basis for their complaints. This is not a value judgement on them or their ability to reason. It is, instead, an acknowledgment of a well documented aspect of the human psyche (e.g. confirmation bias) that we are all subject to.
So, then there is really no point in me buying the Player's Handbook from here, since I don't plan to use the digital toolset. I just want a digital rulebook. Will I be able to get a digital rulebook that I can use with a purely pen and paper game, or will the rulebook only work properly with the character manager?
The digital book you purchase from here is a digital book in its entirety - full text, full artwork, and so on. It is not a requirement to use the other digital tools. If all you want is a searchable, easily-navigated copy of the books, then you get that for sure.
The major point is that you are not purchasing only a digital rulebook - you also get the benefits of the rest of the toolset.
Which, if i may be so bold as to follow up on what Bad Eye said- is the product that Curse set out to create in the first place, not one-and-done style pdfs ala drivethruerpg.
And I like to add, once this gets to launch, this will be loads better than a PDF. Once we get the offline app, this will be preferable in every way.
Edit: I am not a paid shill for Curse, Twitch, Amazon, or WotC.
So rather than start a new topic; figure i'd ask here. I've read through this and still super confused. And my players keep asking me If i know (yay)
If you want to make a tabaxi undying warlock do i need:
a) just a subscription
or
b) buy all 3 of the digital books (scag/phb/volo) to "open" that content on the account.
Neither. Well, you could go with option b (option a doesn't unlock any sourcebook content in the digital tools), but, if you were looking for a cheaper option, you could buy things piecemeal.
I don't know what the cost breakdown would be (I don't have SCAG and therefore am unfamiliar with an undying warlock), but I'd think you could get everything you need for that specific character for under $10, maybe even $5.
I think another pricing announcement is supposed to be coming later this week, so be on the look out for that as it might answer your question more fully than I can.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available.
Again, not what I was saying at all. 100% incorrect. I'm just going to assume I didn't make my arguments clear enough. So if you really didn't understand it, or you chose not to so you could argue things I never said, sorry. I mean, you quote me saying one thing and then argue something different, so there's no point in having a discussion. I don't think there was ever one to be had anyway.
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available.
Again, not what I was saying at all. 100% incorrect. I'm just going to assume I didn't make my arguments clear enough. So if you really didn't understand it, or you chose not to so you could argue things I never said, sorry. I mean, you quote me saying one thing and then argue something different, so there's no point in having a discussion. I don't think there was ever one to be had anyway.
The trailer made the fact that it was digital toolset very clear, and staff posts + enworld summarized that the pricing wasn't nailed down yet but that it would likely include both a small subscription, and the ability to buy the content in pieces. Recall that the app featured in the first trailer we got showed very clearly exactly what the product was- it did not display pdf files, did show us the builder itself, and overall displayed exactly what the product was. pricing was only recently nailed down after community feedback.
The trailer made the fact that it was digital toolset very clear, and staff posts + enworld summarized that the pricing wasn't nailed down yet but that it would likely include both a small subscription, and the ability to buy the content in pieces. Recall that the app featured in the first trailer we got showed very clearly exactly what the product was- it did not display pdf files, did show us the builder itself, and overall displayed exactly what the product was. pricing was only recently nailed down after community feedback.
I'm tired of repeating myself, so I'll use a metaphor to explain it.
Suddenly_Light, you're wrong because two weapon fighting can be an effective way of building your character in any version of D&D. It's a tabletop game, so you should be able to houserule in anything that feels off to your party. As long as you have a good GM and are willing to flex the rules until they fit for your group you will be golden. Enjoy re-creating Drizzt in 5E!
You're basing that on marketing that isn't complete. I can assure you, more details are coming, in addition to ways for you to have a trial sample of what the content is in digital format.
Most of the issue is not that we are not communicating what the product is - it's impatience that is ever-present in media these days.
I'm basing it off of the marketing that's already been done.
...
Just stating everything about your product in one post would do little to help your branding. But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape. You've done something close, but still traditional. And it makes sense due to the inherent nature of what the product is. In the long run that is.
...
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available.
Again, not what I was saying at all. 100% incorrect. I'm just going to assume I didn't make my arguments clear enough. So if you really didn't understand it, or you chose not to so you could argue things I never said, sorry. I mean, you quote me saying one thing and then argue something different, so there's no point in having a discussion. I don't think there was ever one to be had anyway.
I think we've gotten back to that whole you think you said one thing, I think you said something completely different. I know that you know DDB is more than a PDF or equivalent (that was cleared up, I think, in our last exchange), so this is not that conversation again.
This time, it seemed to me that you were saying that Curse hadn't marketed DDB properly, thus allowing for confusion over what they were offering. My reply to that was to show marketing that they've done from the beginning, and all along the way, that is very specific about what DDB is. Any confusion about what you (general you, not you specifically) are getting with a purchase of DDB is a misunderstanding on the part of the consumer, either intentional or unintentional.
If you were not saying that Curse could have marketed better from the beginning to prevent people from misinterpreting what they are offering with DDB, I'm all ears for what you meant when you said, "But what I'm saying is that the marketing could've been very different from the start, cementing several key concepts in the userbase early on to avoid comparisons between other products in the D&D landscape." If that is, in fact what you meant, I don't see how my response doesn't address that directly.
The trailer made the fact that it was digital toolset very clear, and staff posts + enworld summarized that the pricing wasn't nailed down yet but that it would likely include both a small subscription, and the ability to buy the content in pieces. Recall that the app featured in the first trailer we got showed very clearly exactly what the product was- it did not display pdf files, did show us the builder itself, and overall displayed exactly what the product was. pricing was only recently nailed down after community feedback.
I'm tired of repeating myself, so I'll use a metaphor to explain it.
Suddenly_Light, you're wrong because two weapon fighting can be an effective way of building your character in any version of D&D. It's a tabletop game, so you should be able to houserule in anything that feels off to your party. As long as you have a good GM and are willing to flex the rules until they fit for your group you will be golden. Enjoy re-creating Drizzt in 5E!
I've got to admit, I'm at a bit of a loss for what you are trying to convey here. Where is the metaphor? What does two weapon fighting have to do with anything Suddenly_Light said? For that matter, what does anything in your post have to do with it?
They were very clear from the beginning that DDB was a digital toolset and not simply a digital version of the books, even showing the different things that would be available. Take their announcement video, for example:
Also, for all three phases of the Beta test, the front page of this website has clearly shown the different tools available as well as what, specifically, will be included in each phase of the Beta test. In their official pricing announcement, Badeye said, "Players will be able to unlock official Dungeons & Dragons content in digital format for a one-time purchase that is integrated into the toolset." (Emphasis mine).
I suppose that the DDB team could have been more verbose and said something along the lines of "For a one-time purchase, players can have the content of a hardback book (henceforth referred to as a sourcebook), which we have painstakingly entered into our database over a series of months and incorporated as part of our overarching digital toolset, unlocked. Said toolset includes, but is not limited to, a game compendium with in-depth listings, and a character management system with a dynamic character builder and interactive character sheet. Each sourcebook purchase will unlock the specific data (art, prose, and game mechanics) found within the corresponding hardback book to be used in the aforementioned toolset. To be clear, a one-time purchase of a sourcebook is not a PDF or other similar file that would be equivalent to only a digital version of the hardback book as the content of said hardback book has been incorporated into the aforementioned toolset that allows players to access the content in a variety of ways that extend well BEYOND (see what I did there?) text on a page/screen. Again, and we cannot express this enough, there is no option to purchase a PDF of other similar file that would be the equivalent of only a digital version of the hardback book. What we are offering is a digital toolset that allows players to easily work with the content, through a user-friendly interface, and the ability to unlock, for a price, portions of the database that the toolset accesses, for which we, Curse, have to pay a fee in order to allow you to access, and said price charged to the player allows Curse to continue to offer said digital toolset."
My guess, however, is that, had the previous paragraph (which is much more of a legal document than a marketing document, and there's a reason those two styles of writing do not often overlap) been part of the announcement, many people would skip over it and complain about having to purchase content they already paid for, along with people who did read it but failed to comprehend the message (either intentionally or unintentionally).
To put it another way, I don't think the issue is that Curse did not market the product clearly from the beginning. Instead, I think the issue is that people have been waiting a very long time for a legal way to have PDFs of DnD 5e, that they are seeing what they want to see in terms of what DDB is offering, instead of looking at what Curse and many others have clearly stated DDB is meant to be, and using their incorrect assumptions as a basis for their complaints. This is not a value judgement on them or their ability to reason. It is, instead, an acknowledgment of a well documented aspect of the human psyche (e.g. confirmation bias) that we are all subject to.
The digital book will work nicely with a pen and paper game. It is intended for it. If you purchase the PHB, you will have a digital version of it, in which you can search content with the search feature and you will have unlocked all the listing spells present in the PHB.
Which, if i may be so bold as to follow up on what Bad Eye said- is the product that Curse set out to create in the first place, not one-and-done style pdfs ala drivethruerpg.
So rather than start a new topic; figure i'd ask here. I've read through this and still super confused. And my players keep asking me If i know (yay)
If you want to make a tabaxi undying warlock do i need:
a) just a subscription
or
b) buy all 3 of the digital books (scag/phb/volo) to "open" that content on the account.
I would love to see a Join a Campaign function to join open groups and digitalised campaigns.
And the questions no one seems to want to answer....
1. If I buy a rulebook and view it on the website and/or the mobile app, will I see some kind of banner ads without a subscription?
2. Is desktop offline access planned?
How do I unfollow this thread?