I am not a big fan of the new "Featured" sources organization. The previous system had it's issues and needed to be redesigned – but this is a step in the wrong direction.
I wish DnD Beyond had a "Bookshelf" where I could view and managed my owned content. Referencing what I own is increasingly becoming cumbersome with more D&D sourcebooks and adventures and it makes using DnDBeyond as a platform for using the content I own a poor experience. With the Featured system, the book I might want to reference is even harder to find if it's not one of the books DnD Beyond has chosen to feature. Ideally, I could "favorite" the books I reference most often (as either a DM and player) and those would be displayed as quick access from the Home Page. I might swap out my favorite campaigns depending on what games I'm currently running, but these would be easily accessible to me.
The new "Featured" system feels like DnD Beyond is more interested in selling me content as opposed to making it easy for me to use what I've already bought – but why would I buy content from DnDBeyond if the site prioritizes advertising more content to me over making it easy to use what I already bought? If it's not easy to use what I buy, I'm less likely to buy more in the future.
Kinda agree that the the model OneBookshelf uses with DMsGuild where there's a clear "my stuff" space is superior to the work in progress on the source marketplace and collection. I can understand it may be problematic because the "books" and content on D&D Beyond (unlike DMsGuild Pdf collection) are all integrated so it may be more of a lift to make the distinction or improve the ability to consult one's "owned" references, but it does seem to be a frustration for those who have no intention of buying it all, and I think we're reaching a point in D&D's product life cycle where the "completists" may start diminishing, so there should be an effort to better serve a la carte purchasers.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I have no dog in this fight as someone who purchased the Legendary Bundle, but I definitely do agree that it would be better for the user experience if people were able to easily find the content they have purchased.
I find the new system awful to use, as someone with access to *all* the sources, this is what it'd be if it was "my bookshelf" and it's frustrating.
The shortlist dropdown contains the most commonly used sources, yes, but in a non-alphabetical order that makes it very easy to miss the one you're looking for. Having to click through in order to access a less commonly used source makes the user experience slower and more frustrating - and the list that appears scrolls off the screen, and is in chronological? release order? mostly? It's impossible to find anything quickly.
Please at least give me an option to just have an alphabetically ordered list of sourcebook names, rather than having to sort through this mess.
My main suggestion, if we wanted to get more space in the main banner menu, would be to split "sourcebooks" and "adventure books" into two dropdowns, and then use the extra space to show all the sources together.
Or, since there's plenty of unused space on the nav menu, instead of having one "Sources" menu, just have a "Sourcebooks" and "Adventures" menu, that way the submenu that opens under each will be big enough to list everything, with "owned" ones preceding unowned then sorted alphabetically.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
I am not a big fan of the new "Featured" sources organization. The previous system had it's issues and needed to be redesigned – but this is a step in the wrong direction.
I wish DnD Beyond had a "Bookshelf" where I could view and managed my owned content. Referencing what I own is increasingly becoming cumbersome with more D&D sourcebooks and adventures and it makes using DnDBeyond as a platform for using the content I own a poor experience. With the Featured system, the book I might want to reference is even harder to find if it's not one of the books DnD Beyond has chosen to feature. Ideally, I could "favorite" the books I reference most often (as either a DM and player) and those would be displayed as quick access from the Home Page. I might swap out my favorite campaigns depending on what games I'm currently running, but these would be easily accessible to me.
The new "Featured" system feels like DnD Beyond is more interested in selling me content as opposed to making it easy for me to use what I've already bought – but why would I buy content from DnDBeyond if the site prioritizes advertising more content to me over making it easy to use what I already bought? If it's not easy to use what I buy, I'm less likely to buy more in the future.
Kinda agree that the the model OneBookshelf uses with DMsGuild where there's a clear "my stuff" space is superior to the work in progress on the source marketplace and collection. I can understand it may be problematic because the "books" and content on D&D Beyond (unlike DMsGuild Pdf collection) are all integrated so it may be more of a lift to make the distinction or improve the ability to consult one's "owned" references, but it does seem to be a frustration for those who have no intention of buying it all, and I think we're reaching a point in D&D's product life cycle where the "completists" may start diminishing, so there should be an effort to better serve a la carte purchasers.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I have no dog in this fight as someone who purchased the Legendary Bundle, but I definitely do agree that it would be better for the user experience if people were able to easily find the content they have purchased.
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I find the new system awful to use, as someone with access to *all* the sources, this is what it'd be if it was "my bookshelf" and it's frustrating.
The shortlist dropdown contains the most commonly used sources, yes, but in a non-alphabetical order that makes it very easy to miss the one you're looking for. Having to click through in order to access a less commonly used source makes the user experience slower and more frustrating - and the list that appears scrolls off the screen, and is in chronological? release order? mostly? It's impossible to find anything quickly.
Please at least give me an option to just have an alphabetically ordered list of sourcebook names, rather than having to sort through this mess.
My main suggestion, if we wanted to get more space in the main banner menu, would be to split "sourcebooks" and "adventure books" into two dropdowns, and then use the extra space to show all the sources together.
Or, since there's plenty of unused space on the nav menu, instead of having one "Sources" menu, just have a "Sourcebooks" and "Adventures" menu, that way the submenu that opens under each will be big enough to list everything, with "owned" ones preceding unowned then sorted alphabetically.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Even something as simple as a little book icon in the upper corner of the sources I own would be much appreciated.