I've been using DDB since the beginning and I can't for the life of me figure out why the search function is so terrible. Here's a example from today.
I search for "vehicle carrying capacity." The top result was from Rick and Morty. Not the basic rules, not the PHB, not the DMG....... Rick and Morty.
The PHB wasn't even in the search results. So how do you explain that? I found the rules easy enough, but the words "vehicle" and "carrying capacity" are things in the PHB. The PHB should be the FIRST thing for any search that has a subject from the PHB (same for other books).
And why is "vehicle CARING capacity" a suggestion? "Oh, here's a suggestion that has NOTHING to do with our site."
The bad search function is something the devs are aware of and has been on the list to get fixed, but so far there hasn't been any visible indication of them actively working on it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Leaving OGL 1.0(a) untouched and making SRD 5.1 CC-BY-4.0 is a great first step. The next is a promise to do the same for future editions. Here's a discussion thread on that.
2021: STILL not fixed! This has been a problem for a long time. I pay for this service, and it's not much faster to try and search a rule via DDB than to flip to it in my hard copy.
Obviously, I don't search for a rule, but I can hunt and peck through the rules on DDB and try to figure out where something like "Carrying Capacity" is talked about in the rules.
What ACTUALLY happens during a game is that usually just Google the rule through 3rd party sources. Much faster.
WHERE'S the advantage of paying for the digital version, if it's not SEARCHABLE! Terrible.
Before DDB was brought by WotC the devs said they were going to work on a new search. After the buyout they're only working on the app and making it easier for them to add features to the character sheet. Those are reasonable priorities but delaying or dropping other improvements is unreasonable.
Hey, moderators or devs, correct me if I'm wrong. There's a big lack of communication problem since the buyout. Same thing on the Discord server.
Its 2024. Search engine still sucks majorly. Slow as hell, suggestions off topic, can't handle the slightest typo. Google search will pull up a D&D beyond result that is accurate and useful in 1/100 the time and also works through minor typos and gives good suggestions.
To add on: As of a while ago, all third-party content no longer shows up in site search at all, including plenty that used to (such as Critical Role content).
Yeah, I have to use the 5E SRD sight if I want any useable information. All that comes up from search functions is references to books that I don't even own. REALLY bad.
because the site is designed by incompetent people/person. Just look at how hard it is to find the books you own. Yet the dices you own, have a big button/link. They don't care about quality or customer service
I've opened cases on this. I always get, "thanks for taking the time to share". There seems to be no intent to fix the search engine. I own almost every rule book they've published in digital format. I don't want to even think about how much money this represents. The more I purchase the more USELESS the site becomes because you can't find anything. I searched for "halberd" today. I get a ton of content. You know what DIDN'T come up, the reference in the Player's handbook. This reference: https://www.dndbeyond.com/equipment/23-halberd
I found that by searching "weapons". Then I scrolled more than halfway down the list of useless information it gave me until I got to the current player's handbook listing for weapons (ALL the old stuff comes up first). Then I scrolled through that page until I found Halberd and clicked that word in the list.
I can't even filter the damn search by book, even though I know EXACTLY which book the reference is in. Good Gods people, at least give us some sort of search syntax we can use if you aren't going to give us usable screen. Even Splunk has a better search engine. Just give me access to the data I've paid for and I'll create my own database and search engine. Give me access to an API and I'll write my own.
Even with all the money I've spent, I'm contemplating cancelling my master tier subscription and just giving up all the material I've purchased. I can find stuff faster in the printed materials.
Hello, community.
I've been using DDB since the beginning and I can't for the life of me figure out why the search function is so terrible. Here's a example from today.
I search for "vehicle carrying capacity." The top result was from Rick and Morty. Not the basic rules, not the PHB, not the DMG....... Rick and Morty.
The PHB wasn't even in the search results. So how do you explain that? I found the rules easy enough, but the words "vehicle" and "carrying capacity" are things in the PHB. The PHB should be the FIRST thing for any search that has a subject from the PHB (same for other books).
And why is "vehicle CARING capacity" a suggestion? "Oh, here's a suggestion that has NOTHING to do with our site."
Is the search ever going to be fixed/decent?
The bad search function is something the devs are aware of and has been on the list to get fixed, but so far there hasn't been any visible indication of them actively working on it.
Leaving OGL 1.0(a) untouched and making SRD 5.1 CC-BY-4.0 is a great first step. The next is a promise to do the same for future editions. Here's a discussion thread on that.
#OpenDnD
DDB is great, but it could be better. Here are some things I think could improve DDB
2021: STILL not fixed! This has been a problem for a long time.
I pay for this service, and it's not much faster to try and search a rule via DDB than to flip to it in my hard copy.
Obviously, I don't search for a rule, but I can hunt and peck through the rules on DDB and try to figure out where something like "Carrying Capacity" is talked about in the rules.
What ACTUALLY happens during a game is that usually just Google the rule through 3rd party sources. Much faster.
WHERE'S the advantage of paying for the digital version, if it's not SEARCHABLE! Terrible.
It really is comically bad. Search for "concentration" and DDB has your back with a quick link to Potion of Growth and Hunter's Mark.
Before DDB was brought by WotC the devs said they were going to work on a new search. After the buyout they're only working on the app and making it easier for them to add features to the character sheet. Those are reasonable priorities but delaying or dropping other improvements is unreasonable.
Hey, moderators or devs, correct me if I'm wrong. There's a big lack of communication problem since the buyout. Same thing on the Discord server.
Its 2024. Search engine still sucks majorly. Slow as hell, suggestions off topic, can't handle the slightest typo. Google search will pull up a D&D beyond result that is accurate and useful in 1/100 the time and also works through minor typos and gives good suggestions.
Are search engines really this taxing to update?
To add on: As of a while ago, all third-party content no longer shows up in site search at all, including plenty that used to (such as Critical Role content).
Yeah, I have to use the 5E SRD sight if I want any useable information. All that comes up from search functions is references to books that I don't even own. REALLY bad.
Your search engine is bad, and you should feel bad.
because the site is designed by incompetent people/person. Just look at how hard it is to find the books you own. Yet the dices you own, have a big button/link. They don't care about quality or customer service
I've opened cases on this. I always get, "thanks for taking the time to share". There seems to be no intent to fix the search engine. I own almost every rule book they've published in digital format. I don't want to even think about how much money this represents. The more I purchase the more USELESS the site becomes because you can't find anything. I searched for "halberd" today. I get a ton of content. You know what DIDN'T come up, the reference in the Player's handbook. This reference:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/equipment/23-halberd
I found that by searching "weapons". Then I scrolled more than halfway down the list of useless information it gave me until I got to the current player's handbook listing for weapons (ALL the old stuff comes up first). Then I scrolled through that page until I found Halberd and clicked that word in the list.
I can't even filter the damn search by book, even though I know EXACTLY which book the reference is in. Good Gods people, at least give us some sort of search syntax we can use if you aren't going to give us usable screen. Even Splunk has a better search engine. Just give me access to the data I've paid for and I'll create my own database and search engine. Give me access to an API and I'll write my own.
Even with all the money I've spent, I'm contemplating cancelling my master tier subscription and just giving up all the material I've purchased. I can find stuff faster in the printed materials.
Allocation of money and resorces. They make a lot of money. Clearly it's not going to improve the site. Where do you suppose it's going?
Because search engines aren't really easy to make. The good ones are also really expensive.
Mate, it doesn't even need to be "good". At this point, I'm fairly certain most of us will settle for "functional".
Fix it. Fix it. Fix it. Fix it.