Ever since Tasha’s the homebrewer has been even more confusing for new users than it was before. I have literally lost count of the number of folks that I have helped figure their stuff out who were only confused because you lot did I right awful job explaining the whole “granted,” “additional,” “replacement” field. Please, for the love of whatever you might find holy, please sort that out, or do a better job of explaining it. Or better yet, both. Fix it and explain it better. I’m begging you.
What you have to realize is that you lot sit there at desks with mice and keyboards and you can hover over stuff and see what is hiding behind that little question mark. At least half of your users never interact with your site on anything but a mobile device and more than half of that stuff doesn’t function on mobile devices. Please, test how stuff is going to look from your phones before deciding it’s good to go. If you did, you would realize how not good so much of it is.
I know about the only thing I have going for me here is that I happen to be just about the only one willing to tell it like it is sometimes, and simultaneously am willing to say it loud enough to get some attention. Others say but are not heard, others are heard but say nothing useful. This is a plea from a comunity member who is trying to advocate for this comunity. I’m not a Staffer, I’m not a Mod, I’m just a private user. I owe nothing to nobody and got nothing to loose but my forum privileges. The only dog I have in this is that I use the homebrewer too, but I am probably the one person on this site who isn’t a Mod or Staffer and knows the creation softwares as well as you lot do, so I’m not worried about me. But the other users should at least not have to be that confused because you can’t put a functional label on things. Please.
It's important to keep in mind the homebrew tools aren't bespoke tools for the community; they're a stripped down version of the content entry tools used by the team to add stuff to D&D Beyond. There is no mobile optimised view because the team doesn't use mobile devices to add content to DDB.
When the team gets around to making dedicated community facing homebrew tools, that'd be the point where considerations are made to things like mobile UX. However, as it stands, what you're using is what the devs are using (albeit in a paired back form).
None of that is news to me. I am well aware of all of that. I’m the guy who tells that unfortunately news to other people. Please allow me to rephrase:
As a “private citizen” or “civilian” around here, I am as well informed as any Mod or Staffer as to why the creation software is the way it is. And I am fully aware that yous all had to give us a homebrewer in a jiffy or you wouldn’t be able to. So I am also fully aware that yous stuck the most sensitive stuff behind admin privileges and opened your creation software to the public. I am also aware that the creation software is colloquially (and inaccurately) referred to as the “homebrewer.” Be that as it may, yous could still put better signage up in the interim between now and when you finally get around to fixing it. And hopefully yous will get around to fixing it sooner rather than later because ever since Tasha’s it has gotten even more confusing:
That is just a small sample of problems that people didn’t need to have if there was a little blurb above that field that wasn’t hidden behind a hover doohickey.
I guess what I’m saying is that it may be time to consider reassessing the juice:squeeze ratio for at least sprucing up the look of the thing.
Again, I know that creation software as well as anybody can, so this is not a request for me. This is a request on behalf of the comunity.
Honestly, I think it's difficult to use on purpose.
Fact is it lets you re-create a huge amount of official content with zero repercussions and if its easier to do that, the incentive to buy the official content for the character builder decreases.
I will second the fact that the homebrew tools are deeply unintuitive and becoming more so. I understand that these tools are simply a permissions-locked version of the staff's own toolset, but I would assume the staff has a heap of secondary documentation to go with their tools. Instruction manuals/guides, collected how-tos from the tool builders, all the other information a software company builds up so that they know their own software. All of which users attempting to make use of the homebrew tools have zero access to. Anything we know about the toolset, we know because someone has beaten their head against the tools long enough to smash free knowledge through bloody, painful experience.
Considering the fact that DDB has been working on simply Tasha's content alone for well over a year (counting the CFVs UA that put them on notice) and is still significantly behind, not to mention the "general exceptions" thing that has held back full implementation of PHB content? The dev team finding time to create "Dedicated community facing homebrew tools" is looking incredibly unlikely. In the interim, improved community-facing documentation for the tools we do have would go a great distance towards temporarily bridging the gap.
It's important to keep in mind the homebrew tools aren't bespoke tools for the community; they're a stripped down version of the content entry tools used by the team to add stuff to D&D Beyond.
...
However, as it stands, what you're using is what the devs are using (albeit in a paired back form).
If that's true, the team must hate adding additional content to the site!
I work in web consulting and have to deal with various content management systems, and the way the homebrew creator works is _really_ cumbersome.
Yeah, the Devs can just do a little more with it than we can since they have Admin privileges.
Apparently, when they built the system WotC was a little draconian in their terms, and the DDB staff took it a little too literal and thought WotC was not likely to add anything to D&D that the system couldn’t handle. Ironically, if WotC hadn’t been as insistent on the limitations they wanted, DDB would likely already be leaps and bounds above the other platforms out there since apparently Adam was envisioning the new Gold Standard for their platform and it would have been designed for both Admin and User needs from the beginning.
Ever since Tasha’s the homebrewer has been even more confusing for new users than it was before. I have literally lost count of the number of folks that I have helped figure their stuff out who were only confused because you lot did I right awful job explaining the whole “granted,” “additional,” “replacement” field. Please, for the love of whatever you might find holy, please sort that out, or do a better job of explaining it. Or better yet, both. Fix it and explain it better. I’m begging you.
What you have to realize is that you lot sit there at desks with mice and keyboards and you can hover over stuff and see what is hiding behind that little question mark. At least half of your users never interact with your site on anything but a mobile device and more than half of that stuff doesn’t function on mobile devices. Please, test how stuff is going to look from your phones before deciding it’s good to go. If you did, you would realize how not good so much of it is.
I know about the only thing I have going for me here is that I happen to be just about the only one willing to tell it like it is sometimes, and simultaneously am willing to say it loud enough to get some attention. Others say but are not heard, others are heard but say nothing useful. This is a plea from a comunity member who is trying to advocate for this comunity. I’m not a Staffer, I’m not a Mod, I’m just a private user. I owe nothing to nobody and got nothing to loose but my forum privileges. The only dog I have in this is that I use the homebrewer too, but I am probably the one person on this site who isn’t a Mod or Staffer and knows the creation softwares as well as you lot do, so I’m not worried about me. But the other users should at least not have to be that confused because you can’t put a functional label on things. Please.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
It's important to keep in mind the homebrew tools aren't bespoke tools for the community; they're a stripped down version of the content entry tools used by the team to add stuff to D&D Beyond. There is no mobile optimised view because the team doesn't use mobile devices to add content to DDB.
When the team gets around to making dedicated community facing homebrew tools, that'd be the point where considerations are made to things like mobile UX. However, as it stands, what you're using is what the devs are using (albeit in a paired back form).
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
None of that is news to me. I am well aware of all of that. I’m the guy who tells that unfortunately news to other people. Please allow me to rephrase:
As a “private citizen” or “civilian” around here, I am as well informed as any Mod or Staffer as to why the creation software is the way it is. And I am fully aware that yous all had to give us a homebrewer in a jiffy or you wouldn’t be able to. So I am also fully aware that yous stuck the most sensitive stuff behind admin privileges and opened your creation software to the public. I am also aware that the creation software is colloquially (and inaccurately) referred to as the “homebrewer.” Be that as it may, yous could still put better signage up in the interim between now and when you finally get around to fixing it. And hopefully yous will get around to fixing it sooner rather than later because ever since Tasha’s it has gotten even more confusing:
That is just a small sample of problems that people didn’t need to have if there was a little blurb above that field that wasn’t hidden behind a hover doohickey.
I guess what I’m saying is that it may be time to consider reassessing the juice:squeeze ratio for at least sprucing up the look of the thing.
Again, I know that creation software as well as anybody can, so this is not a request for me. This is a request on behalf of the comunity.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Honestly, I think it's difficult to use on purpose.
Fact is it lets you re-create a huge amount of official content with zero repercussions and if its easier to do that, the incentive to buy the official content for the character builder decreases.
I will second the fact that the homebrew tools are deeply unintuitive and becoming more so. I understand that these tools are simply a permissions-locked version of the staff's own toolset, but I would assume the staff has a heap of secondary documentation to go with their tools. Instruction manuals/guides, collected how-tos from the tool builders, all the other information a software company builds up so that they know their own software. All of which users attempting to make use of the homebrew tools have zero access to. Anything we know about the toolset, we know because someone has beaten their head against the tools long enough to smash free knowledge through bloody, painful experience.
Considering the fact that DDB has been working on simply Tasha's content alone for well over a year (counting the CFVs UA that put them on notice) and is still significantly behind, not to mention the "general exceptions" thing that has held back full implementation of PHB content? The dev team finding time to create "Dedicated community facing homebrew tools" is looking incredibly unlikely. In the interim, improved community-facing documentation for the tools we do have would go a great distance towards temporarily bridging the gap.
Please do not contact or message me.
This^^^
Basically, signage is what we’re asking for.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
If that's true, the team must hate adding additional content to the site!
I work in web consulting and have to deal with various content management systems, and the way the homebrew creator works is _really_ cumbersome.
I honestly feel with you guys and gals at DDB.
Yeah, the Devs can just do a little more with it than we can since they have Admin privileges.
Apparently, when they built the system WotC was a little draconian in their terms, and the DDB staff took it a little too literal and thought WotC was not likely to add anything to D&D that the system couldn’t handle. Ironically, if WotC hadn’t been as insistent on the limitations they wanted, DDB would likely already be leaps and bounds above the other platforms out there since apparently Adam was envisioning the new Gold Standard for their platform and it would have been designed for both Admin and User needs from the beginning.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting