I wanted to provide an update on how things are going with the beta so far and a peek behind the curtain for the next few weeks.
First, Phase 1 of beta testing has drastically exceeded our expectations in both number of participants and the amount of feedback received. We have been able to confirm that we're barking up the right tree for much of what we're doing, but we're also paying close attention to new or unexpected feedback from the community. Changes have already been made based on that feedback, and all of this will make D&D Beyond a better product as a result.
Seriously and genuinely, "thank you" to every player for the help!
Now, let's talk a little bit about what's on the horizon.
To the big one first - Phase 2 is not quite ready to enter testing, but it's getting closer each day. No release date to share as of yet.
We have talked many times internally about getting our current builds out to the community to start the testing process now as opposed to waiting for a more polished build. Unfortunately, the way that the world looks at beta testing has changed to a point where for players it often means "you better bring your 'A' game or I'm not coming back." While the character builder and sheet will not be perfect when they're released, we certainly want them to be closer than where we are as of today. We're well aware that many people will swarm the site once again (or come to it anew) as soon as Phase 2 drops - we have to do what we can to let the builder and sheet make a good impression.
Rest assured, we are still talking weeks and we'll certainly launch with everything this summer as originally announced. I ask for everyone to hang in there a little longer - it's all for the best.
As for Phase 3, it is actually as close (if not closer) to done as the builder and the sheet. In fact, we could have conceivably released what's in Phase 3 before we release Phase 2. The problem is, homebrew and campaign management (in its first iteration) won't be as valuable without the integration with character management coming from the second phase.
I'm bringing this up mainly to assure the community that the wait for Phase 3 once Phase 2 hits will without a doubt be significantly shorter than the wait between the first two phases. We will move from Phase 3 to launch (where everyone will be able to finally move beyond the Basic Rules/ SRD content) quickly after.
A couple of other points of interest:
Global search isn't included in any particular phase, but it has always been coming as I've mentioned a few times. We're integrating some solid technology (it's fun to see how fast it is in testing) that made more sense to build out closer to launch. We'll get this out for everyone to start using soon!
A few details have come out in Dragon+ and Dragon Talk (transcript from the awesome mods here) in the last couple of weeks. I encourage everyone to check those out for other great D&D reasons, but please keep in mind the information there is still partial. Full features and pricing details are not yet ready to be revealed. It won't be too much longer, and I stand by my earlier sentiments that many will be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks again for the superb help during the beta - we really do appreciate this great community!
And somehow I missed this post. I was wondering how you all were doing, and now I know! Keep up the good work! And know I have faith that when you say "soon" it doesn't mean the same "soon" as other companies that say "soon" ;)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Welcome to the Grand Illusion, come on in and see what's happening, pay the price, get your ticket for the show....
We have talked many times internally about getting our current builds out to the community to start the testing process now as opposed to waiting for a more polished build. Unfortunately, the way that the world looks at beta testing has changed to a point where for players it often means "you better bring your 'A' game or I'm not coming back." While the character builder and sheet will not be perfect when they're released, we certainly want them to be closer than where we are as of today. We're well aware that many people will swarm the site once again (or come to it anew) as soon as Phase 2 drops - we have to do what we can to let the builder and sheet make a good impression.
I think when most people think beta these days, they think "open beta" or the stress testing phase.
The closed beta, the true beta testing, I haven't heard much of.
I especially can not wait to see how you handle homebrew. In my game we have 2 homebrew races (a dullahan [headless horseman] and a dhampir) and a home brew pet (picture The Rabbit from Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail).
Yeah, but even in closed beta, people are expecting more polish to everything. It is Alpha where it can be gritty and you are making sure the foundation is there. At least, that is what I have seen in the shift of testing MMOs. I also know that in any test if the players feel like they are being ignored they will disappear very quickly. In one game test I joined a guild that got to be over 50 pretty active testers and we did a LOT of input to the game. It seemed like the NA version came out without even listening to what the other players were saying in the Russian and other versions being made ahead of NA. We even saw some of the bugs griped about a month before and were fixed in one version but not ours. No, that was the worse testing experience ever! All 50+ of us quit the test on the same day!
So having seen some really bad testing on the MMO side of the house, I'm leery of any TEST that comes out until the devs prove they are paying attention. In this case they are definitely paying attention and even tweaking things for the other phases based on things we have stated here for our wishes and desires. I've seen some of the easier to fix bugs be corrected in a few hours. One of them in ONE hour though that one was just a formatting issue when they first added the character stuff to the compendium. I'm impressed with what they are trying to do that will help us play D&D even better no matter how much we are pen and paper at a table or if we are playing via virtual table tops or play by posts on these forums.
I look forward to the next phase, which I wanted yesterday ;D, but I rather see something on the polished side of the idea and then we get to hammer out the kinks and see what tweaks would make it shine better. I'm quite sure the next phase will be a great deal of fun. Don't put Phase 3 too fast on it, but glad to know it is probably more ready. I rather we feel close to a happy setup of the sheets just so if some tweak changes how it works with the campaign manager you can have that in before you throw that out at us.
Thanks for this opportunity and the great way you all are handling the production of this product.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PbP - Beregost Blues - Portia Starflower, Half Elf, Cleric, Life Domain PbP - Tome of Annhilation - Vistani Mocanu, Human, Bard
I get it and I really do appreciate the quality work that you and your team are doing. Still, I am disappointed that phase two is taking as long as it is to see even our first glimpses (beyond what I assume were mock-ups in promotional photos).
Also, I dont think that releasing a rough version of the builder would be as damaging as you have implied. In fact, I think for impatient folks, a longer wait might lead just as many to feeling that DDB is destined to join the growing heap of D&D/RPG vaporware. Thankfully, I am not one of those people.
Is there any chance that we could get more updates, photos, dev blogs/videos, or anything over the next couple of weeks?
That character builder is going to be a huge relief. I run two games (one-shot and episodic) every week with plenty of variety and opportunities for new players. The biggest barrier and most common reason people don't want to play is the complicated and information-heavy character creation phase and subsequent skill and inventory tracking. Sucks the fun right out of the game before it even has a chance. I was glad to see this was brought up early in the conversation in the Dragon Talk podcast.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Experience: 5e Only - Playing, DM, world building.
DM for Home-brew campaign based on Forgotten Realms lore. 5 player. Also play in party of 8.
First, I'm surprised this post wasn't in the "News and Announcements" section, because I know that has been my main page of daily reading to see what's going on.
Second, I agree with you about waiting to release. I always like the Nintendo philosophy of "a delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is forever bad." I want this to be good, so I want you take all the time you need.
Third, I think showing progress would do a lot of good to help people stop freaking out. We all hate watching a slow moving progress bar or download bar, but watching it helps us know that something IS happening even if we don't know what it is. I think a good idea is adding a simple Phase 2 Status Bar that you can inch forward at whatever pace you want. It helps us see that things are progressing and lets us celebrate each step of the way.
Forth, The road goes ever on and on... keep up the good work my friends.
Weird. I am subscribed both to that forum and to Badeye, and got notification for neither. (Consider this a tentative bug report :p )
Still, awesome. Polishing goes a long way, and although I wouldn't mind testing stuff, I also won't mind waiting for a more solid result.
So, thanks for the information! :)
I'll echo what was mentioned above, though: we have heard no news on the mobile (android?) app. Is this also being worked on? Is it included on the release schedule?
Weird. I am subscribed both to that forum and to Badeye, and got notification for neither. (Consider this a tentative bug report :p )
You won't have gotten a notification on this post because it was originally posted in a section of the forums you are unable to see, then moved to News and Announcements. When it got no replies, it was again moved.
Hello everyone!
I wanted to provide an update on how things are going with the beta so far and a peek behind the curtain for the next few weeks.
First, Phase 1 of beta testing has drastically exceeded our expectations in both number of participants and the amount of feedback received. We have been able to confirm that we're barking up the right tree for much of what we're doing, but we're also paying close attention to new or unexpected feedback from the community. Changes have already been made based on that feedback, and all of this will make D&D Beyond a better product as a result.
Seriously and genuinely, "thank you" to every player for the help!
Now, let's talk a little bit about what's on the horizon.
To the big one first - Phase 2 is not quite ready to enter testing, but it's getting closer each day. No release date to share as of yet.
We have talked many times internally about getting our current builds out to the community to start the testing process now as opposed to waiting for a more polished build. Unfortunately, the way that the world looks at beta testing has changed to a point where for players it often means "you better bring your 'A' game or I'm not coming back." While the character builder and sheet will not be perfect when they're released, we certainly want them to be closer than where we are as of today. We're well aware that many people will swarm the site once again (or come to it anew) as soon as Phase 2 drops - we have to do what we can to let the builder and sheet make a good impression.
Rest assured, we are still talking weeks and we'll certainly launch with everything this summer as originally announced. I ask for everyone to hang in there a little longer - it's all for the best.
As for Phase 3, it is actually as close (if not closer) to done as the builder and the sheet. In fact, we could have conceivably released what's in Phase 3 before we release Phase 2. The problem is, homebrew and campaign management (in its first iteration) won't be as valuable without the integration with character management coming from the second phase.
I'm bringing this up mainly to assure the community that the wait for Phase 3 once Phase 2 hits will without a doubt be significantly shorter than the wait between the first two phases. We will move from Phase 3 to launch (where everyone will be able to finally move beyond the Basic Rules/ SRD content) quickly after.
A couple of other points of interest:
Thanks again for the superb help during the beta - we really do appreciate this great community!
Weeks.
After being told it was weeks, weeks ago.
Breathe, must breathe. Concentrate on breathing for another few weeks. In, out, in, out...
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
And somehow I missed this post. I was wondering how you all were doing, and now I know! Keep up the good work! And know I have faith that when you say "soon" it doesn't mean the same "soon" as other companies that say "soon" ;)
Welcome to the Grand Illusion, come on in and see what's happening, pay the price, get your ticket for the show....
<insert thumbs up emote here>
Can't wait! 💪
DM Sam
Excited to utilize the next few phases.
I especially can not wait to see how you handle homebrew. In my game we have 2 homebrew races (a dullahan [headless horseman] and a dhampir) and a home brew pet (picture The Rabbit from Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail).
Yeah, but even in closed beta, people are expecting more polish to everything. It is Alpha where it can be gritty and you are making sure the foundation is there. At least, that is what I have seen in the shift of testing MMOs. I also know that in any test if the players feel like they are being ignored they will disappear very quickly. In one game test I joined a guild that got to be over 50 pretty active testers and we did a LOT of input to the game. It seemed like the NA version came out without even listening to what the other players were saying in the Russian and other versions being made ahead of NA. We even saw some of the bugs griped about a month before and were fixed in one version but not ours. No, that was the worse testing experience ever! All 50+ of us quit the test on the same day!
So having seen some really bad testing on the MMO side of the house, I'm leery of any TEST that comes out until the devs prove they are paying attention. In this case they are definitely paying attention and even tweaking things for the other phases based on things we have stated here for our wishes and desires. I've seen some of the easier to fix bugs be corrected in a few hours. One of them in ONE hour though that one was just a formatting issue when they first added the character stuff to the compendium. I'm impressed with what they are trying to do that will help us play D&D even better no matter how much we are pen and paper at a table or if we are playing via virtual table tops or play by posts on these forums.
I look forward to the next phase, which I wanted yesterday ;D, but I rather see something on the polished side of the idea and then we get to hammer out the kinks and see what tweaks would make it shine better. I'm quite sure the next phase will be a great deal of fun. Don't put Phase 3 too fast on it, but glad to know it is probably more ready. I rather we feel close to a happy setup of the sheets just so if some tweak changes how it works with the campaign manager you can have that in before you throw that out at us.
Thanks for this opportunity and the great way you all are handling the production of this product.
PbP - Beregost Blues - Portia Starflower, Half Elf, Cleric, Life Domain
PbP - Tome of Annhilation - Vistani Mocanu, Human, Bard
The video game industry has indeed warped the original definitions of alpha & beta test, in many cases to use them as marketing.
As BadEye points out, this means that perception has altered on what people expect.
Also, be aware that the staff are testing and tweaking, to make sure they're happy before making content available.
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Any details you can release on what specifically needs more work for Phase 2?
"What you saw belongs to you. A story doesn't live until it is imagined in someone's mind."
― Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
I get it and I really do appreciate the quality work that you and your team are doing. Still, I am disappointed that phase two is taking as long as it is to see even our first glimpses (beyond what I assume were mock-ups in promotional photos).
Also, I dont think that releasing a rough version of the builder would be as damaging as you have implied. In fact, I think for impatient folks, a longer wait might lead just as many to feeling that DDB is destined to join the growing heap of D&D/RPG vaporware. Thankfully, I am not one of those people.
Is there any chance that we could get more updates, photos, dev blogs/videos, or anything over the next couple of weeks?
I had figured that the wait between phase 1 and 2 would be longer than 2 and 3. Looking forward to it!
Is there any news on the app yet?
I use summon instrument to summon my kettle drum, hold it overhead like Donkey Kong, and chuck it at the nearest kobold.
Can't wait for the sheets!
That character builder is going to be a huge relief. I run two games (one-shot and episodic) every week with plenty of variety and opportunities for new players. The biggest barrier and most common reason people don't want to play is the complicated and information-heavy character creation phase and subsequent skill and inventory tracking. Sucks the fun right out of the game before it even has a chance. I was glad to see this was brought up early in the conversation in the Dragon Talk podcast.
Experience: 5e Only - Playing, DM, world building.
DM for Home-brew campaign based on Forgotten Realms lore. 5 player. Also play in party of 8.
First, I'm surprised this post wasn't in the "News and Announcements" section, because I know that has been my main page of daily reading to see what's going on.
Second, I agree with you about waiting to release. I always like the Nintendo philosophy of "a delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is forever bad." I want this to be good, so I want you take all the time you need.
Third, I think showing progress would do a lot of good to help people stop freaking out. We all hate watching a slow moving progress bar or download bar, but watching it helps us know that something IS happening even if we don't know what it is. I think a good idea is adding a simple Phase 2 Status Bar that you can inch forward at whatever pace you want. It helps us see that things are progressing and lets us celebrate each step of the way.
Forth, The road goes ever on and on... keep up the good work my friends.
"All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost..." - Bilbo Baggins
Agree, I would definitely move this to the News and Announcement forum.
Don't rush, take your time, rather it be slow and good than bad and hear.
It was in the News and Announcement forum for 3 hours without a single response. ;)
So Badeye decided to move it in here for more exposure.
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It was?
Weird. I am subscribed both to that forum and to Badeye, and got notification for neither. (Consider this a tentative bug report :p )
Still, awesome. Polishing goes a long way, and although I wouldn't mind testing stuff, I also won't mind waiting for a more solid result.
So, thanks for the information! :)
I'll echo what was mentioned above, though: we have heard no news on the mobile (android?) app. Is this also being worked on? Is it included on the release schedule?
You won't have gotten a notification on this post because it was originally posted in a section of the forums you are unable to see, then moved to News and Announcements. When it got no replies, it was again moved.
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?