Bring Back Random Character Generation

Quote from FlynnBuservakt >>

Character randomizer does not mean character optimizer. If I want to put together a great character, I'm taking the time to do that myself. 

 exactly, I don't want a randomizer to create an optimized character I want something I would have never thought of, got a monk+paladin combo that's terrible but so fun to play as a mini villian and my players loved him

My point wasn't that it didn't produce "optimized" characters—that's a strawman of what I said which was that it produced "very poorly put together characters".

Quote from hollowtpm >>

Quote from UnclearStunts >>

Quote from hollowtpm >>

Quote from UnclearStunts >>

Quote from Perringaiden >>

They said they're building the Character Builder 2.0 and it will include a full random character generator.  The current one is just a tester.  Personally, for level 1 characters it's far better than the old one, so I look forward to seeing what the expanded stuff brings.

In the meantime, there are plenty of random character generator tools out there.

 

First thank you for the feedback, always appreciated.

Next, i gotta disagree and correct a few points.

I do know they said their building a Character Builder 2.0 thst will include a full random character generator but they don't have one right now, I need now for my current campaign I'm running, getting rid of the old one doesn't make any sense until after the new one is fully created, there is no reason both can't exist until then.

I agree for level 1 characters it's far better than the old one but not for levels higher, it doesn't support that currently.

There are plenty of random character generator tools out on the internet, but I paid for the tools here on dndbeyond I don't want to spend my money here then spend more time looking elsewhere.

 Oh but you did not pay for the tools on DDB, you paid for the content that the tools can use. The tools have always been the "free" part of the website.

 Sir you just made my point, I paid for content that I expected to use the tools with. Whether or not the tools are free or not matter not, the tools are part of the consumer experience an incentive to show what you can use their content with, and with that a percentage of why i made the decision to pay in the first place. Now it's gone, and I can't do what i wanted to with my original purchase.

 No the content is still useable just not in the format you want. Again the tools are free and D&D is literally fixing the tools that everyone is complaining about. They needed a way to test it and they "updated" random character gen to do that. Sorry but that is the truth of the matter.

Your content is still useable in the tools, just not in the way you would prefer, and the staff are working on a new system that will remedy that.

I have to address the points you made here.
1. The content is not usable, it only creates a level 1 character and doesn't finish the process only starts it you still have to select ability scores and equipment. Where as before it made a ready to play character right away at a much higher level.
2. Complaint is how growth works, so I'm all for that. What I don't like is getting rid of a system that did its job in favor for one that doesn't. Additionally free doesn't mean what you think it does, if its a taste or a sample of the marketed content then its more then just a free option its the trailer, it's the beta, etc. if that's dndbeyonds FREE content then I'd hate to see their PAID content. You know what I mean?
3. They did not need a way to test new content, they just needed to add a new way, you can have two options for character randomization, ice cream from dairy queen has more then one flavor, my point being they can roll out a Beta option along side rather then remove the version that actually works. That's the real truth.
4. The content is not useable, it does not create a ready to play character, its no less then clicking three buttons in the normal character creator.

Quote from Davyd >>

My point wasn't that it didn't produce "optimized" characters—that's a strawman of what I said which was that it produced "very poorly put together characters".

This is gonna be a weird take but here me out, "very poorly put together characters" is fine for the game. A character does not need to have a optimized character to have fun, the point of random is for it to be something chaotic and out of the box or it could even be a human fighter with the soldier background who knows. But the main thing I want from a random character generator is for a useable character after clicking said button. We are not getting that right now.

Quote from Davyd >>

Quote from UnclearStunts >>

 

I will not be paying for Master Tier again with developers who just remove perfectly good features from their site.

 The old random character was notorious for generating very poorly put together characters, so calling it a "perfectly good feature" is really overselling it.

Removing a not-fit-for-purpose feature seems reasonsable

wow I had to come back to this message you wrote

(generating very poorly put together characters)
that's the point of it being random, you don't know what you're gonna get

(calling it a "perfectly good feature" is really overselling it)
it worked where as quick builder does not
it did as advertised, "randomly generated", it even had options to specify subclasses and if you wanted feats it was better then advertised

Quote from UnclearStunts >>

Quote from Davyd >>

My point wasn't that it didn't produce "optimized" characters—that's a strawman of what I said which was that it produced "very poorly put together characters".

This is gonna be a weird take but here me out, "very poorly put together characters" is fine for the game. A character does not need to have a optimized character to have fun, the point of random is for it to be something chaotic and out of the box or it could even be a human fighter with the soldier background who knows. But the main thing I want from a random character generator is for a useable character after clicking said button. We are not getting that right now.

 Again, you're misrepresenting my point. "very poorly put together characters" is not the same as "not optimized". I am not saying it should produce optimized characters. I am saying a good, useful random character generator should produce characters that meet the bare minimum of usefulness. For example:

• Putting at least 1 of the 3 highest ability scores in the primary stat
• Equipping a character with the right equipment (for example giving a ranged focused character a ranged weapon)
• Picking vaguely appropriate spells (such as giving an evoker wizard some evocation spells)

None of this, none, is "optimization". Sure, some people may get a kick out of a random character generator producing wizards with 8 int, barbarians in full plate, rogue/paladin multiclasses, or any other silliness like that. But that's not useful for people who want to quickly generate characters that are sanely created.

And ngl, if you represent this opinion as being "pro-optimization" again, we're gonna have problems

I liked the old random character generator because when I want random I'd rather have truly random character generation than semi-random that forces certain settings. Especially since "bare minimum of usefulness" is going to look different to different people.

I understand your insistence that you're not asking for random to generate optimized characters. But I also see how easy it is to jump to that conclusion. If your concern is for people looking to quickly generate "sanely created" characters, it seems like like the quickbuilder or premade options fit the bill better anyway. Random is supposed to be for fun nonsense.