Yes, but those answers are now negated by the fact that D&D Beyond is now owned by Wizards of the Coast, owner of the physical books.
So again, why can we not get codes going forward?
Wow, I bought everything on DDB, I should start demanding physical copies!
Same thing both ways and same reasons why it doesn't work.
We should also be allowed to watch the D&D movies for free, since we already own all the background material.
To be fair, the D&D movies that currently exist are less in demand than just about anything for sale everywhere. The second one is head and shoulders above the first, and it's a mediocre B movie at best. The first one is just a bunch of shiny bullshit with the D&D logo slapped on it and about a thousand CGI dragons flying around breathing fire because it's clearly made by people with no real knowledge of the actual game or the people that play it. At least the second one has a half decent fight against a dragon even if it's just randomly shoehorned into the middle of the plot (no I'm not even going to talk about the final boss fight).
Yes, but those answers are now negated by the fact that D&D Beyond is now owned by Wizards of the Coast, owner of the physical books.
So again, why can we not get codes going forward?
Wow, I bought everything on DDB, I should start demanding physical copies!
Same thing both ways and same reasons why it doesn't work.
We should also be allowed to watch the D&D movies for free, since we already own all the background material.
To be fair, the D&D movies that currently exist are less in demand than just about anything for sale everywhere. The second one is head and shoulders above the first, and it's a mediocre B movie at best. The first one is just a bunch of shiny bullshit with the D&D logo slapped on it and about a thousand CGI dragons flying around breathing fire because it's clearly made by people with no real knowledge of the actual game or the people that play it. At least the second one has a half decent fight against a dragon even if it's just randomly shoehorned into the middle of the plot (no I'm not even going to talk about the final boss fight).
On researching this briefly, I was impressed by how many D&D movies that I never knew existed there were. At least if you count straight-to-dvd stuff.
I really wouldn't mind buying both physical and digital separately if the digital version would at least feature the ability to switch languages (which actually is just uploading additional text files).
As a non native speaker that would enable me to run campaigns with people who do not have the same ability to speak and read english at a decent level... (specifically the German version if that matters for the discussion)
I really wouldn't mind buying both physical and digital separately if the digital version would at least feature the ability to switch languages (which actually is just uploading additional text files).
As a non native speaker that would enable me to run campaigns with people who do not have the same ability to speak and read english at a decent level... (specifically the German version if that matters for the discussion)
Not everything in D&D English language base has actually been translated last I checked. Moreover, it's not a simple upload. Online document and tool design has a bit more quality assurance to it than that. Lastly, to be a good faith provider of D&D digital tools in languages other than English would obligate D&D Beyond/WotC/Hasbro to invest in a customer service resources in those languages. The existing English customer service system seems pretty easily stressed when a system wide bug arises.
5e is indeed a streamlined game, but the real world around the furnishing of that game just isn't that simple.
I really wouldn't mind buying both physical and digital separately if the digital version would at least feature the ability to switch languages (which actually is just uploading additional text files).
As a non native speaker that would enable me to run campaigns with people who do not have the same ability to speak and read english at a decent level... (specifically the German version if that matters for the discussion)
Not everything in D&D English language base has actually been translated last I checked. Moreover, it's not a simple upload.
At least they took direct control of the european translations in october so there's that. If at some points they decide to integrate those translations into dndbeyond, now they can. But like everything, it has a cost, in time, people and money.
They seem ambitious to make d&d grow beyond (!) the USA, so it probably will happen. But when ?
I really wouldn't mind buying both physical and digital separately if the digital version would at least feature the ability to switch languages (which actually is just uploading additional text files).
As a non native speaker that would enable me to run campaigns with people who do not have the same ability to speak and read english at a decent level... (specifically the German version if that matters for the discussion)
I can assure you, as someone who has QA'd localisation for various games, that it's not "just uploading additional text files". You have to also manage the layout of said text as many languages use longer or shorter words than english. This can cause issues that require CSS adjustments and other layout tweaks. If you justupload the localised text file in place of the English one, you end up with a hot mess.
I really wouldn't mind buying both physical and digital separately if the digital version would at least feature the ability to switch languages (which actually is just uploading additional text files).
As a non native speaker that would enable me to run campaigns with people who do not have the same ability to speak and read english at a decent level... (specifically the German version if that matters for the discussion)
I can assure you, as someone who has QA'd localisation for various games, that it's not "just uploading additional text files". You have to also manage the layout of said text as many languages use longer or shorter words than english. This can cause issues that require CSS adjustments and other layout tweaks. If you justupload the localised text file in place of the English one, you end up with a hot mess.
Don't forget any cultural censoring that needs to be done in order to make something palatable to your new audience.
Yes, but those answers are now negated by the fact that D&D Beyond is now owned by Wizards of the Coast, owner of the physical books.
So again, why can we not get codes going forward?
2 reasons, the acquisition is not complete and, we have no idea what the long term plan is, but do not expect sudden changes to occur suddenly. If they decide to go with this code approach, they have to consider all the books out in the wild now that have no code, they have to ramp up code creation and printing, they have to put the methods into place to actually process this, and that takes time, and money to implement, and they have just spent 140 million dollars to buy DnD beyond.
I don't see this ever being a thing, because, why would you pay to buy a thing that makes money, and then cut your revenue in half?
Yes, but those answers are now negated by the fact that D&D Beyond is now owned by Wizards of the Coast, owner of the physical books.
So again, why can we not get codes going forward?
As I said, Wizards does not want to cut down on it's income from DDB by allowing scan in codes. Nobody would want to have a chunk suddenly pulled out of their paycheck, especially after they just spent a bunch of money.
Buying DDB was costly, I'm sure, but what would make it even more costly for Wizards would be to allow codes (as I explain in my earlier post).
PS. Also, the transaction technichally hasn't been completed yet, so this (probably wont be but still) could be a moot point.
That said, I think a good tactic would be to provide compendium access to those who bought the book. This means that you essentially get the digital version of your book for free. The actual stuff that is what DDB is built on, like the character builder, encounter builder, etc, would be extra. In coming here for your digital stuff, you'll be exposed to these extra features and, by numbers, generate extra sales too. That wasn't realistically possible when DDB was separate to WotC, but could work when the sale goes through. It's unlikely to happen, but hey. Ideally, I'd want PDFs, but that's a pipedream.
This is actually a reasonable and potentially realistic scenario for how it could play out eventually. Much more akin to how Paizo and other companies provide free PDFs. Content only, without access to the tools.
It takes a ton of effort to convert those books to D&D Beyond and it’s frankly absurd, and even bordering on rude, to demand all that work for free. In fact, given how much work it takes to layout and print a physical book vs all of that data entry and web programming, if anything, anyone who buys the book in DDB should demand a free print copy! But that sounds absurd, doesn’t it? 😉
Nothing "bordering on" here at all. It's flat out entitlement...
In the end it comes down to one thing, in my opinion. Providing access to the content here for free isn't free at all. It has to cost someone. If WotC was to bundle codes into the physical books, that has to be paid for, so the book prices will have to increase to cover that cost. Maybe the people who DO want both will be fine with some level of increase if it gives them the digital access. But on the other side are the folks who are paper-only. Why should THEY pay more, potentially subsidizing the digital users, or at the very least, pay more for something they don't want or need?
The physical Essentials Kit has DDB codes to mirror content on the website already. IDK why ppl act like this is foreign, sure there's reasons why existing content wasn't shared, but copying text and moving it around on pages with hyperlinks isn't a $20-$30 dollar value if you already own the physical books.
No amount of explanation is going to make this interest go away, future books should do like comics and hybridize their media. IDK how high rez the images are on the maps and such, but the least they could do is sell some of the fold out material a la cart. I could take the images to a print shop, and then the value would increase.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
Do you have any idea what a nightmare that would be once the first errata came out and the book had two different versions with minuscule differences.
The physical Essentials Kit has DDB codes to mirror content on the website already. IDK why ppl act like this is foreign, sure there's reasons why existing content wasn't shared, but copying text and moving it around on pages with hyperlinks isn't a $20-$30 dollar value if you already own the physical books.
No amount of explanation is going to make this interest go away, future books should do like comics and hybridize their media. IDK how high rez the images are on the maps and such, but the least they could do is sell some of the fold out material a la cart. I could take the images to a print shop, and then the value would increase.
It's clear the Essential kit is an "entry" product designed to expose players to both the print and digital spaces D&D occupies. WotC and DDB did in fact experiment with hardcopy purchases = DDB copy with Theros ... and nothing was ever heard from the experiment ever again. I'm saying what folks have wanted has been tested out and for whatever reason it evidently didn't sit to the merchandise proprietor's liking.
That said, acknowledging the free PDF trend in TTRPG (some publishers just need a pic of your hardcopy and a receipt and it shows up in your account, there's even BitsandMortar that handles the process for some busier publishers). So on that front, would you take as your companion to the physical book the electronic compendium content for free but be cut off outside of homebrew from DDB's character maker, encounter builder, and other tools integrated into a full digital edition? Because that's the equivalent of what other publishers due with the free pdf policy (and the closest I'd anticipated WotC coming to granting the "can I have digital since I have physical" request. However, if you see how these complaints start most of the griping from the "I want it free" crowd comes from people who want to build stuff they want in the character builder based on physical books they own. They want the real value of DDB (toolsets integrated with content) for free.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
Playing "wordsearch" is an incredibly insecure method of proof of physical ownership or right to digital ownership.
Curious. Beedle and Grimm gives you a D&D Beyond copy of the adventure or sourcebook when you buy one of their Platinum or Gold editions. Does anyone here know how that works? Do they send you a code in the box? Secure communication over email. Do they just take your DDB account info and "set you up" on launch?
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
Playing "wordsearch" is an incredibly insecure method of proof of physical ownership or right to digital ownership.
Curious. Beedle and Grimm gives you a D&D Beyond copy of the adventure or sourcebook when you buy one of their Platinum or Gold editions. Does anyone here know how that works? Do they send you a code in the box? Secure communication over email. Do they just take your DDB account info and "set you up" on launch?
Beedle and Grimm? No idea what that is, can you send a link?
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
And then you hand your book to your friend, and they do it, and around the table until everyone has one.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
Playing "wordsearch" is an incredibly insecure method of proof of physical ownership or right to digital ownership.
Curious. Beedle and Grimm gives you a D&D Beyond copy of the adventure or sourcebook when you buy one of their Platinum or Gold editions. Does anyone here know how that works? Do they send you a code in the box? Secure communication over email. Do they just take your DDB account info and "set you up" on launch?
Beedle and Grimm? No idea what that is, can you send a link?
beedle and grim is the high-end version of the books. They’re like $500 or something and come with some nice extras and such.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
Playing "wordsearch" is an incredibly insecure method of proof of physical ownership or right to digital ownership.
Curious. Beedle and Grimm gives you a D&D Beyond copy of the adventure or sourcebook when you buy one of their Platinum or Gold editions. Does anyone here know how that works? Do they send you a code in the box? Secure communication over email. Do they just take your DDB account info and "set you up" on launch?
Beedle and Grimm? No idea what that is, can you send a link?
Sorry, I almost always misspell "Beedle." Beadle and Grimm is a sort of studio with a relationship with WotC to produce frankly "luxury" boxed sets of D&D Adventures, and some sourcebooks (and have made some forays into Pathfinder and MtG). They usually take a hardback adventure, break down the book into multiple booklets for ease of DM and player references, throw in battle maps and props and minis etc. I've never bought one, but they seem pretty sweet. Their main page breaks down what they're doing with Spelljammer. Xalthu's right, the $500 is for a (limited) platinum edition that has all the stuff thrown in. They also do "gold" or "silver" editions for around $150 and tend to keep them in circulations, that gets your the reformatted books, maps, but you don't get the minis and props usually.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
Playing "wordsearch" is an incredibly insecure method of proof of physical ownership or right to digital ownership.
Curious. Beedle and Grimm gives you a D&D Beyond copy of the adventure or sourcebook when you buy one of their Platinum or Gold editions. Does anyone here know how that works? Do they send you a code in the box? Secure communication over email. Do they just take your DDB account info and "set you up" on launch?
They email a code. Also they send it before release so you can get the pre-order perks, which is also nice because their actual box usually ships months after the book’s release.
but copying text and moving it around on pages with hyperlinks isn't a $20-$30 dollar value if you already own the physical books.
There is far more to D&D Beyond than text with hyperlinks. You should try out some of the searches & filter options “Game Rules.” Also the Character Builder in particular is amazing!
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To be fair, the D&D movies that currently exist are less in demand than just about anything for sale everywhere. The second one is head and shoulders above the first, and it's a mediocre B movie at best. The first one is just a bunch of shiny bullshit with the D&D logo slapped on it and about a thousand CGI dragons flying around breathing fire because it's clearly made by people with no real knowledge of the actual game or the people that play it. At least the second one has a half decent fight against a dragon even if it's just randomly shoehorned into the middle of the plot (no I'm not even going to talk about the final boss fight).
On researching this briefly, I was impressed by how many D&D movies that I never knew existed there were. At least if you count straight-to-dvd stuff.
I really wouldn't mind buying both physical and digital separately if the digital version would at least feature the ability to switch languages (which actually is just uploading additional text files).
As a non native speaker that would enable me to run campaigns with people who do not have the same ability to speak and read english at a decent level... (specifically the German version if that matters for the discussion)
Not everything in D&D English language base has actually been translated last I checked. Moreover, it's not a simple upload. Online document and tool design has a bit more quality assurance to it than that. Lastly, to be a good faith provider of D&D digital tools in languages other than English would obligate D&D Beyond/WotC/Hasbro to invest in a customer service resources in those languages. The existing English customer service system seems pretty easily stressed when a system wide bug arises.
5e is indeed a streamlined game, but the real world around the furnishing of that game just isn't that simple.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
At least they took direct control of the european translations in october so there's that. If at some points they decide to integrate those translations into dndbeyond, now they can. But like everything, it has a cost, in time, people and money.
They seem ambitious to make d&d grow beyond (!) the USA, so it probably will happen. But when ?
I can assure you, as someone who has QA'd localisation for various games, that it's not "just uploading additional text files". You have to also manage the layout of said text as many languages use longer or shorter words than english. This can cause issues that require CSS adjustments and other layout tweaks. If you just upload the localised text file in place of the English one, you end up with a hot mess.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Don't forget any cultural censoring that needs to be done in order to make something palatable to your new audience.
Er ek geng, þat er í þeim skóm er ek valda.
UwU
2 reasons, the acquisition is not complete and, we have no idea what the long term plan is, but do not expect sudden changes to occur suddenly. If they decide to go with this code approach, they have to consider all the books out in the wild now that have no code, they have to ramp up code creation and printing, they have to put the methods into place to actually process this, and that takes time, and money to implement, and they have just spent 140 million dollars to buy DnD beyond.
I don't see this ever being a thing, because, why would you pay to buy a thing that makes money, and then cut your revenue in half?
As I said, Wizards does not want to cut down on it's income from DDB by allowing scan in codes. Nobody would want to have a chunk suddenly pulled out of their paycheck, especially after they just spent a bunch of money.
Buying DDB was costly, I'm sure, but what would make it even more costly for Wizards would be to allow codes (as I explain in my earlier post).
PS. Also, the transaction technichally hasn't been completed yet, so this (probably wont be but still) could be a moot point.
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE.This is actually a reasonable and potentially realistic scenario for how it could play out eventually. Much more akin to how Paizo and other companies provide free PDFs. Content only, without access to the tools.
Nothing "bordering on" here at all. It's flat out entitlement...
In the end it comes down to one thing, in my opinion. Providing access to the content here for free isn't free at all. It has to cost someone. If WotC was to bundle codes into the physical books, that has to be paid for, so the book prices will have to increase to cover that cost. Maybe the people who DO want both will be fine with some level of increase if it gives them the digital access. But on the other side are the folks who are paper-only. Why should THEY pay more, potentially subsidizing the digital users, or at the very least, pay more for something they don't want or need?
The physical Essentials Kit has DDB codes to mirror content on the website already. IDK why ppl act like this is foreign, sure there's reasons why existing content wasn't shared, but copying text and moving it around on pages with hyperlinks isn't a $20-$30 dollar value if you already own the physical books.
No amount of explanation is going to make this interest go away, future books should do like comics and hybridize their media. IDK how high rez the images are on the maps and such, but the least they could do is sell some of the fold out material a la cart. I could take the images to a print shop, and then the value would increase.
I think they could do it so they ask you for a word that is in a specific part of the book, like page 48, word 21, and have you have to do it 3-5 times, and they could have a lot of different ones you have to do, so each one is randomized.
It pronounced Den Sake. It is not Japanese.
Website character sheet not working fix (Hopefully)
Semi-Expert at homebrew, just ask for my help.
Do you have any idea what a nightmare that would be once the first errata came out and the book had two different versions with minuscule differences.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
It's clear the Essential kit is an "entry" product designed to expose players to both the print and digital spaces D&D occupies. WotC and DDB did in fact experiment with hardcopy purchases = DDB copy with Theros ... and nothing was ever heard from the experiment ever again. I'm saying what folks have wanted has been tested out and for whatever reason it evidently didn't sit to the merchandise proprietor's liking.
That said, acknowledging the free PDF trend in TTRPG (some publishers just need a pic of your hardcopy and a receipt and it shows up in your account, there's even BitsandMortar that handles the process for some busier publishers). So on that front, would you take as your companion to the physical book the electronic compendium content for free but be cut off outside of homebrew from DDB's character maker, encounter builder, and other tools integrated into a full digital edition? Because that's the equivalent of what other publishers due with the free pdf policy (and the closest I'd anticipated WotC coming to granting the "can I have digital since I have physical" request. However, if you see how these complaints start most of the griping from the "I want it free" crowd comes from people who want to build stuff they want in the character builder based on physical books they own. They want the real value of DDB (toolsets integrated with content) for free.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Playing "wordsearch" is an incredibly insecure method of proof of physical ownership or right to digital ownership.
Curious. Beedle and Grimm gives you a D&D Beyond copy of the adventure or sourcebook when you buy one of their Platinum or Gold editions. Does anyone here know how that works? Do they send you a code in the box? Secure communication over email. Do they just take your DDB account info and "set you up" on launch?
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Beedle and Grimm? No idea what that is, can you send a link?
And then you hand your book to your friend, and they do it, and around the table until everyone has one.
beedle and grim is the high-end version of the books. They’re like $500 or something and come with some nice extras and such.
Sorry, I almost always misspell "Beedle." Beadle and Grimm is a sort of studio with a relationship with WotC to produce frankly "luxury" boxed sets of D&D Adventures, and some sourcebooks (and have made some forays into Pathfinder and MtG). They usually take a hardback adventure, break down the book into multiple booklets for ease of DM and player references, throw in battle maps and props and minis etc. I've never bought one, but they seem pretty sweet. Their main page breaks down what they're doing with Spelljammer. Xalthu's right, the $500 is for a (limited) platinum edition that has all the stuff thrown in. They also do "gold" or "silver" editions for around $150 and tend to keep them in circulations, that gets your the reformatted books, maps, but you don't get the minis and props usually.
https://beadleandgrimms.com
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
They email a code. Also they send it before release so you can get the pre-order perks, which is also nice because their actual box usually ships months after the book’s release.
There is far more to D&D Beyond than text with hyperlinks. You should try out some of the searches & filter options “Game Rules.” Also the Character Builder in particular is amazing!