Yea - the staffs' posts so far have read like vacuous platitudes. That's probably cynical of me - but it's always the same. As Yurei says - it's the "Everything is Fine!" spiel that gets repeated over and over in these kinds of situations - even when it's sometimes not true. So we can't take it at face value.
The issue, Hollow, is that anyone who's worked in a corporation of any size, scale or scope before knows that the people leaving are contractually obligated to speak of the company in glowing terms, to tell everyone that it's simply a lifestyle change, and to wish everyopne the best.
In practice that varies with how the split happened, but there's a difference between people leaving to immediately get a new job and people leaving without first having the new job lined up -- it means they like the new opportunity more than the old one, but the old one probably wasn't intolerable, just not preferred. It's not a good sign, but also probably not terminal.
The issue, Hollow, is that anyone who's worked in a corporation of any size, scale or scope before knows that the people leaving are contractually obligated to speak of the company in glowing terms, to tell everyone that it's simply a lifestyle change, and to wish everyopne the best.
In practice that varies with how the split happened, but there's a difference between people leaving to immediately get a new job and people leaving without first having the new job lined up -- it means they like the new opportunity more than the old one, but the old one probably wasn't intolerable, just not preferred. It's not a good sign, but also probably not terminal.
Yep, bridge burning or "take this job and shove it" is actually far less frequent in the work world than feeling you've "done your time" in a particular gig, and thus seek out or make it known your entertaining new options.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I don't know these people at all, but I know a bit about small companies that grow. Some people are just trailblazers. They enjoy getting things running and creating a product. Once the primary product is realized and running the company is just about supporting slightly different flavors of content or adding peripheral features, they start getting restless.
I don't think speculation of any sort is productive right now, but since it's rampant I thought I'd bring up a different theory. Founders like to found things. It's not uncommon to see them leave when the product starts to switch over to auto-pilot.
This is the internet, our goal is to make a whole lot from very little.
And since this website doesn't allow adult images, arguing about politics, or pictures of cats, speculating without evidence is all we're really able to do.
Good evening, why has one of the co-founders and basically every other named staff member we know left this week? Bradford, Hayek, Kenrick, Lauren. This doesn't look good as someone who has spent a ridiculous sum on books and DNDbeyond stuff.
I'm fine with VTTs but frankly, TOTM is better for me. The character sheet tools and searching and whatnot are all I really need for this site. I use Roll20 only for the convenience of the chat and dice rolling. D&D Beyond could just focus on that aspect and be a complete package for me. I find Roll20 easier than other VTT but it can certainly be a paid to use sometimes - it's character sheet is dreadful (and thanks to Beyond20 I don't have to deal with that nonsense), and how it formats stuff (like spells) is horrible to read and awkward.
D&D Beyond will never be a proper VTT. Not as their own thing. If the more simple stuff like piety, classes and custom invocations and such things just stump D&D Beyond so much, then the sincerely more complicated VTT is just way beyond them (puns!). They're better off getting a few features working, like campaign dice logs (which still needs work) and then making their public API so it can be more easily used with external services, like the existing VTTs, if we want to. This way we can use a VTT more easily if we want and D&D Beyond don't have to bother wasting so much dev resource towards their own VTT and can focus on fixing the stuff that's been broken for years, or to provide the basics we've been asking for since the day of its inception, which all of its competitors offer, like custom classes. That stuff is far more useful than a VTT, anyday.
Make that 4.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
I am feeling worried that all the faces left DnD beyond with no one replacing them.
I think this is the major issue, like I ain't in charge of the company or any company but if I were I'd have at least.
A-lined up some transition.
Or
B-Had an announcement a little while ago about "We are going to focus our efforts on the site and apps, and less on things like articles and videos since you can find much of that information elsewhere"
The biggest worry from me is less a lot of people are leaving, and more that there wasn't an effort to sort of 'prep' the audience for that, since speculation is literally the only likely result from it.
I'd like to mention that when people are fired or laid off, they generally don't get to tape a going-away video. They generally get a box to put the stuff on their desk in, then are escorted out. So I'm inclined to believe that the ones leaving are leaving of their own accord. The problem is the way it was handled from a PR standpoint. The fact that we're all here discussing it means DDB screwed up by not letting us know more than a day ahead of time, and not giving any indication of what's in the future plans.
I'm fine with VTTs but frankly, TOTM is better for me. The character sheet tools and searching and whatnot are all I really need for this site. I use Roll20 only for the convenience of the chat and dice rolling. D&D Beyond could just focus on that aspect and be a complete package for me. I find Roll20 easier than other VTT but it can certainly be a paid to use sometimes - it's character sheet is dreadful (and thanks to Beyond20 I don't have to deal with that nonsense), and how it formats stuff (like spells) is horrible to read and awkward.
D&D Beyond will never be a proper VTT. Not as their own thing. If the more simple stuff like piety, classes and custom invocations and such things just stump D&D Beyond so much, then the sincerely more complicated VTT is just way beyond them (puns!). They're better off getting a few features working, like campaign dice logs (which still needs work) and then making their public API so it can be more easily used with external services, like the existing VTTs, if we want to. This way we can use a VTT more easily if we want and D&D Beyond don't have to bother wasting so much dev resource towards their own VTT and can focus on fixing the stuff that's been broken for years, or to provide the basics we've been asking for since the day of its inception, which all of its competitors offer, like custom classes. That stuff is far more useful than a VTT, anyday.
Make that 4.
Five.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I'm fine with VTTs but frankly, TOTM is better for me. The character sheet tools and searching and whatnot are all I really need for this site. I use Roll20 only for the convenience of the chat and dice rolling. D&D Beyond could just focus on that aspect and be a complete package for me. I find Roll20 easier than other VTT but it can certainly be a paid to use sometimes - it's character sheet is dreadful (and thanks to Beyond20 I don't have to deal with that nonsense), and how it formats stuff (like spells) is horrible to read and awkward.
D&D Beyond will never be a proper VTT. Not as their own thing. If the more simple stuff like piety, classes and custom invocations and such things just stump D&D Beyond so much, then the sincerely more complicated VTT is just way beyond them (puns!). They're better off getting a few features working, like campaign dice logs (which still needs work) and then making their public API so it can be more easily used with external services, like the existing VTTs, if we want to. This way we can use a VTT more easily if we want and D&D Beyond don't have to bother wasting so much dev resource towards their own VTT and can focus on fixing the stuff that's been broken for years, or to provide the basics we've been asking for since the day of its inception, which all of its competitors offer, like custom classes. That stuff is far more useful than a VTT, anyday.
The fact that we're all here discussing it means DDB screwed up by not letting us know more than a day ahead of time, and not giving any indication of what's in the future plans.
As Adam said on the Dev update, he's still here for weeks. Adam, Lauren & Todd are leaving at different times for different opportunities.
Yes, the decision was made to announce that they're leaving in one go. I'm not sure what is meant by screwing up by not announcing ahead of time though. They've not left yet! This was pretty much the first sensible opportunity to break the news.
Regarding a formal statement - that was made on the Dev update video and by the people themselves on Twitter. Multiple staff have followed up here, to let you all know that everything is going to be ok and D&D Beyond isn't at risk, closing down, or otherwise failing - quite the opposite. We're continuing to grow, recruit and build.
I totally understand the reaction of, "but this many people at once? Something MUST be wrong." but as I said previously, sometimes stuff just coincides and that's all it is. I get it though, why it looks bad from the outside.
Ironically, because there's not a disaster occurring, there's no way for anyone here to prove that to the community, other than to continue to communicate openly and for us to carry on doing our jobs to make D&D Beyond better than ever.
Am I sad that friends are moving on? Very much so, but I'm also so happy for them that opportunity has opened up for them in a wonderful way.
Anyways, I've never been the kinda girl that was good at corporate platitudes. Not something you'll see from me. 😉
I'm gonna go sleep and tomorrow I'll carry on working on building Candlekeep Mysteries, with the rest of the Game Content team. They're awesome people and I love working with them. Also it's a really cool book with some crazy fun adventures in!
Yea - the staffs' posts so far have read like vacuous platitudes. That's probably cynical of me - but it's always the same. As Yurei says - it's the "Everything is Fine!" spiel that gets repeated over and over in these kinds of situations - even when it's sometimes not true. So we can't take it at face value.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
In practice that varies with how the split happened, but there's a difference between people leaving to immediately get a new job and people leaving without first having the new job lined up -- it means they like the new opportunity more than the old one, but the old one probably wasn't intolerable, just not preferred. It's not a good sign, but also probably not terminal.
Yep, bridge burning or "take this job and shove it" is actually far less frequent in the work world than feeling you've "done your time" in a particular gig, and thus seek out or make it known your entertaining new options.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I don't know these people at all, but I know a bit about small companies that grow. Some people are just trailblazers. They enjoy getting things running and creating a product. Once the primary product is realized and running the company is just about supporting slightly different flavors of content or adding peripheral features, they start getting restless.
I don't think speculation of any sort is productive right now, but since it's rampant I thought I'd bring up a different theory. Founders like to found things. It's not uncommon to see them leave when the product starts to switch over to auto-pilot.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
And since this website doesn't allow adult images, arguing about politics, or pictures of cats, speculating without evidence is all we're really able to do.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Good evening, why has one of the co-founders and basically every other named staff member we know left this week? Bradford, Hayek, Kenrick, Lauren. This doesn't look good as someone who has spent a ridiculous sum on books and DNDbeyond stuff.
Can we get some comms on what's up?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/97024-what-does-the-loss-of-the-main-faces-of-dndbeyond
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/97024-what-does-the-loss-of-the-main-faces-of-dndbeyond
Please do not contact or message me.
thanks. Didn't see it.
I am feeling worried that all the faces left DnD beyond with no one replacing them.
No. There are at least two of us.
Make that 4.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I think this is the major issue, like I ain't in charge of the company or any company but if I were I'd have at least.
A-lined up some transition.
Or
B-Had an announcement a little while ago about "We are going to focus our efforts on the site and apps, and less on things like articles and videos since you can find much of that information elsewhere"
The biggest worry from me is less a lot of people are leaving, and more that there wasn't an effort to sort of 'prep' the audience for that, since speculation is literally the only likely result from it.
I'd like to mention that when people are fired or laid off, they generally don't get to tape a going-away video. They generally get a box to put the stuff on their desk in, then are escorted out. So I'm inclined to believe that the ones leaving are leaving of their own accord. The problem is the way it was handled from a PR standpoint. The fact that we're all here discussing it means DDB screwed up by not letting us know more than a day ahead of time, and not giving any indication of what's in the future plans.
Why is Todd leaving?
Five.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Six.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
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D&D Beyond FoundersAs Adam said on the Dev update, he's still here for weeks. Adam, Lauren & Todd are leaving at different times for different opportunities.
Yes, the decision was made to announce that they're leaving in one go. I'm not sure what is meant by screwing up by not announcing ahead of time though. They've not left yet! This was pretty much the first sensible opportunity to break the news.
Regarding a formal statement - that was made on the Dev update video and by the people themselves on Twitter. Multiple staff have followed up here, to let you all know that everything is going to be ok and D&D Beyond isn't at risk, closing down, or otherwise failing - quite the opposite. We're continuing to grow, recruit and build.
I totally understand the reaction of, "but this many people at once? Something MUST be wrong." but as I said previously, sometimes stuff just coincides and that's all it is. I get it though, why it looks bad from the outside.
Ironically, because there's not a disaster occurring, there's no way for anyone here to prove that to the community, other than to continue to communicate openly and for us to carry on doing our jobs to make D&D Beyond better than ever.
Am I sad that friends are moving on? Very much so, but I'm also so happy for them that opportunity has opened up for them in a wonderful way.
Anyways, I've never been the kinda girl that was good at corporate platitudes. Not something you'll see from me. 😉
I'm gonna go sleep and tomorrow I'll carry on working on building Candlekeep Mysteries, with the rest of the Game Content team. They're awesome people and I love working with them. Also it's a really cool book with some crazy fun adventures in!
G'night folks, please don't worry. ❤️
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | 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!"🔊
There might not be a disaster. But people asking a lot means this might not have been the first opportunity. Maybe before they all tweeted it.
If it reassures anyone, DDB just got a shoutout on Critical Role.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].