With WoTC acquiring dndbeyond, are there any plans in adding any other edition to the website/apps? I'm not sure if they actually own the rights to do so, and maybe there is no interest because the big money maker has been and probably will continue to be 5e, however, it would be nice to have at least core products for a price, for those interested in expanding their D&D knowledge.
I mean that's a way to honor the website's name: D&DBeyond
All kidding aside, wouldn't it be great to have the possibility of reaching everything with just a couple of clicks? maybe even create characters and export pdf as we currently do.
It is highly unlikely as Wizards of the Coast does not support or release any content for older editions. If such an app were to be created, it would likely not be on D&D Beyond, but a separate app altogether.
As Vlad said. There really isn’t a reason for WotC to devote labor and money to doing all the things needed to make an interactive website for editions they are not supporting. Especially since that money and labor would be better used improving DDB to incorporate existing rules/class features that the site currently isn’t able to support. And there is a new edition just two years away that is their focus right now
I guess, but honestly I think a small team or someone could work getting up the core books, maybe just one edition and test it out, you know if there's any interest. It requires some investment but the systems are already donde, and many people still play them. To me that's a wasted opportunity.
Even if they don't do the character creator features, just the core books, they should already have everything digitalized, so I'm sure for the most part is just a matter of copying and pasting.
DDB is literally years behind schedule just getting the site sorted for 5e. They have another iteration coming in two years, while still struggling with this one from when they start 5 years ago. Any and all staff, intern or not, will be working on either maintaining the site, trying to get 5e to work or preparing for 2024e. It'll be a long time before they even think about stuff that isn't current or future stuff.
At most, you might get compendium content. That'll be a while too, though.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
They already had online tools for 4e and literally only had to maintain them. They killed those tools early to herd 4e players to 5e, and it totally worked.
I just think it would take a greater investment than they're willing to make. I mean there's still a laundry list of official existing 5e stuff that this site doesn't support.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
They already had online tools for 4e and literally only had to maintain them. They killed those tools early to herd 4e players to 5e, and it totally worked.
I just think it would take a greater investment than they're willing to make. I mean there's still a laundry list of official existing 5e stuff that this site doesn't support.
What is still missing? I guess combat tracker is still alpha but, what else is needed? The books are released almost simultaneously
A few VTT's already support prior editions of the game. As said, WotC is not interested in diverting people buying into 5e via legacy rule systems. That would dilute the drive to use DDB as a place for 5e. A "small team" of developers working on legacy rules is a number of developers not implementing, supporting, and improving upon the flagship products.
It's pretty to think WotC would dive into it's back catalog, but that sort of labor of love is being done by fan communities on other platforms.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
I’m an older player (pushing 50) of older editions (all the older editions). I find 5e quite friendly. I’m not even sure what you mean.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
Yeah but us older players have a disposable income.
There is a market for it, if you aren’t you should join some of the RPG Auction groups and see what some of us are willing to pay for our old products.
Really the overhead isn’t too bad on bring older editions to D&D Beyond. Hell I have an excel sheet that does a lot of the work now for me on 1E that I’ve customized more with BECMI & 2E elements. You give that same type of functionality to this App and I will fork over money for it. Hell I’d Alpha & Beta test it for them.
Heck I’d be happy to have some third parties be allowed on board. I’m looking at Goodman Games and their updates to 5E for some of the old modules. Goodman has already done the conversion work, the only thing needed would be to put it into Beyonds format.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
They are the ones with the disposable income. The younger people are barely able to fill the gas tank of late. Do you think they’ll spend money on a hobby over gas to go to work?
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
Yeah but us older players have a disposable income.
There is a market for it, if you aren’t you should join some of the RPG Auction groups and see what some of us are willing to pay for our old products.
Really the overhead isn’t too bad on bring older editions to D&D Beyond. Hell I have an excel sheet that does a lot of the work now for me on 1E that I’ve customized more with BECMI & 2E elements. You give that same type of functionality to this App and I will fork over money for it. Hell I’d Alpha & Beta test it for them.
Heck I’d be happy to have some third parties be allowed on board. I’m looking at Goodman Games and their updates to 5E for some of the old modules. Goodman has already done the conversion work, the only thing needed would be to put it into Beyonds format.
They already had online tools for 4e and literally only had to maintain them. They killed those tools early to herd 4e players to 5e, and it totally worked.
I just think it would take a greater investment than they're willing to make. I mean there's still a laundry list of official existing 5e stuff that this site doesn't support.
What is still missing? I guess combat tracker is still alpha but, what else is needed? The books are released almost simultaneously
The books are technically released simultaneously, but they rarely work properly on launch, from what I've seen. There is stuff from Tasha's that still hasn't been fixed. There is stuff from the DMG that hasn't been implemented. There's a roadmap of things they want to get done...and are slowly getting there. This isn't to criticise the site - it's to point out that they have a very long list of things to do that are taking them a while to do, and they will all take priority over previous editions.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
Yeah but us older players have a disposable income.
There is a market for it, if you aren’t you should join some of the RPG Auction groups and see what some of us are willing to pay for our old products.
Really the overhead isn’t too bad on bring older editions to D&D Beyond. Hell I have an excel sheet that does a lot of the work now for me on 1E that I’ve customized more with BECMI & 2E elements. You give that same type of functionality to this App and I will fork over money for it. Hell I’d Alpha & Beta test it for them.
Heck I’d be happy to have some third parties be allowed on board. I’m looking at Goodman Games and their updates to 5E for some of the old modules. Goodman has already done the conversion work, the only thing needed would be to put it into Beyonds format.
Right, it's crazy how many are so ready to dismiss the idea claiming that WotC doesn't care of older products, my point is that those are already done.
5e is the only edition that I know and played, but it is crazy to think I would never look back to any other edition, maybe out of curiosity. Honestly got interested in them after purchasing old Baldur's gate games where they immediately mention "the game follow advanced D&D rules"
They already had online tools for 4e and literally only had to maintain them.
The code was based on a Silverlight platform, which hit end of life. They would have had to port it to a new platform (which is doable but is not a maintenance task). Given that it didn't shut down until 2019, by which time 5e had been out for five years, the evidence for it being shut down to push people to 5e is... less than convincing.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
Yeah but us older players have a disposable income.
There is a market for it, if you aren’t you should join some of the RPG Auction groups and see what some of us are willing to pay for our old products.
Really the overhead isn’t too bad on bring older editions to D&D Beyond. Hell I have an excel sheet that does a lot of the work now for me on 1E that I’ve customized more with BECMI & 2E elements. You give that same type of functionality to this App and I will fork over money for it. Hell I’d Alpha & Beta test it for them.
Heck I’d be happy to have some third parties be allowed on board. I’m looking at Goodman Games and their updates to 5E for some of the old modules. Goodman has already done the conversion work, the only thing needed would be to put it into Beyonds format.
What matters is the bottom line. If Wizards really think that maintaining older editions would improve the bottom line, they would have done so already. The fact that they have not done so probably means that older edition players simply are not profitable or not profitable enough.
Older people might have higher disposable income, but the size of the customer base might be too small to cater too. It does not really matter if older players are willing to pay $400 for a book if there are only a thousand of them compared to a million newer players who are willing to pay $40 per book. And keep in mind that there are wealthy Millenials and Zoomers too who are willing to shell out $400 for a book.
Additionally, it is not cheap to run any kind of business or operation. The average lay person does not know how expensive it is to run a business. Running things off of Excel is not acceptable as a consumer product, and it is not scalable.
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
They are the ones with the disposable income. The younger people are barely able to fill the gas tank of late. Do you think they’ll spend money on a hobby over gas to go to work?
Not all of us are car dependent, and carpooling is a thing. For those are who lucky and live nearby our work, we also walk and bike and try to save the planet. American public transportation is absolute below-the-barrel level of filthy sewage crap, but even in its current horrendously sorry-ass garbage state in most cities, it is an option for the homebound trip since travel time is less of a concern.
So yes, we can spend money on hobbies because some of us do not have to worry about gas, or are much less impacted by it. And there are a few oddballs like me who drive and still voted for tax hikes on gas to make the transition to more sustainable energy sources more economically appealing.
They already had online tools for 4e and literally only had to maintain them.
The code was based on a Silverlight platform, which hit end of life. They would have had to port it to a new platform (which is doable but is not a maintenance task). Given that it didn't shut down until 2019, by which time 5e had been out for five years, the evidence for it being shut down to push people to 5e is... less than convincing.
It was shut down because the guy who coded the thing... erm... ended his term with life early. And nobody could figure out his code, so they had to shut it down. Silverlight going down was after this.
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
What matters is the bottom line. If Wizards really think that maintaining older editions would improve the bottom line, they would have done so already. The fact that they have not done so probably means that older edition players simply are not profitable or not profitable enough.
Older people might have higher disposable income, but the size of the customer base might be too small to cater too. It does not really matter if older players are willing to pay $400 for a book if there are only a thousand of them compared to a million newer players who are willing to pay $40 per book. And keep in mind that there are wealthy Millenials and Zoomers too who are willing to shell out $400 for a book.
Additionally, it is not cheap to run any kind of business or operation. The average lay person does not know how expensive it is to run a business. Running things off of Excel is not acceptable as a consumer product, and it is not scalable.
Not all of us are car dependent, and carpooling is a thing. For those are who lucky and live nearby our work, we also walk and bike and try to save the planet. American public transportation is absolute below-the-barrel level of filthy sewage crap, but even in its current horrendously sorry-ass garbage state in most cities, it is an option for the homebound trip since travel time is less of a concern.
So yes, we can spend money on hobbies because some of us do not have to worry about gas, or are much less impacted by it. And there are a few oddballs like me who drive and still voted for tax hikes on gas to make the transition to more sustainable energy sources more economically appealing.
You are correct the bottom line is what matters most to Hasbro. There is money to be made, they will do it. It’s the same reason they let the PDF sales happen on DriveThruRPG. Or DMs Guild has there stuff.
And when I refer to my Excel spreadsheet it’s to show it doesn’t take much to make it happen. And to drive that point home a bit more for an understanding of where I speak from I have over thirty years experience programming code. Also you’d be surprised how much of the corporate world operates off excel spreadsheets. 😂
And congrats on being car free, you do realize the groceries you buy are trucked in right? So in the end the gas price issues effect all of us in some way or another. But it really moves us away from the topic at hand.
I have a fairly large circle of friends that play regularly. Of them, 6 are strictly BECMI/1E/2E players. While they have tried the other editions the regular goto is that. But all of them would love to have electronic tools available to them for those editions. There are plenty of ways to support it in some fashion. One group has been playing together since 2E days. That group I joined about a decade ago, has tried each edition. Think the only one we aren’t going back to is 4E. Currently we are playing a 5E arc of modules. Before that was a 3E running Shackled City, think that took about year and a half. We had a 5E arc before that one so we bounce through editions there. Again a 3E excel sheet did a lot of the work for us. Even at the start of 5E there was an excel spreadsheet that lightened the load for us, and it allowed custom classes, subclasses, spells, etc. which means it had a bit more functionality than what we pay for now.
Another group small group but once a week we meet like clockwork(again at least a decade here together) we are just finishing up 5E Tomb after a little over a years play. Again we use Beyond because it replaced those tired excel sheets we were using. This group will try anything once maybe twice if we like it. Everything from D&D to Star Wars. I’m still trying to convince them to try Cyberpunk or Marvel Superheroes. And yes I do have excel sheets to handle them.
The point is in my small world of socializing there is a market. You should check out some of the older edition boards/forums, leave the edition warring and approach open minded. Yes we are grognards at times, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how many are still just older editions only. Heck just give us Character Sheets we can save update and searchable books and you’ll get money coming in.
WotC/Hasbro wants those customers back, as was said before it’s a simple olive branch.
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With WoTC acquiring dndbeyond, are there any plans in adding any other edition to the website/apps? I'm not sure if they actually own the rights to do so, and maybe there is no interest because the big money maker has been and probably will continue to be 5e, however, it would be nice to have at least core products for a price, for those interested in expanding their D&D knowledge.
I mean that's a way to honor the website's name: D&DBeyond
All kidding aside, wouldn't it be great to have the possibility of reaching everything with just a couple of clicks? maybe even create characters and export pdf as we currently do.
It is highly unlikely as Wizards of the Coast does not support or release any content for older editions. If such an app were to be created, it would likely not be on D&D Beyond, but a separate app altogether.
As Vlad said. There really isn’t a reason for WotC to devote labor and money to doing all the things needed to make an interactive website for editions they are not supporting. Especially since that money and labor would be better used improving DDB to incorporate existing rules/class features that the site currently isn’t able to support. And there is a new edition just two years away that is their focus right now
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
I guess, but honestly I think a small team or someone could work getting up the core books, maybe just one edition and test it out, you know if there's any interest. It requires some investment but the systems are already donde, and many people still play them. To me that's a wasted opportunity.
Even if they don't do the character creator features, just the core books, they should already have everything digitalized, so I'm sure for the most part is just a matter of copying and pasting.
They could have an intern do it or something.
DDB is literally years behind schedule just getting the site sorted for 5e. They have another iteration coming in two years, while still struggling with this one from when they start 5 years ago. Any and all staff, intern or not, will be working on either maintaining the site, trying to get 5e to work or preparing for 2024e. It'll be a long time before they even think about stuff that isn't current or future stuff.
At most, you might get compendium content. That'll be a while too, though.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
They already had online tools for 4e and literally only had to maintain them. They killed those tools early to herd 4e players to 5e, and it totally worked.
I just think it would take a greater investment than they're willing to make. I mean there's still a laundry list of official existing 5e stuff that this site doesn't support.
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
Personally, I think they would be remiss in not doing older editions. Let’s be honest 5E wasn’t friendly to older players of older editions (looking at you Thaco the clown) and you all know why. This could be an olive branch to those players (and on a business sense, their disposable income).
Older players isn't that big a market, compared to all the new 5E players.
What is still missing? I guess combat tracker is still alpha but, what else is needed? The books are released almost simultaneously
A few VTT's already support prior editions of the game. As said, WotC is not interested in diverting people buying into 5e via legacy rule systems. That would dilute the drive to use DDB as a place for 5e. A "small team" of developers working on legacy rules is a number of developers not implementing, supporting, and improving upon the flagship products.
It's pretty to think WotC would dive into it's back catalog, but that sort of labor of love is being done by fan communities on other platforms.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I’m an older player (pushing 50) of older editions (all the older editions). I find 5e quite friendly. I’m not even sure what you mean.
Yeah but us older players have a disposable income.
There is a market for it, if you aren’t you should join some of the RPG Auction groups and see what some of us are willing to pay for our old products.
Really the overhead isn’t too bad on bring older editions to D&D Beyond. Hell I have an excel sheet that does a lot of the work now for me on 1E that I’ve customized more with BECMI & 2E elements. You give that same type of functionality to this App and I will fork over money for it. Hell I’d Alpha & Beta test it for them.
Heck I’d be happy to have some third parties be allowed on board. I’m looking at Goodman Games and their updates to 5E for some of the old modules. Goodman has already done the conversion work, the only thing needed would be to put it into Beyonds format.
They are the ones with the disposable income. The younger people are barely able to fill the gas tank of late. Do you think they’ll spend money on a hobby over gas to go to work?
This——^
The books are technically released simultaneously, but they rarely work properly on launch, from what I've seen. There is stuff from Tasha's that still hasn't been fixed. There is stuff from the DMG that hasn't been implemented. There's a roadmap of things they want to get done...and are slowly getting there. This isn't to criticise the site - it's to point out that they have a very long list of things to do that are taking them a while to do, and they will all take priority over previous editions.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Right, it's crazy how many are so ready to dismiss the idea claiming that WotC doesn't care of older products, my point is that those are already done.
5e is the only edition that I know and played, but it is crazy to think I would never look back to any other edition, maybe out of curiosity. Honestly got interested in them after purchasing old Baldur's gate games where they immediately mention "the game follow advanced D&D rules"
The code was based on a Silverlight platform, which hit end of life. They would have had to port it to a new platform (which is doable but is not a maintenance task). Given that it didn't shut down until 2019, by which time 5e had been out for five years, the evidence for it being shut down to push people to 5e is... less than convincing.
What matters is the bottom line. If Wizards really think that maintaining older editions would improve the bottom line, they would have done so already. The fact that they have not done so probably means that older edition players simply are not profitable or not profitable enough.
Older people might have higher disposable income, but the size of the customer base might be too small to cater too. It does not really matter if older players are willing to pay $400 for a book if there are only a thousand of them compared to a million newer players who are willing to pay $40 per book. And keep in mind that there are wealthy Millenials and Zoomers too who are willing to shell out $400 for a book.
Additionally, it is not cheap to run any kind of business or operation. The average lay person does not know how expensive it is to run a business. Running things off of Excel is not acceptable as a consumer product, and it is not scalable.
Not all of us are car dependent, and carpooling is a thing. For those are who lucky and live nearby our work, we also walk and bike and try to save the planet. American public transportation is absolute below-the-barrel level of filthy sewage crap, but even in its current horrendously sorry-ass garbage state in most cities, it is an option for the homebound trip since travel time is less of a concern.
So yes, we can spend money on hobbies because some of us do not have to worry about gas, or are much less impacted by it. And there are a few oddballs like me who drive and still voted for tax hikes on gas to make the transition to more sustainable energy sources more economically appealing.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
It was shut down because the guy who coded the thing... erm... ended his term with life early. And nobody could figure out his code, so they had to shut it down. Silverlight going down was after this.
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
You are correct the bottom line is what matters most to Hasbro.
There is money to be made, they will do it. It’s the same reason they let the PDF sales happen on DriveThruRPG. Or DMs Guild has there stuff.
And when I refer to my Excel spreadsheet it’s to show it doesn’t take much to make it happen. And to drive that point home a bit more for an understanding of where I speak from I have over thirty years experience programming code. Also you’d be surprised how much of the corporate world operates off excel spreadsheets. 😂
And congrats on being car free, you do realize the groceries you buy are trucked in right? So in the end the gas price issues effect all of us in some way or another. But it really moves us away from the topic at hand.
I have a fairly large circle of friends that play regularly. Of them, 6 are strictly BECMI/1E/2E players. While they have tried the other editions the regular goto is that. But all of them would love to have electronic tools available to them for those editions. There are plenty of ways to support it in some fashion.
One group has been playing together since 2E days. That group I joined about a decade ago, has tried each edition. Think the only one we aren’t going back to is 4E. Currently we are playing a 5E arc of modules. Before that was a 3E running Shackled City, think that took about year and a half. We had a 5E arc before that one so we bounce through editions there. Again a 3E excel sheet did a lot of the work for us. Even at the start of 5E there was an excel spreadsheet that lightened the load for us, and it allowed custom classes, subclasses, spells, etc. which means it had a bit more functionality than what we pay for now.
Another group small group but once a week we meet like clockwork(again at least a decade here together) we are just finishing up 5E Tomb after a little over a years play. Again we use Beyond because it replaced those tired excel sheets we were using. This group will try anything once maybe twice if we like it. Everything from D&D to Star Wars. I’m still trying to convince them to try Cyberpunk or Marvel Superheroes. And yes I do have excel sheets to handle them.
The point is in my small world of socializing there is a market. You should check out some of the older edition boards/forums, leave the edition warring and approach open minded. Yes we are grognards at times, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how many are still just older editions only.
Heck just give us Character Sheets we can save update and searchable books and you’ll get money coming in.
WotC/Hasbro wants those customers back, as was said before it’s a simple olive branch.